Expedition Avannaa (www.avannaa.org). Three men and one woman travel 4000 km in a small open boat “the Greenlandic way” – the hard way.

Their route takes them Kullorsuaq, Savissivik, Qaannaaq, Siorapaluk and then further North through Avanersuaq – the land that is invisible to most of the people. No matter what happens with them on the way they will obey to the laws of the ancestors: wander, accept and adapt.

They observe and film rock and soil, earth and ice, water and sky, wind and currents, wildflowers and ancient lichens, polar bears and arctic butterflies, foxes and ravens, people, walruses and phytoplankton that too has to adopt to abrupt changes, often with little success.

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arctic methane sea ice

*Click the image to see in a big size

This photo was taken by Eric Kort, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska, USA, on May 21st, 2012.

“These cracks in sea ice reveal a surprising and potentially important source of methane: the Arctic Ocean,” states Sarah Simpson.

Methane’s ability to exacerbate global warming means that realistic climate projections depend on understanding all of its sources. Arctic ecologists have known for years that huge reservoirs of methane are frozen in permafrost soils, and strong evidence has revealed the gas escaping into the atmosphere from thawing permafrost and bubbling Arctic lakes. A recent study documented hundreds of thousands of methane seeps under glaciers in Alaska and Greenland.

Learn more about this nature phenomenon on Discovery News.

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Galya Morrell has shared the link to the video “CLIP” summarizing the new initiative of Uummannaq Polar Institute named CLIP (“Cleaner Life Ice Project“).

It is UPI’s contribution to the Earth Day – a day on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year on April 22nd.

Learn more about the CLIP project at the Uummannaq Music/Uummannaq Polar Institute website with detailed description of the happening:

http://uummannaqmusic.com/2012/04/clip/

Happy Earth Day, my friends!

Siberian villagest are the coldest places in the world now! Woo hoo!

Siberian villages are the coldest places in the world now! Woo hoo!

The only website that gives the full answer to the question, “Which places are the coldest on the Earth now?” is Ogimet.com. Check it!

Currently, the world’s coldest place is Oymyakon (also known as Ojmjakon) in East Yakutia, Siberia / Russia). It’s -46.9C now.

Other top coldest places on the Earth belong to Yakutian (Siberian) villages:

2. Segen-Kyuel’, -46.4 °C
3. Tompo, -44.4 °C
4. Batamaj, -43.7 °C
5. Ust’- Moma, -43.1 °C
6. Curapca, -43.0 °C
7. Verhojansk, -42.9 °C

Do you know what? This winter will be coldest in Yakutia (East Siberia/Russia) definitely, as such lowest temperatures are usual for this region. Cold winter weather dwells in Siberia as well as in Yakutsk, that’s becoming to be recognized as the coldest city in the world.

Two pictures only, but they are definitely worth to see.

Vladimir Potapov during his snowmobile expedition to the Arctic zone of Yakutia, Siberia, Russia. Early November 2011.

Vladimir Potapov during his snowmobile expedition in the Arctic zone of Yakutia, Siberia, Russia. Early November 2011.

More about 2011 Arctic Snowmobile Expedition to Laptev Sea in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia.

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Snowstorm in Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia. October 27, 2011

Snowstorm in Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia. October 27, 2011

Yesterday was a turning day in Yakutsk. It looked like the Winter said, “Ok, no more games with mild winter weather. Let’s have the real cold come right now and for a long time.”

The day didn’t promise anything extraordinary. It was pretty regular in the beginning. -3C and light snow. By the end of a work day, something happened. Winds started blowing furiously and snow descended in abundance. It was the Arctic-like blizzard that lasted, unfortunately, not so long.

Cool anyway! People liked it. See more snowstorm photographs and a video.

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The 2011 Uummannaq Polar Institute Summer Expedition. To the North of Greenland.

The 2011 Uummannaq Polar Institute Summer Expedition. To the North of Greenland.

Aaaaa, it’s my big honour to be one of Ole Jorgen Hammeken‘s many friends. He is the most recognizable Greenlandic man, who attracts the world’s attention to Greenland, its people and climate issues.

It were him and his wonderful wife, who run together Uummannaq Children’s Home in the settlement called Uummannaq.

It was them, who host Galya Morrell and Joel Spiegelman‘s Uummannaq Music project.

Certainly, they are those people, who share Uummannaq Polar Institute‘s vision, i.e. to conserve Greenland’s local culture and promote educational programs for young Inuit people.

UPI was founded in 2007 by Ann Andreasen and was inaugurated in 2008 by HSH the Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jean Malaurie, a distinguished French ethnographer, and by Arthur Chilingarov, polar explorer and Vice-President of the Russian Parliament.

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Its Ice Photo Wednesday on Facebook and #IcePhoto on Twitter. Today is the day to share your love of ice, cold and snow with the rest of the world. Mine? A tidewater glacier on Svalbard during last week's Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions adventure in the Arctic. Yours?

A tidewater glacier on Svalbard during last week s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions adventure in the Arctic.

Today is Ice Photo Wednesday run by Polar Explorer Eric Larsen (www.ericlarsenexplore.com) on Facebook (see his page) and #IcePhoto on Twitter.

Ice Photo Wednesday is the day, when anyone are welcome to share their love of ice, cold and snow with the rest of the world. How does it work?

Every morning on Wednesday, Eric Larsen – it was him, who invented the event – announces the start of The Ice Photo Day. He publishes his own fascinating “ice” photographs and ask his readers and followers to do the same… And you know what? People do share pictures of gorgeous ice and magnificant snow.

When Eric see new pics, he resharing them on his Facebook and Twitter accounts and give their authors big publicity and promotion. If the famous American explorer is online… hey, he can be connected even from the Arctic or the Everest top, you might see his fantastic photographs.

Give a try and join Eric on his facebook page and Twitter using the hashtag #IcePhoto.

Meanwhile, enjoy Mr. Larsen’s ice photographs of the Arctic Ocean, Norway’s Svalbard, and Everest!

Saying a lot of sincere thanks to him for permission to show his pics on ColdUnited.com. It’s a big honor! Here and further all captions to ice photographs are given by Eric Larsen himself.

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NPR Reports on The Thawing Arctic

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Okey, this time NPR reporters turn face to the Arctic issues. The agency sends its reporters to the far North and gets evidences of the thawing Arctic. Click here to see NPR’s dispatches.

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Can you imagine? When the rest of the world is suffering the heat and the temperature much above +40C and even +50C, people of Greenland’s Uummannaq settlement are enjoying “the sight and light and smell of the salty seawater and fresh glacier air” daily.

That’s the way Hivshu Ua described the Uummannaq life among Arctic icebergs in July 2011.

Uummannaq dwellers are very lucky to have such honor… Unfortunately, it might not last forever. In 30 years, scientists predict the ice-free(!) Arctic… :(

Who is Hivshu Ua?

He is one of great men participated in the Uummannaq Music project. Be sure to visit UM’s website, facebook page and Flickr sets to learn more and see Greenland in its currently-existing glory.

Hope, you will like this and below-published photographs and say thanks with me to Hivshu Ua, their author, for letting us to see such an Arctic summer beauty online.

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