The Arctic Ocean's ice is melting faster than ever due to global warming, opening up more areas in the huge area to global competition for its untapped resources, including an estimated 13 per cent of the world's oil. The US Coast Guard commissioned its first new polar icebreaker ship in over 25 years this August, as part of an $8.6 billion push to expand its Arctic capabilities, with key rivals Russia and China in mind. In this context, here is a look at the Arctic region's resources, the contentious control of its territory, and the countries engaged in the scramble.<h2>What are the resources of the Arctic?</h2>The Arctic possibly contains up to 13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and roughly 30 per cent of global natural gas deposits.&nbsp;It is also home to mineral deposits, including rare earth elements critical for green tech and electric vehicles.&nbsp;Greenland and northern Scandinavia offer mining opportunities for iron ore and other strategic minerals.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-arctic-space-race-heats-up-china-u-s-europe-build-antenna-farms-in-the-far-north-1764097803450/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-arctic-space-race-heats-up-china-u-s-europe-build-antenna-farms-in-the-far-north-1764097803450/embed</a><h2>New shipping routes can drastically reduce global maritime trade costs</h2>Besides the Arctic's abundant and critical natural resources, the thawing of ice is slowly opening up more shipping routes, such as the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s Arctic coast and the Northwest Passage through Canada. When fully operational and commercialised, these routes can reduce transit times between Asia and Europe by up to 40 per cent and lower shipping costs by roughly 30 per cent.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/why-scientists-revive-40-000-year-old-ancient-virus-with-pandemic-potential-from-arctic-ice-1759812221224">Why?? Scientists revive 40,000-year-old ancient virus with 'pandemic potential' from Arctic ice</a><h2>Who controls the Arctic?</h2>The Arctic Ocean region, spanning approximately 14.5 million square kilometres, is loosely governed through a combination of national jurisdiction, international law, and cooperative bodies like the Arctic Council. Eight countries have coastlines along the Arctic Ocean: Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the US (via Alaska). These countries are part of the Arctic Council, which focuses on non-security issues and environmental protection. China also claims to be a “near-Arctic state,” becoming an active new entrant in the race for the region's resources.The coastal states control their land, internal waters, and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) spanning 200 nautical miles.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/scientists-surprised-to-see-organism-alive-and-moving-inside-arctic-ocean-that-they-thought-was-dead-1757656476816">Scientists surprised to see organism 'alive and moving' inside Arctic Ocean that they thought was dead</a><h2>Race for more control of the Arctic via UN laws</h2>The scramble for the Arctic is evident from new claims by some countries to expand their rights over the continental shelf beyond the EEZ. They have filed petitions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with Russia and Norway receiving partial approvals. Canada, Denmark, and some others have their claims pending. The US has not ratified UNCLOS, but generally observes its provisions.The central Arctic Ocean remains international waters, open for navigation and fishing under UNCLOS.<h2>Which countries are interested in the Arctic?</h2>While Arctic coastal states naturally have the strongest claims and interests in resource development, shipping, and security, countries like the US, Russia, and China are competing to gain an upper hand. US President Donald Trump's remarks about wanting to buy Greenland should be seen in this context.<h2>China: A non-Arctic power operating in the waters</h2>Calling itself a “near-Arctic state,” China has expanded its research and commercial shipping activity in the region. The Asian power is testing new maritime routes and building icebreaker capacity in the Arctic.&nbsp;Countries and entities with observer status in the Arctic Council, including India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the European Union, have invested in scientific research, mining projects, and shipping infrastructure to gain a foothold in the region.<h2>Militarising the Arctic</h2>De facto enforcement of the Arctic Ocean is carried out by countries like the US using Coast Guard patrols to maintain presence and monitor foreign vessels. Russia maintains the largest military presence and extensive Arctic bases, asserting control over roughly half of the Arctic coastline.Canada and Norway also regulate shipping in their waters while pursuing resource extraction.In this context, the US commissioning of new icebreakers and plans to acquire more gain significance. The aim is to secure strategic influence, protect shipping routes, and gain access to mineral resources, particularly in Greenland.The days when the Arctic could become a conflict zone are not far away, given the current level of intensifying activity around the slowly unfreezing ocean.

