The current state of Arctic research and its community continues to exhibit high levels of political polarization and fragmentation by establishing a number of questions regarding the societal relevance of the process and its results for the benefit of present and future generations. The ASSW2025 (Arctic Science Summit Week) conference devoted to the ICARP IV (International Conference on Arctic Research Planning) process took place in Boulder, Colorado (March 2025), and had special importance in this regard. The conference was a summary meeting of the Arctic research planning process for the next 10 years and set the foundation for the upcoming IPY-5 (International Polar Year). The Summit, attended by nearly 1200 international scientists and researchers, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and community members from across the Arctic and beyond, exhibited the lowest ever attendance of Russian Arctic scientists representing Russian science organizations. This group studies and advocates for almost half of the Arctic’s social and human capital (roughly 2.4 million people live in Arctic Russia). In order to preserve scientific discourse and guarantee the societal and environmental benefits of science for the fragile socio-ecological systems of polar regions and their delicate geopolitics, effective transition strategies and approaches should be taken into consideration where possible.

In 1893, the British explorer Frederick George Jackson travelled in the north of the Russian Empire, where he learned lessons—particularly in the areas of diet, transport, and clothing—from the Nenets and Sami people. I argue that his travels in this area influenced both his subsequent Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition (1894–97) and British Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century, including those led by Robert F. Scott and Ernest H. Shackleton

Studying Jackson’s travels and writings can advance discussions about the role of Indigenous knowledge in British Polar exploration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Based on a new reading of both published and archival materials, the paper also charts some forms of knowledge that Jackson struggled to appropriate—particularly the use of reindeer for transport. In examining his failures, I argue that attempts to write Indigenous contributions into the history of exploration must focus on explorers’ failures as well as their successes—and on forms of Indigenous knowledge that proved difficult to use in other contexts.

The polar regions are famous for being inhospitable, difficult to access, and one of the final frontiers for exploration. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were filled with explorers seeking the achievement of being the first person to the Pole. These harrowing stories have action and adventure but lack a critical component: women. Women historically have not played a primary role in polar research or exploration. Many barriers to access existed such as prejudice, lack of education opportunity, and physical restrictions. Today, women have better access to the Antarctic and Arctic for research and research support but still face barriers to equitable participation. A “boys club” environment in stations can lead to women being excluded or subjected to sexual harassment. Despite this, the addition of women is shown to improve team dynamics, morale, and the culture within research stations. Women’s representation in polar research is better today than it’s ever been, yet there is still improvement being made for the future.

In January 1939, Sir Hubert Wilkins became the first Australian to set foot on several islands and the mainland along the Ingrid Christensen Coast, Antarctica, leaving records reaffirming Australia’s claim to the area at three landing sites. Prior to 2022, only the third of these sites had been identified. Wilkins had indicated that the first of the landings, that of 8 January 1939, was in the Rauer Islands and the second, that of 9 January 1939, at the western end of Vestfold Hills. We prove that these attributions are incorrect. An integrated analysis of all reports on the expedition over the period 3–11 January 1939 and the contemporaneous imagery and film footage, along with modern photographs, establishes that the 8 January 1939 landing was on Skipsholmen, the northernmost island of the Svenner Group, and that Wilkins landed at Macey Peninsula on 9 January 1939. These two important heritage sites should now be visited to locate and record the relics left by Wilkins. This research raises the question of whether Wilkins’ landings and sovereignty actions in 1939 are of greater significance to Australia’s Territorial claim to the area than Mawson’s questionable sighting and naming of Princess Elizabeth Land in 1931.

