Ice | Smithsonian Ocean

Photo Credit: milopeng

Looking through this iceberg's reflection in the Antarctic water, you can see the iceberg below the surface—some 90% of its total volume.

The Arctic and the Antarctic

Are you a student researching the Arctic or someone looking to learn more about the Antarctic? This overview dives into everything to know.

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Featured Content

A walrus sits on top of ice.

Article

The Cultural Icescapes of the Arctic

Penguins standing on ice.

Video

Animals of the Ice

data of sea ice coverage in the Arctic

Article

Arctic Sea Ice: A New Low?

A team of scientists explore the Arctic ocean.

Slideshow

Under Arctic Ice

The Greenland glacier Jakobshavn Isbrae is massive, at around 40 miles long and more than a mile thick.

Article

Up Close and Personal With the Fastest Glacier in the World

Ice Articles

Polar bears are threatened by a lack of sea ice.

Article

Climate Change at the Poles

A walrus sits on top of ice.

Article

The Cultural Icescapes of the Arctic

On average, Arctic sea ice has decreased by four percent per decade since the late 1970s.

Overview

Sea Level Rise

The Greenland glacier Jakobshavn Isbrae is massive, at around 40 miles long and more than a mile thick.

Article

Up Close and Personal With the Fastest Glacier in the World

Screenshot from"Climate Change Effects on Glaciers and Ice Sheets" with an Arctic glacier.

Video

Climate Change Effects on Glaciers and Ice Sheets

A narwhal breaches the surface, its tusk pointed to the sky

Article

Why a Tusk? The real-life unicorns of the sea and the tusks that make them famous

A team of scientists explore the Arctic ocean.

Slideshow

Under Arctic Ice

Human activity is increasing in the Arctic marine environment due to climate change. To help the most vulnerable areas, the Global Marine Program of IUCN, along with partners, is convening a series of workshops aimed at enhancing ecosystem-based management and identifying biologically or ecologically important or vulnerable habitats. Burgerbukta, a bay in Svalbard, Norway, is being managed for ecosystem protection.

Article

The Sant Ocean Hall: Life at the Poles Exhibit

Penguins standing on ice.

Video

Animals of the Ice

In 2011, storms and lack of ice-cover due to a warmer winter climate resulted in hundreds of seal pups being washed up on the shore of Prince Edward Island. Like many, this young seal faced an uncertain future. See more Nature's Best Photos.

Article

Ice-Loving Seals and the Loss of Sea Ice

Looking through this iceberg's reflection in the Antarctic water, you can see the iceberg below the surface—some 90% of its total volume.

Overview

The Arctic and The Antarctic

Screenshot from video of a ship amidst broken up ice.

Video

Dr. Jan Backman, Marine Geologist