The US has commissioned its first icebreaker in 25 years, as melting of Arctic ice opens up more shipping routes and scramble for untapped resources. China and Russia are also racing for dominance. 


The Arctic Ocean's ice is melting faster than ever due to global warming, opening up more areas in the huge area to global competition for its untapped resources, including an estimated 13 per cent of the world's oil. The US Coast Guard commissioned its first new polar icebreaker ship in over 25 years this August, as part of an $8.6 billion push to expand its Arctic capabilities, with key rivals Russia and China in mind. In this context, here is a look at the Arctic region's resources, the contentious control of its territory, and the countries engaged in the scramble. What are the resources of the Arctic? The Arctic possibly contains up to 13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and roughly 30 per cent of global natural gas deposits. It is also home to mineral deposits, including rare earth elements critical for green tech and electric vehicles. Greenland and northern Scandinavia offer mining opportunities for iron ore and other strategic minerals. https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-arctic-space-race-heats-up-china-u-s-europe-build-antenna-farms-in-the-far-north-1764097803450/embed New shipping routes can drastically reduce global maritime trade costs Besides the Arctic's abundant and critical natural resources, the thawing of ice is slowly opening up more shipping routes, such as the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s Arctic coast and the Northwest Passage through Canada. When fully operational and commercialised, these routes can reduce transit times between Asia and Europe by up to 40 per cent and lower shipping costs by roughly 30 per cent. Also read: Why?? Scientists revive 40,000-year-old ancient virus with 'pandemic potential' from Arctic ice Who controls the Arctic? The Arctic Ocean region, spanning approximately 14.5 million square kilometres, is loosely governed through a combination of national jurisdiction, international law, and cooperative bodies like the Arctic Council. Eight countries have coastlines along the Arctic Ocean: Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the US (via Alaska). These countries are part of the Arctic Council, which focuses on non-security issues and environmental protection. China also claims to be a “near-Arctic state,” becoming an active new entrant in the race for the region's resources. The coastal states control their land, internal waters, and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) spanning 200 nautical miles. Also read: Scientists surprised to see organism 'alive and moving' inside Arctic Ocean that they thought was dead Race for more control of the Arctic via UN laws The scramble for the Arctic is evident from new claims by some countries to expand their rights over the continental shelf beyond the EEZ. They have filed petitions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with Russia and Norway receiving partial approvals. Canada, Denmark, and some others have their claims pending. The US has not ratified UNCLOS, but generally observes its provisions. The central Arctic Ocean remains international waters, open for navigation and fishing under UNCLOS. Which countries are interested in the Arctic? While Arctic coastal states naturally have the strongest claims and interests in resource development, shipping, and security, countries like the US, Russia, and China are competing to gain an upper hand. US President Donald Trump's remarks about wanting to buy Greenland should be seen in this context. China: A non-Arctic power operating in the waters Calling itself a “near-Arctic state,” China has expanded its research and commercial shipping activity in the region. The Asian power is testing new maritime routes and building icebreaker capacity in the Arctic. Countries and entities with observer status in the Arctic Council, including India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the European Union, have invested in scientific research, mining projects, and shipping infrastructure to gain a foothold in the region. Militarising the Arctic De facto enforcement of the Arctic Ocean is carried out by countries like the US using Coast Guard patrols to maintain presence and monitor foreign vessels. Russia maintains the largest military presence and extensive Arctic bases, asserting control over roughly half of the Arctic coastline. Canada and Norway also regulate shipping in their waters while pursuing resource extraction. In this context, the US commissioning of new icebreakers and plans to acquire more gain significance. The aim is to secure strategic influence, protect shipping routes, and gain access to mineral resources, particularly in Greenland. The days when the Arctic could become a conflict zone are not far away, given the current level of intensifying activity around the slowly unfreezing ocean.

The US has commissioned its first icebreaker in 25 years, as melting of Arctic ice opens up more shipping routes and scramble for untapped resources. China and Russia are also racing for dominance.