This study examines how human activities influenced soil development at two contrasting Arctic sites: Maiva, a 19th-century farmstead, and Snuvrejohka, a seasonal Sámi reindeer herding settlement in the Lake Torneträsk region, northern Sweden. Using geochemical and geophysical soil analyses, we explore the spatial distribution and vertical development of anthropogenic signals in the soil. At Maiva, prolonged agricultural use and earthworm bioturbation have led to extensive soil mixing and altered soil horizons, resulting in elevated phosphate, lead, and organic matter concentrations in Ap and Ah horizons. In contrast, Snuvrejohka displays more stratified profiles with localized chemical enrichment around hearths, primarily within E horizons. These results highlight how different land-use practices leave distinct geochemical fingerprints in Arctic soils and emphasize the need for sampling strategies adapted to site-specific soil formation processes. Our findings demonstrate that even short-term or seasonal human activities can leave distinct and detectable signatures in Arctic soils. Through an integrated approach combining soil science, geoarchaeological methods, and historical data, this study provides new insights into the reconstruction of past land-use practices and highlights the vulnerability of archaeological soil records in Arctic environments facing rapid climate-driven change.

The Saami Council, founded in 1956, is one of the oldest Indigenous-led international organisations in the world. Despite this, its role and place on the world stage have been seldom examined, as has the place of internationally facing Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations more broadly. Using the organisation’s historical documents, among other sources, this article constructs a historic case study of the Saami Council from its founding in 1956 until the year 2000 to examine how it has evolved during this period and to better understand its standing within the greater international community. As the study discusses, since its inception, the organisation has evolved into an example of an Indigenous-led diplomatic organisation – one that came about through the changing political climate of the 1970s and solidified in the late 1990s. This evolution has implications for how we understand Indigenous-led advocacy and the role of non-state actors in international relations.

One century ago, US Secretary of State Charles Evan Hughes made the first official statement regarding US policy toward Antarctica by declaring it would not recognise sovereignty in areas that could not actually be settled. The Hughes Doctrine formalised US opposition to countries dividing Antarctica into sovereign territory, a doctrine that has become the bedrock upon which subsequent US decisions toward the region were built. This paper gives a broad overview of the development of US policy toward Antarctica, starting with the Hughes Doctrine, including the period when the United States secretly considered making its own claim to sovereign territory before deciding to champion then maintain the multilateral, sovereign-free region based on the Antarctic Treaty in order to achieve its national goals. This paper also reviews how the policies are working today and considers the significant challenges and costs the United States would incur if it altered its century-old policy toward Antarctica.

Since the 1978 discovery of an islet “Oodaaq Island” north of Greenland, then considered to be the northernmost island in the world, multiple islets have been reported and apparently disappeared with regular intervals in the permanent sea ice-covered area offshore the northernmost part of Greenland. In this paper, we report results of comprehensive investigations at all quoted positions of reported islets, with bathymetry measurements, as well as supplementary lidar, ice thickness and gravity measurements during a helicopter reconnaissance. The bathymetry measurements confirm the non-existence of all the reported islets, and the northernmost land in the world is thus confirmed to be the moraine island “Inuit Qeqertaat” (Kaffeklubben Island) at latitude 83°39′54″ N, 30°37′45 ″ W. All reported islet positions are found at ocean depths from 26 m to 47 m, with no indications of shallow banks or submarine rocks at the reported positions. It is therefore concluded that all reported islets or new islands since 1978 have been stranded icebergs, likely originating from marine-terminating glaciers near Cape Morris Jesup, and stranded for up to several years in the relatively shallow and nearly permanently sea ice-covered areas around Inuit Qeqertaat.

Changing sea-ice conditions have significant societal impacts and implications across Alaska and the Arctic. This research examined the relationship between sea ice and extreme weather events with socio-economic impacts in Nome, Alaska (1990–2020), a community that has experienced notable changes in sea ice and impacts from extreme weather events. The research is based on the analysis of sea-ice concentrations from passive microwave data, socio-economic impacts of extreme weather events from an archival analysis of newspaper coverage, and an examination of the relationship between sea-ice concentrations and impacts. We found that sea-ice concentrations at the time of the reported socio-economic impacts were all characterised by ice-free conditions. Additionally, extreme events linked to socio-economic impacts occurred when sea-ice concentrations were at or below their historical (1979–2000) median for the day. Key implications for the observed increased probability of ice-free conditions in the autumn include a greater likelihood that a given coastal storm from November to mid-December may contribute to socio-economic impacts, which may have been mitigated by sea ice in the past, as well as an increased potential for impacts to occur when they have previously not been experienced.

