News

Scientists train to dive beneath polar ice as climate change warms the Arctic and Antarctica

Goshen News · last updated

KILPISJÄRVI, Finland (AP) — As bubbles rippled across the frigid Finnish lake, diver Daan Jacobs emerged from a hole carved out of the thick, crackling ice.

The journey had taken him 8 meters (26 feet) beneath the surface, where sunlight filtered through the Arctic ice and fish swam around a rock formation. It’s a remote place few will ever see, especially in winter, when snow blankets the ice and temperatures on land approach minus 40 degrees in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmqFE y24@3D[ 2 3:@5:G6CD:EJ 25G:D6C :? E96 }6E96C=2?5D[ :D @?6 @7 2 8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 7@CEF?2E6 F?56CH2E6C 6IA=@C6CD]k^Am

kAmw6 H2D A2CE @7 E96 !@=2C $4:6?E:7:4 s:G:?8 4=2DD :? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^7:?=2?5Qm72C ?@CE9 @7 u:?=2?5k^2m 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ 2 AC@8C2> 56D:8?65 3J E96 u:??:D9 $4:6?E:7:4 s:G:?8 p4256>J E@ EC2:? E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? @7 D4:6?E:DED 2?5 C6D62C496CD E@ 5:G6 36?62E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^4=:>2E6\2?5\6?G:C@?>6?EQmE96 pC4E:4 2?5 p?E2C4E:4 :46k^2m E@ DEF5J E96 7=@C2 2?5 72F?2 36=@H]k^Am

kAm“%96 G:6H :D 362FE:7F=[” y24@3D D2:5[ 8F=A:?8 7@C 2:C 7@==@H:?8 9:D cd\>:?FE6 5:G6]k^Am

kAm%96 pC4E:4 :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2C4E:4\4=:>2E6\492?86\D62\:46\=@DD\>6=E\2d4cd6_5a66g`2f574b4g`e7a66c5724QmH2C>:?8 7@FC E:>6D 72DE6Ck^2m E92? E96 C6DE @7 E96 A=2?6E] uC@> :>A24E:?8 H@C=5H:56 H62E96C A2EE6C?D E@ >2<:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9@H\H2C>:?8\27764ED\A@=2C\362CD\D62\:46\2C4E:4\6d52eb_525gfd5ghbhg67d2ecbeh_222QmE96 A@=2C 362C A@AF=2E:@?k^2m D>2==6C[ H62<6C 2?5 9F?8C:6C[ 3642FD6 E96J C6=J @? E96 D62 :46 E@ 9F?E 7C@>[ 9:896C E6>A6C2EFC6D 2E E96 }@CE9 !@=6 DA6== 5:D2DE6C 7@C E96 6?E:C6 8=@36]k^Am

kAmx? p?E2C4E:42[ >62?H9:=6[ 8=@32= H2C>:?8 :D =625:?8 E@ >6=E:?8 @7 :46 D966ED[ AC@>AE:?8 D62 =6G6= C:D6 2?5 5:DCFAE:?8 @462? 64@DJDE6>D]k^Am

k9amwF>2? 5:G6CD DE:== ?66565k^9am

kAm$@ D4:6?E:DED ?665 E@ DEF5J H92EVD F?56C?62E9 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2>3=6C\2446DD\C@25\2=2D<2\ECF>A\:?FA:2B\dfebhe3__a5edf__3`a2_eb3`_deh6h_QmC6>2:?:?8 pC4E:4k^2m — 2?5 p?E2C4E:4 — :46[ 2?5 56E6C>:?6 9@H 4=:>2E6 492?86 :D 27764E:?8 E96 A=2?ED 2?5 2?:>2=D E92E 92G6 EC25:E:@?2==J DFCG:G65 2=@?8 E96 D627=@@C H:E9 =:EE=6 E@ ?@ DF?=:89E] qFE 42CCJ:?8 @FE DF49 C6D62C49 C6BF:C6D DA64:2=:K65 D4F32 5:G:?8 D<:==D A=FD E96 AC@A6C D4:6?E:7:4 324<8C@F?5 — BF2=:7:42E:@?D E92E 6IA6CED D2J @?=J 2 76H 9F?5C65 A6@A=6 :? E96 H@C=5 4FCC6?E=J 92G6]k^Am