Humans are coming: Arctic resource race to intensify with first US icebreaker in 25 years - Why this scramble?

Arctic sea ice registered a massive dip this summer and likely melted to its minimum extent for the year on September 11, 2024, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Ice typically thaws and regrows between seasons in the region, but in the past 46 years, more of it has melted in the summer and less ice has formed in winter, satellite data shows.&nbsp;

Last week, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) revealed that Thwaites Glacier, also known as "Doomsday Glacier", is inching dangerously close to collapsing. Their data suggested that it could completely vanish by the 23rd century. If this happens, global sea levels can rise by two feet (65cm), sinking several cities, the study says.

Amid this, a glimmer of hope has emerged as scientists say they have found a way to rebuild ice under the ocean. As per initial trials, researchers have found that pumping seawater onto snow in the Canadian Arctic can potentially make the ice beneath thicker.&nbsp;

The field trials were conducted by UK start-up Real Ice earlier this year which aims to thicken ice sheets in the Arctic that are essential for the survival of polar wildlife and Inuit communities.

The experiment involves drilling through the ice to the ocean after which water is pumped onto the snow above. The air pockets in the snow fill up with this water which freezes and gradually turns into ice.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/antarcticas-doomsday-glacier-might-completely-vanish-by-23rd-century-760249">Antarctica's 'doomsday glacier' might completely vanish by 23rd century</a>

“Our objective is to demonstrate that ice thickening can be effective in preserving and restoring Arctic sea ice,” Andrea Ceccolini, co-CEO of Real Ice told New Scientist. The company collaborated with the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge.

The results are promising and the researchers were able to grow 25 cm of natural ice on the underside of the ice.

“The results in May confirm that actually, yes, you do get this additional rate of growth of new sea ice from the underside,” Shaun Fitzgerald, director of the Centre for Climate Repair, told New Scientist.&nbsp;

<h2>Shrinking Arctic ice</h2>

Arctic sea ice this year has shrunk to a minimal extent of 1.65 million square miles, about 750,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 end-of-summer average of 2.4 million square miles. This loss is equal to an area larger than the state of Alaska.&nbsp;

The region has been predicted to be completely ice-free in the summers by the 2030s.&nbsp;

Along with shrinking, sea ice is also getting younger, Nathan Kurtz, lab chief of NASA’s Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said.&nbsp;

“Today, the overwhelming majority of ice in the Arctic Ocean is thinner, first-year ice, which is less able to survive the warmer months. There is far, far less ice that is three years or older now,” Kurtz said.

Arctic sea ice registered a massive dip this summer and likely melted to its minimum extent for the year on September 11, 2024, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Arctic sea ice registered a massive dip this summer and likely melted to its minimum extent for the year on September 11, 2024, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Ice typically thaws and regrows between seasons in the region, but in the past 46 years, more of it has melted in the summer and less ice has formed in winter, satellite data shows. Last week, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) revealed that Thwaites Glacier, also known as "Doomsday Glacier", is inching dangerously close to collapsing. Their data suggested that it could completely vanish by the 23rd century. If this happens, global sea levels can rise by two feet (65cm), sinking several cities, the study says. Amid this, a glimmer of hope has emerged as scientists say they have found a way to rebuild ice under the ocean. As per initial trials, researchers have found that pumping seawater onto snow in the Canadian Arctic can potentially make the ice beneath thicker. The field trials were conducted by UK start-up Real Ice earlier this year which aims to thicken ice sheets in the Arctic that are essential for the survival of polar wildlife and Inuit communities. The experiment involves drilling through the ice to the ocean after which water is pumped onto the snow above. The air pockets in the snow fill up with this water which freezes and gradually turns into ice. Also Read: Antarctica's 'doomsday glacier' might completely vanish by 23rd century “Our objective is to demonstrate that ice thickening can be effective in preserving and restoring Arctic sea ice,” Andrea Ceccolini, co-CEO of Real Ice told New Scientist. The company collaborated with the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge. The results are promising and the researchers were able to grow 25 cm of natural ice on the underside of the ice. “The results in May confirm that actually, yes, you do get this additional rate of growth of new sea ice from the underside,” Shaun Fitzgerald, director of the Centre for Climate Repair, told New Scientist. Shrinking Arctic ice Arctic sea ice this year has shrunk to a minimal extent of 1.65 million square miles, about 750,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 end-of-summer average of 2.4 million square miles. This loss is equal to an area larger than the state of Alaska. The region has been predicted to be completely ice-free in the summers by the 2030s. Along with shrinking, sea ice is also getting younger, Nathan Kurtz, lab chief of NASA’s Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said. “Today, the overwhelming majority of ice in the Arctic Ocean is thinner, first-year ice, which is less able to survive the warmer months. There is far, far less ice that is three years or older now,” Kurtz said.

