Taming the Arctic Oil Rush

Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth.

The North Pole in Peril

Lewis Pugh swims the North Pole

Santa lives at the North Pole.

This is the largest known earthquake north of the Arctic Circle.

The Vanishing Arctic

Some estimates suggest that about 20 of the world s total oil reserves lie under the Arctic.

Of the large oil companies, only one France s Total has argued against Arctic oil exploration and exploitation on the grounds of environmental risks and economic costs.

Using a magnetic compass A magnetic compass points to magnetic north pole, which is approximately 1,000 miles from the true geographic North Pole.

Ben Saunders skis to the North Pole

The Arctic is only water, with the North Pole itself 4,200 meters under the surface.

But, if we cannot wait to explore for oil in the Arctic until we have the technology to do it safely, the authorities should demand no less of the oil companies.

The political heat is also being turned up in the Arctic Council, a body set up to facilitate cooperation between states with Arctic territories.

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average.

S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897 was an effort to reach the North Pole in which all three expedition members perished.

Arctic explorer Ben Saunders recounts his harrowing solo ski trek to the North Pole, complete with engaging anecdotes, gorgeous photos and never before seen video.

The Arctic is the area round the North Pole.

A rescue expedition leaves for the Pole on May 30.

In Russia, Rosneft and BP are involved in a complicated arrangement to exploit Arctic offshore oil and gas resources for example, in the Pechora Sea.

The North Pole turned into a lake for the first time in 2000.

The climate of the Arctic region has varied significantly in the past.

It is situated amongst the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The melting of arctic ice is one example.

In other parts of the Arctic, though, exploratory drilling has continued.

Franklin's lost expedition was a British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845.

In the southern hemisphere the situation is exactly reversed, with the South Pole oriented opposite the direction of the North Pole.

Characteristics The arctic hare is one of the largest living lagomorphs.

The Arctic, Antarctica and the International Polar Year 2007 2008

Not only states are playing for position in the Arctic. The large oil and gas companies are very active, too.

Where are such people to be found in the Arctic?

This sea is one of the least studied in the Arctic area.

The major indigenous organizations in the Arctic are also permanent participants in the Council.

On May 11th last year, I stood alone at the North geographic Pole.

Today, a far greater Arctic tragedy is unfolding the Arctic sea ice cap is melting.

The entire route lies in Arctic waters and parts are free of ice for only two months per year.

With North Sea oil production having peaked, disagreements over exploration for oil in the Barents Sea, the prospect of exploration in the Arctic, as well as growing international concern over global warming, energy in Norway is currently receiving close attention.

They found the arctic ice impenetrable, and soon gave up their quest.

In the Arctic, all of those resources are thousands of kilometers away.

There isn't even a pole at the Pole. There's nothing there, purely because it's sea ice. It's drifting.

The future evolution of ozone in the Arctic is more difficult to estimate, due to the more complex feedback processes involved.

That takes months in the best of circumstances it could take a year or more in the Arctic.

Last winter, temperature records led scientist to speak of Arctic heatwaves.

Since 2002 the society has sponsored an annual seasonal ice base in the Arctic, Camp Barneo.

We were trying to ski from this group of islands up here, Severnaya Zemlya, to the North Pole.