This study explores the leadership dynamics, conflict, and group cohesion during Roald Amundsen’s South Pole expedition, with a particular focus on the critical confrontation between Amundsen and Hjalmar Johansen. Through a dual-method approach that integrates Narrative and Thematic Analysis, the research delves into the diaries and autobiographical writings of key expedition members. The findings reveal that while Amundsen’s authoritative leadership was pivotal to the expedition’s success, it also fostered significant internal conflict, particularly with Johansen. This tension highlights the delicate balance between decisive leadership and the need for inclusiveness in high-stakes environments. The study provides a nuanced understanding of how varying levels of loyalty among team members influenced group dynamics, offering insights that extend beyond the historical context of polar exploration to contemporary leadership challenges in extreme conditions.

Due to the provisions of the Svalbard Treaty, Russia has kept a presence on this Norwegian archipelago – primarily based on coal mining – and has regularly made it clear that ensuring the continuation of this presence is a political goal. Since the late 2000s, Russia has attempted to revitalise its presence, stressing the need for economic efficiency and diversification away from coal. This includes tourism, fish processing and research activities. In recent years, Russia’s official rhetoric on Svalbard has sharpened, i.a. accusing Norway of breaching the treaty’s provisions on military use of the islands. The article contrasts the statements with the concrete actions undertaken by Russia to preserve and develop its presence. Russia’s policy of presence on Svalbard is not particularly well-coordinated or strategic – beyond an increasing openness to exploring new ways to sustain a sufficient presence. Financial limitations have constrained initiatives. The search for new activities and solutions is driven primarily by the need for cost-cutting and consolidating a limited presence deemed necessary for Russian security interest, not as strategies aimed at increasing Russian influence over the archipelago.

Historically, the picking of cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) for sale and subsistence has been of fundamental importance to Sámi livelihoods. Even today cloudberries are commonly described as the “gold” among berries. Based on anthropological fieldwork, participant observation and in-depth interviews with berry pickers in the Várjjat municipality of Unjárga-Nesseby, Northern Norway, this article investigates how relationships of humans, animals, plants and berries take part in the making and remaking of home place landscapes. I emphasise Sámi landscape research and theorizations to elevate their productive contributions to the ongoing, international landscape debates, by engaging with landscapes as homes.

At a time of increasing environmental changes and geopolitical tensions, the need for collaboration in the Arctic is greater than ever. Top-down initiatives such as the Arctic Council have contributed to important increased collaboration and science diplomacy. Similarly, bottom-up initiatives have also played a major role in establishing diplomacy among researchers with spin-offs at government levels. We track the rise of science diplomacy achieved by INTERACT. In 2021, this was a network of 90 research stations in 18 countries (including all Arctic nations). It aims to improve the wellness of Indigenous Peoples, other Arctic residents and the global community by facilitating environmental monitoring and research. It supports scientists from around the world and facilitates environmental monitoring for more than 150 international/global networks. INTERACT contributed to science diplomacy until spring 2022 when the invasion of Ukraine by Russia completely changed its pan-Arctic networking over a couple of months. This decrease in INTERACT science diplomacy was due entirely to external constraints related to the current geopolitical circumstances and poses a new reality for INTERACT and its important contributions to environmental monitoring and research in a region where changes have global implications.

In political decision-making processes in Greenland, comparisons are often drawn with Denmark, Scandinavia, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. With Greenland as a case, this article analyses a series of aspects across the societies to highlight the politics of comparisons, which are taken for granted, and to emphasise contextual conditions. Comparisons are central to cultural meaning-making and navigation with nation building strategies. We conclude that the current comparisons are significant in terms of explaining Greenland’s challenges with a vulnerable economy and with the sustainable use of natural and human resources. To utilise local resources and create a sustainable livelihood, there is a need to break from the existing trajectories based on the current politics of comparison to explore local conditions more carefully and find other models of inspiration. By developing the concept of island operation, the article unfolds distinct characteristics of the Greenlandic socio-economic structures and includes statistical data on trade, education, and the labour market to support the identification of conditions that can contribute to future analyses of Greenland’s sustainable development. This analysis has relevance for societies that share geographical and cultural conditions with Greenland and post-colonial countries that must deal with complex path dependencies to navigate towards sustainable development.