Scientists figure out a way to refreeze ice in Arctic amid bleak glacial future

There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet.

Journal Nature Communications published a new study on Tuesday which stated that Arctic sea ice is likely to completely disappear during the month of September in the 2030s.&nbsp;

The scientists stated that even if planet-heating pollution is significantly reduced, the sea ice in the Arctic may still disappear in summer by the 2050s.

The changes from 1979 to 2019 were analysed by the researchers, as they compared different satellite data and climate models to understand how Arctic sea ice was changing.

It was understood that sea ice was declining largely because of human-caused, planet-heating pollution, and Arctic sea ice melting trends were underestimated by the previous models.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/soviet-era-rocket-makes-re-entry-to-earth-near-the-arctic-564684">Soviet-era rocket launched in 1980 makes re-entry, falls in Arctic region of Russia</a>

“We were surprised to find that the ice-free Arctic will be there in summer irrespective of our effort at reducing emissions, which was not expected,” stated Seung-Ki Min, lead author of the study and professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, while speaking to CNN.

During the winter, Arctic ice builds up and then melts in the summer months, generally hitting its lowest levels in September, before the cycle starts again.

"Once Arctic summers become ice-free, the buildup of sea ice in the colder seasons will be much slower," Min stated.&nbsp;

With a ‘higher emissions pathway’, &nbsp;in which fossil fuels continue to be burned and levels of planet-warming pollution continue to increase, the study emphasises on complete loss of sea ice in the Arctic from August until as late as October before the 2080s, said Min.&nbsp;

<h2>Study in contrast with the UN’s report&nbsp;</h2>

The findings of the study are in contrast with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 state-of-the-science report which stated that the Arctic would be “practically ice-free near mid-century under intermediate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.”

Min said that the new study shows that ice-free Arctic can occur 10 years earlier than expected, regardless of emission scenarios.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Arctic is warming quadruple times faster than the world, research tells

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/arctic-is-warming-quadruple-times-faster-than-the-world-research-tells-english-latest-news-wion-584301/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the 2022 study's lead author Mika Rantanen said that the study benefited from “novel and state-of-the-art methodology” for predicting when the Arctic will go ice-free.

“The methodology is very careful and brings a high degree of certainty in the attribution,” stated Rantanen, who was not a part of the study.&nbsp;

“The most striking result is not that the sea ice loss is attributed to greenhouse gas increases, which was already largely known, but that they project the ice-free Arctic earlier than previously thought by about a decade," he added.&nbsp;

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The ice-free conditions will impact Arctic indigenous communities as their hunting and traveling will be affected. Animals that depend on sea ice will feel the impact.&nbsp;“As Arctic warming is enhanced, permafrost will also melt earlier and many species, including polar bears, walruses and reindeer, will have trouble surviving,” added Min. 
 
 
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There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet.

