April 10, 2009
UPDATE
As Polar Year Ends, Researchers Look for Climate Clues in Mountains of Data
A period of intensive study of the Earth's polar caps, called the International Polar Year, ended in March, leaving researchers with a bounty of data to sort through to help inform the next generation of polar research.

January 22, 2009
UPDATE
New Study Shows Warming Trend in Antarctica
Antarctica, a part of the world that researchers had previously believed was bucking the trend of global warming, is getting warmer after all, according to a newly released study.

November 25, 2008
REPORT
Polar Bears Struggle to Survive as Arctic Climate Changes
As climate change threatens polar bears' survival, laws put in place to protect the bears are impacting the Inuit people who have long hunted them. ITN's ITV news reports on the plight of both polar bears and Native people in the Canadian Arctic.

September 4, 2008
UPDATE
Study: Arctic Sea Ice at Second-lowest Level on Record
The Arctic ice cap has melted to a point that exceeds the 2005 level -- previously the second lowest on record -- and could surpass the record this year, scientists at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center have said.

August 20, 2008
UPDATE
Countries Map Arctic Boundaries to Build Cases for Resource Rights
As a scramble builds to establish rights over the valuable natural resources hidden under the Arctic sea floor, U.S. researchers embarked from Barrow, Alaska, in mid-August on a three-week mission to map regions of the vast underwater landscape.

May 14, 2008
ANALYSIS
Polar Bears Listed as 'Threatened' Due to Loss of Arctic Ice
In a highly anticipated decision, the Interior Department on Wednesday declared the polar bear "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act because of shrinking Arctic ice due to global warming. Two analysts consider the impact of the decision.

April 1, 2008
UPDATE
Scientists Plot Pollutants' Path at the Arctic
The Arctic is a receptacle of the planet's air pollutants -- from forest fires to human-produced carbon dioxide emissions -- and a coordinated international effort is geared toward learning more about pollutants' effects at the top of the globe.

Slide Show: Learn more about some of the Arctic field studies here.

March 26, 2008
UPDATE
Ice Shelf Disintegrating Off Antarctica Peninsula
A huge slab of ice has fallen off the western Antarctic peninsula, threatening the ice shelf behind it. Scientists say the collapse shows how quickly polar changes can occur amid certain climate conditions. A climatologist explains.

February 6, 2008
SLIDE SHOW SERIES
Interactive Map, Other Tools Bring Poles to Light
A high-resolution interactive map of Antarctica, icebreakers, buoys and underwater robots help researchers learn about the mysteries of the Earth's poles and relay that information to the public.

December 19, 2007
UPDATE
Recommendation Nears for Listing Polar Bear as 'Threatened'
One year ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took up a proposal to list the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act -- a decision that enjoys public support but also stands to impact a range of players, including greenhouse gas-emitting industries and Inuit tribes.

Update: Agency Delays Listing Decision (1.9.08)

September 10, 2007
REPORT
Companies Race for Gas in Arctic
Norway's state-owned oil company, Statoil, recently opened Europe's first large-scale liquefied natural gas plant in Hammerfest, Norway. As global warming melts Arctic ice and makes reserves more accessible, companies are racing to the Arctic to stake their claims.

August 1, 2007
REPORT
Greenland Residents Detect Sea Changes
Residents of Greenland's west coast say they are feeling the effects of rising sea temperatures in the fishing and tourism industries. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the research into whether the changes are climate change-related.

Polar-palooza: Interactive Web site about the poles, supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation

June 22, 2007
UPDATE
Polar Research on Earth Assists with Mars Study
As scientists continue to explore the poles as part of the International Polar Year, hoping to better understand the Earth's most extreme environments, some researchers are looking for answers even farther off -- toward the north pole of Mars.

May 17, 2007
UPDATE
New Antarctic Marine Species Surprise Scientists
An international team of researchers has found more than 700 new species in the depths of Antarctica's Weddell Sea, surprising scientists who had thought the region was largely devoid of life.

April 24, 2007
REPORT
Thermal Inversion: Reading the Sky for Signs of Climate Change
From the thinning Arctic sea ice to the softening permafrost and the northern migration of indigenous animals, scientists and Arctic dwellers are taking note of the gradual impacts of climate change.

February 23, 2007
REPORT
International Agreements Hallmark of Antarctica
It's the least hospitable place on Earth with its extreme cold and wind, and sovereign claims have been disputed for decades, yet Antarctica has become a model for international cooperation.

February 23, 2007
REPORT
Changes at Poles Drive Global Warming
Over the past several decades, temperatures in the Arctic have increased at twice the rate of average global temperatures. Meanwhile, sea and land ice in the Arctic and parts of Antarctica have been shrinking at a surprising and ever-growing rate, and permafrost is thawing across the Arctic.

February 23, 2007
REPORT
Polar Year Explores How Earth Systems Interact
Chinese scientists are drilling into the Gamburtsev mountain range, considered the birthplace of the Antarctic ice sheet. U.S. researchers are sampling streams and soil in Antarctica's dry valleys. And NASA is training its satellites on both poles to measure how the polar surface interacts with the atmosphere. These projects and more are going on during an intensified, worldwide effort to better understand how the poles interact with the rest of the Earth.

December 27, 2006
ANALYSIS
United States Weighs Declaring Polar Bears 'Threatened' Species
With polar bear numbers declining and their habitats melting, the Bush Administration has proposed labeling them a "threatened" species under the Endangered Species Act. The secretary of the Interior and an environmental lawyer discuss the proposal.

November 8, 2004
REPORT
Arctic Ice Pack Reveals Warming Trend
Results of a four-year study released this week by a team of 300 scientists show the Arctic is warming at twice the global average rate. Tom Bearden reports on the science of the Arctic.