The earliest recorded observations of Antarctic icebergs occurred in 1688 and 1700 in the Gregorian New Style (NS) Calendar. The first sighting took place after Christmas 1687 in the Julian Old Style (OS) Calendar, when just north of the Antarctic Peninsula, Edward Davis observed “ice islands” with lengths of 5–10 km; the second occurred in February 1699 OS, when north of South Georgia, Edmond Halley observed and first sketched tabular icebergs. Although these were the earliest documented observations, because icebergs occur adjacent to New Zealand and South America, seagoing Māori and indigenous South Americans may have observed them eight centuries earlier. Davis and Halley’s observations were in the iceberg stream that flows to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Davis’s observations were the result of the Batchelor’s Delight being blown south from Cape Horn by a storm; his misadjusted compass meant they sailed east across instead of north through the stream. Comparison of Davis’s positions with satellite iceberg trajectories suggests his observations occurred at 62.5°S between 53.0° and 54.3°W. Davis assumed his icebergs were floating, but because Halley’s ice islands appeared stationary, he thought they were grounded, missing an opportunity to speculate on the existence of a southern ice-covered continent.

The deaths in the Antarctic of Captains Robert Falcon Scott and Lawrence “Titus” Oates are the most examined in almost all exploration. However, one object, until today unknown, gives a clue to the real story of the last three days of the Terra Nova expedition leaders. This is the sextant that Captain Scott had with him throughout his career until his death, passed from Kathleen Scott to Peter Scott and thence to its current owner. The sextant, its history and the meaning of the relic are set out before the public for the first time.

Iceland was one of the last places in Europe to be settled. It thus has a relatively short population history as it was completely depopulated until about 871. Harsh climatic conditions, periodic epidemics, and numerous natural disasters were not conducive to robust population growth on the island. This article traces the demographic transition of Iceland’s population from the initial settlement to the present. This is the transition from high to low birth and death rates as a population modernises. Iceland has an impressive literary and historical record-keeping tradition beginning with the Saga Age in the 900s. It also has long had a well-developed statistical system which allows the study of population trends much further back in time than many countries. The results show slow population growth for much of Iceland’s history with many episodes of steep population decline. A series of technological innovations in the 19th century allowed the country to modernise, the population to grow, and its demographic situation to improve. Iceland has completed the demographic transition, the population is growing, in part due to high immigration, and it has some of the best demographic indicators in the world. Despite these favourable trends, the country faces some demographic challenges.

As the Arctic warms and growing seasons start to lengthen, governments and producers are speculating about northern “climate-driven agricultural frontiers” as a potential solution to food insecurity. One of the central ecological factors in northern spaces, however, is permafrost (perennial frozen ground), which can drive cascading environmental changes upon thaw. Considering the land requirements for expanded agriculture and the unique challenges of northern farming, national and subnational governments are grappling with and facilitating this speculative boom in different ways. Analysing agricultural land use policy instruments from the US State of Alaska and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Russia, this paper investigates if and how permafrost factors into their legal frameworks and what impacts this has on agricultural development, conservation, and food security. Alaska and the Republic of Sakha were chosen for reasons including both having at least 100 years of agricultural history on permafrost soils, both containing extensive amounts of permafrost within their landmasses and both containing permafrost that is ice-rich. Comparing legal texts as indicative of state capacities and strategies to govern, the paper finds that the two regions diverge in how they understand and regulate permafrost, and suggests that these approaches could benefit from one another. Bringing together geoclimatic and sociocultural concerns to problematise static policy divisions, this paper gestures to a path forward wherein subnational policy can balance needs for food, environmental, and cultural security in the North.