There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet. Journal Nature Communications published a new study on Tuesday which stated that Arctic sea ice is likely to completely disappear during the month of September in the 2030s. The scientists stated that even if planet-heating pollution is significantly reduced, the sea ice in the Arctic may still disappear in summer by the 2050s. The changes from 1979 to 2019 were analysed by the researchers, as they compared different satellite data and climate models to understand how Arctic sea ice was changing. It was understood that sea ice was declining largely because of human-caused, planet-heating pollution, and Arctic sea ice melting trends were underestimated by the previous models. ALSO READ | Soviet-era rocket launched in 1980 makes re-entry, falls in Arctic region of Russia “We were surprised to find that the ice-free Arctic will be there in summer irrespective of our effort at reducing emissions, which was not expected,” stated Seung-Ki Min, lead author of the study and professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, while speaking to CNN. During the winter, Arctic ice builds up and then melts in the summer months, generally hitting its lowest levels in September, before the cycle starts again. "Once Arctic summers become ice-free, the buildup of sea ice in the colder seasons will be much slower," Min stated. With a ‘higher emissions pathway’, in which fossil fuels continue to be burned and levels of planet-warming pollution continue to increase, the study emphasises on complete loss of sea ice in the Arctic from August until as late as October before the 2080s, said Min. Study in contrast with the UN’s report The findings of the study are in contrast with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 state-of-the-science report which stated that the Arctic would be “practically ice-free near mid-century under intermediate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.” Min said that the new study shows that ice-free Arctic can occur 10 years earlier than expected, regardless of emission scenarios. WATCH | Arctic is warming quadruple times faster than the world, research tells Researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the 2022 study's lead author Mika Rantanen said that the study benefited from “novel and state-of-the-art methodology” for predicting when the Arctic will go ice-free. “The methodology is very careful and brings a high degree of certainty in the attribution,” stated Rantanen, who was not a part of the study. “The most striking result is not that the sea ice loss is attributed to greenhouse gas increases, which was already largely known, but that they project the ice-free Arctic earlier than previously thought by about a decade," he added. The ice-free conditions will impact Arctic indigenous communities as their hunting and traveling will be affected. Animals that depend on sea ice will feel the impact. “As Arctic warming is enhanced, permafrost will also melt earlier and many species, including polar bears, walruses and reindeer, will have trouble surviving,” added Min. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2030s. Previous models underestimated trends, say experts

In a new trend in Lapland, arctic ice floating has become a new way for people to wind down and relax their minds.

Arctic ice floating is Lapland's latest trend

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows.

Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland.

The findings were published last week in the Journal of Operational Oceanography in the fifth edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report.

Over 120 scientific specialists from more than 30 European universities contributed to this year's study.

The yearly publication provides a detailed overview of the status of the world's seas.&nbsp;

The study discusses some significant changes and trends in the world's seas.

From January 1993 to May 2020, for example, sea levels rose at an average of 3.1 mm each year.

The Baltic Sea, which increased at a pace of 4.5 mm per year, was the most affected.

Ocean temperatures rose by an average of 0.015 degrees Celsius each year throughout the same time period.

The Black Sea was at the top of the list, with an annual temperature increase of 0.071 degrees Celsius.

The Arctic Ocean's warming is believed to be responsible for approximately 4% of global ocean warming.&nbsp;

In November 2019, Venice, Italy, saw four consecutive record flooding occurrences, as well as higher-than-average wave heights in the southern Mediterranean Sea, according to the study.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows. Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland.

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows. Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland. The findings were published last week in the Journal of Operational Oceanography in the fifth edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report. Over 120 scientific specialists from more than 30 European universities contributed to this year's study. The yearly publication provides a detailed overview of the status of the world's seas. The study discusses some significant changes and trends in the world's seas. From January 1993 to May 2020, for example, sea levels rose at an average of 3.1 mm each year. The Baltic Sea, which increased at a pace of 4.5 mm per year, was the most affected. Ocean temperatures rose by an average of 0.015 degrees Celsius each year throughout the same time period. The Black Sea was at the top of the list, with an annual temperature increase of 0.071 degrees Celsius. The Arctic Ocean's warming is believed to be responsible for approximately 4% of global ocean warming. In November 2019, Venice, Italy, saw four consecutive record flooding occurrences, as well as higher-than-average wave heights in the southern Mediterranean Sea, according to the study. (With inputs from agencies)

Global warming: Arctic ice at a record low and sea levels rising

US scientists have offered yet another stark evidence of the impact of global warming on the planet. They on Monday announced and explained how the Arctic summer sea ice melted in 2020 to the second smallest size since records began 42 years ago.

Arctic sea ice melts to second lowest-level on record

Frigid weather that paralysed a large swath of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/snow-wallops-us-midwest-as-it-braces-for-extreme-cold-193757">United States this week and caused</a> at least 21 deaths began easing on Friday as an Arctic air mass pulled away, setting the stage for a warmer weekend in the midwest and the northeast.

Temperatures from southern <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/arctic-freeze-spreads-in-us-minnesota-upper-michigan-north-dakota-face-brutal-icy-conditions-194178">New England to the Upper Midwest </a>should reach the mid-40s to low 50s Fahrenheit through the weekend and Monday, forecasters said, after a record-breaking cold snap that stopped mail deliveries in some parts of the midwest and shuttered schools and businesses.

In Chicago, which experienced temperatures as low as minus 22F (minus 30 Celsius) earlier this week, temperatures of 19F (-7C) on Friday morning felt positively balmy as a measure of normalcy returned to the nation's third-largest city.

"It feels like summer," said Dolores Marek, 57, as she got off her commuter train in Chicago wearing a long parka coat as set out on the 1.5 mile-(2.4 km) walk to the local college where she works. "This is much better than it was."

Meteorologists linked the spell of brutal cold to the so-called polar vortex, a cap of icy air that usually swirls over the North Pole. Changing air currents caused it to slip down through Canada and into the US midwest this week.

Bryan Jackson, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the core of the vortex was pulling north into eastern Canada, though residual icy air was still pushing over to the US northeast.

Temperatures on Friday morning ranged from below zero Fahrenheit to the teens in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The Washington D.C. area, which had 20F (minus 7C) temperatures, was under a winter weather advisory until the afternoon as around one inch (2.5 cm) of snowfall accumulated during the morning.

"That cold air that was over the Great Lakes, over the midwest, has shifted off. Now the high pressure is over Pennsylvania and New York," Jackson said in a phone interview.

"As it moves east, it'll bring in air from the south and we do expect it to warm up over the weekend."

Rachel Liao, 29, a student at the New School in New York, said she wished classes had been cancelled due to the cold.

"I just want to stay inside," Liao, a New York native, said. "I'm not used to this."

Temperatures in the Upper Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, will reach well above zero F (minus 18C) on Friday, with highs making it into the teens and low 20s.

Even so, parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa were still experiencing temperatures in the negative single digits, Jackson said.

The lowest temperature recorded early Friday morning was minus 34F (minus 37C) in Stonington, Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.

By Saturday, highs will be in the 30s and even low 40s in the Midwest. The central Plains will be in the low 60s, nearly 20 to 25 degrees above normal, the weather service said.

More than 40 cold-temperature records were broken on Thursday, the coldest morning since the polar vortex moved in late on Tuesday. The mass of Arctic air had clung to a swath of the United States from Iowa and the Dakotas across the Great Lakes region and into Maine for days.

Officials across multiple states linked at least 20 deaths to the deep freeze. The death toll rose after at least nine more people in Chicago were reported to have died from cold-related injuries, according to Stathis Poulakidas, a doctor at the city's John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital.

Amtrak train services that had been halted since Wednesday in Chicago's hub resumed on Friday, as did US&nbsp;postal service that was halted or limited in six Midwest states.

Thousands of flights were cancelled and delayed earlier in the week, mostly out of Chicago, but on Friday the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported cancellations in the United States down to more than 400.

Frigid weather that paralysed a large swath of the United States this week and caused at least 21 deaths began easing on Friday as an Arctic air mass pulled away, setting the stage for a warmer weekend in the midwest and the northeast.

Frigid weather that paralysed a large swath of the United States this week and caused at least 21 deaths began easing on Friday as an Arctic air mass pulled away, setting the stage for a warmer weekend in the midwest and the northeast. Temperatures from southern New England to the Upper Midwest should reach the mid-40s to low 50s Fahrenheit through the weekend and Monday, forecasters said, after a record-breaking cold snap that stopped mail deliveries in some parts of the midwest and shuttered schools and businesses. In Chicago, which experienced temperatures as low as minus 22F (minus 30 Celsius) earlier this week, temperatures of 19F (-7C) on Friday morning felt positively balmy as a measure of normalcy returned to the nation's third-largest city. "It feels like summer," said Dolores Marek, 57, as she got off her commuter train in Chicago wearing a long parka coat as set out on the 1.5 mile-(2.4 km) walk to the local college where she works. "This is much better than it was." Meteorologists linked the spell of brutal cold to the so-called polar vortex, a cap of icy air that usually swirls over the North Pole. Changing air currents caused it to slip down through Canada and into the US midwest this week. Bryan Jackson, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the core of the vortex was pulling north into eastern Canada, though residual icy air was still pushing over to the US northeast. Temperatures on Friday morning ranged from below zero Fahrenheit to the teens in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The Washington D.C. area, which had 20F (minus 7C) temperatures, was under a winter weather advisory until the afternoon as around one inch (2.5 cm) of snowfall accumulated during the morning. "That cold air that was over the Great Lakes, over the midwest, has shifted off. Now the high pressure is over Pennsylvania and New York," Jackson said in a phone interview. "As it moves east, it'll bring in air from the south and we do expect it to warm up over the weekend." Rachel Liao, 29, a student at the New School in New York, said she wished classes had been cancelled due to the cold. "I just want to stay inside," Liao, a New York native, said. "I'm not used to this." Temperatures in the Upper Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, will reach well above zero F (minus 18C) on Friday, with highs making it into the teens and low 20s. Even so, parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa were still experiencing temperatures in the negative single digits, Jackson said. The lowest temperature recorded early Friday morning was minus 34F (minus 37C) in Stonington, Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. By Saturday, highs will be in the 30s and even low 40s in the Midwest. The central Plains will be in the low 60s, nearly 20 to 25 degrees above normal, the weather service said. More than 40 cold-temperature records were broken on Thursday, the coldest morning since the polar vortex moved in late on Tuesday. The mass of Arctic air had clung to a swath of the United States from Iowa and the Dakotas across the Great Lakes region and into Maine for days. Officials across multiple states linked at least 20 deaths to the deep freeze. The death toll rose after at least nine more people in Chicago were reported to have died from cold-related injuries, according to Stathis Poulakidas, a doctor at the city's John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital. Amtrak train services that had been halted since Wednesday in Chicago's hub resumed on Friday, as did US postal service that was halted or limited in six Midwest states. Thousands of flights were cancelled and delayed earlier in the week, mostly out of Chicago, but on Friday the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported cancellations in the United States down to more than 400.

Icy blast begins to ease in US midwest and northeast

Record-breaking warm temperatures in the first half of 2016 have primed the Arctic for another summer of&nbsp;low sea ice cover, said NASA on Friday (August 19). 
 
&quot;Globally it&#39;s been the warmest year on record,&quot; said NASA scientist Walt Meier from Goddard Space Flight&nbsp;Center in Greenbelt, Maryland &quot;That&#39;s resulted in an earlier melt of the Arctic sea ice and an opening of&nbsp;the ocean. And so we&#39;re on track for one of the lowest sea ice years on our satellite record and one of&nbsp;the lowest minimums which will reach in mid-September.&quot; 
 
Sea ice is frozen ocean water around the polar caps, and is important because it &quot;acts like a refrigerator&nbsp;for the global climate system,&quot; keeping the Arctic region cool, says Meier. 
 
Over the past three decades, Arctic Sea ice has dramatically declined; making what was once extraordinary&nbsp;low measurements the new normal. 
 
&quot;As we&#39;re losing the ice, as we&#39;ve been seeing over the previous decades and especially in recent years,&nbsp;we&#39;re replacing that with the dark ocean that absorbs all that energy and the ocean heats up and the whole&nbsp;Arctic heats up, and basically it&#39;s like we&#39;re opening up the refrigerator door so the Arctic&#39;s cooling&nbsp;mechanism is becoming less and less efficient as we lose the sea ice,&quot; said Meier. 
 
But the region is warming twice as fast as elsewhere in the world, making the Arctic one of the most&nbsp;visible signs of a changing planet. 
 
&quot;The Arctic is connected to the rest of the climate system, said Meier. &quot;The Arctic is not like Las Vegas.&nbsp;What happens in the Arctic doesn&#39;t stay in the Arctic.&quot; 
 
Meier explained warming of the Arctic is changing the balance between the cold Arctic and the lower&nbsp;latitudes that potentially changes weather patterns. 
 
&quot;We already seeing evidence of that in terms of how the jet stream is changing,&quot; said Meier. &quot;It&#39;s&nbsp;becoming less of a west the east flow and more of a loopy flow kind of more north to south which leads to&nbsp;more extreme events things like droughts things like torrential rains and flooding.&quot; 
 
Global warming has been one of the issues discussed in the US presidential campaign, with the democratic&nbsp;nominee Hillary Clinton seeing it as an immediate concern, while her Republican rival Donald Trump,&nbsp;dismisses the issue as minor. 
 
Meier said he prefers to ignore the politics. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m of course interested in the consequences as a citizen and concerned,&quot; said Meier. &quot;But my role as a&nbsp;scientist here at NASA is to kind of really dig into the science, dig into the data, and the satellite&nbsp;data and understand what&#39;s going on. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s where I feel like myself and NASA in general provides the greatest benefit to society.&quot; 
 
Meier said in 2018, NASA will launch the ICESat-2 satellite which will be taking some of the most advanced&nbsp;measurements of the polar regions to date. 
 
(Reuters)

Over the past three decades, Arctic Sea ice has dramatically declined

Record-breaking warm temperatures in the first half of 2016 have primed the Arctic for another summer of low sea ice cover, said NASA on Friday (August 19). "Globally it's been the warmest year on record," said NASA scientist Walt Meier from Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland "That's resulted in an earlier melt of the Arctic sea ice and an opening of the ocean. And so we're on track for one of the lowest sea ice years on our satellite record and one of the lowest minimums which will reach in mid-September." Sea ice is frozen ocean water around the polar caps, and is important because it "acts like a refrigerator for the global climate system," keeping the Arctic region cool, says Meier. Over the past three decades, Arctic Sea ice has dramatically declined; making what was once extraordinary low measurements the new normal. "As we're losing the ice, as we've been seeing over the previous decades and especially in recent years, we're replacing that with the dark ocean that absorbs all that energy and the ocean heats up and the whole Arctic heats up, and basically it's like we're opening up the refrigerator door so the Arctic's cooling mechanism is becoming less and less efficient as we lose the sea ice," said Meier. But the region is warming twice as fast as elsewhere in the world, making the Arctic one of the most visible signs of a changing planet. "The Arctic is connected to the rest of the climate system, said Meier. "The Arctic is not like Las Vegas. What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic." Meier explained warming of the Arctic is changing the balance between the cold Arctic and the lower latitudes that potentially changes weather patterns. "We already seeing evidence of that in terms of how the jet stream is changing," said Meier. "It's becoming less of a west the east flow and more of a loopy flow kind of more north to south which leads to more extreme events things like droughts things like torrential rains and flooding." Global warming has been one of the issues discussed in the US presidential campaign, with the democratic nominee Hillary Clinton seeing it as an immediate concern, while her Republican rival Donald Trump, dismisses the issue as minor. Meier said he prefers to ignore the politics. "I'm of course interested in the consequences as a citizen and concerned," said Meier. "But my role as a scientist here at NASA is to kind of really dig into the science, dig into the data, and the satellite data and understand what's going on. "That's where I feel like myself and NASA in general provides the greatest benefit to society." Meier said in 2018, NASA will launch the ICESat-2 satellite which will be taking some of the most advanced measurements of the polar regions to date. (Reuters)

NASA says 2016 heat to take its toll on Arctic Sea ice

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