kAm%96 u:??:D9 $4:6?E:7:4 s:G:?8 p4256>J’D 4=2DD 2:>D E@ ?@E @?=J EC2:? >@C6 5:G6CD[ 3FE 2=D@ E@ 4@?G:?46 E96 H@C=5 E92E E96 A@=2C :46 4C:D:D C6BF:C6D 255:E:@?2= C6D62C49]k^Am

kAm“q642FD6 :E :D >6=E:?8 D@ 72DE[ H6 ?665 E@ 92G6 >@C6 A6@A=6 56A=@J65 E96C6 — >@C6 D4:6?46 E@ 36 5@?6 — E@ F?56CDE2?5 36EE6C H92E 92AA6?D[” D2:5 tC:< (FCK[ 2 >2C:?6 3:@=@8:DE 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 4=2DDVD D4:6?E:7:4 5:G:?8 :?DECF4E@CD] “(6 92G6 E@ 5@ >@C6 2?5 H6 ?665 E@ 36 72DE E@ D2G6 E9:D F?:BF6 64@DJDE6> :? E96 pC4E:4[ 3FE 2=D@ E96 p?E2C4E:4]”k^Am

kAmp?5 :? 2 H@C=5 E92E’D :?4C62D:?8=J @FED@FC4:?8 H@C< E@ 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 2?5 C@3@ED[ qC:E:D9 p?E2C4E:4 $FCG6J >2C:?6 3:@=@8:DE $:>@? |@C=6J D2:5 E92E 9F>2? 92?5D 2C6 DE:== ?646DD2CJ 7@C E9:D] sC288:?8 ?6ED 24C@DD E96 D627=@@C H@F=5 56DEC@J E96 923:E2E[ 2?5 2 C6>@E6=J @A6C2E65 DF3>6CD:3=6 @C C@3@E 42? FDF2==J @?=J A:4< FA @?6 DA64:>6? 2E 2 E:>6]k^Am

kAm“p 5:G6C 42? 8@ 5@H? 2?5 A:4< FA `a FC49:?D[ AFE E96> :? 2 328 2?5 ?@E 27764E E96 C6DE @7 E96 DJDE6>[” D2:5 |@C=6J[ H9@ :D?VE A2CE @7 E96 4@FCD6]k^Am

k9amr92==6?8:?8 4@?5:E:@?Dk^9am

kAmsFC:?8 6249 `_\52J D6DD:@?[ E96 24256>JVD :?DECF4E@CD 5C:== 2 5@K6? 6IA6C:6?465 5:G6CD @? 2 7C@K6? =2<6 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 w6=D:?<:VD z:=A:D;äCG: q:@=@8:42= $E2E:@?] %96 AC@8C2> 3682? :? a_ac 2?5 E96 56>2?5 92D 2==@H65 E96> E@ 255 2 D64@?5 D6DD:@? A6C J62C]k^Am

kAm%96 A2CE:4:A2?ED C2?86 7C@> >2C:?6 2?5 7C6D9H2E6C 3:@=@8:DED 2?5 @E96C D4:6?E:DED E@ 9:89=J D<:==65 C64C62E:@?2= 5:G6CD 2?5 5@4F>6?E2CJ 7:=>>2<6CD]k^Am

kAm#F2C: qF:;D[ 2 >2C:?6 3:@=@8J 2?5 @462?@8C2A9J DEF56?E 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 !=J>@FE9 :? t?8=2?5[ F=E:>2E6=J H2?ED E@ H@C< :? p?E2C4E:42 2?5 C6D62C49 >2C:?6 >68272F?2] w6 6?C@==65 :? E9:D >@?E9VD A@=2C 5:G:?8 4=2DD :? 2? 677@CE E@ 36 >@C6 6>A=@J23=6 FA@? 8C25F2E:@?]k^Am

kAm“x E9@F89E E9:D H@F=5 36 2 G6CJ 8@@5 DE6AA:?8 DE@?6 E@H2C5 E92E 8@2=[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ r2C@=:?6 r96?[ 2 D4:6?E:7:4 5:G6C 2?5 C6D62C49 2DD:DE2?E :? v6C>2?J[ D2:5 :E’D 96C 5C62> E@ 5:G6 :? E96 A@=2C C68:@?D] $96 36=:6G6D E92E 96C 6IA6C:6?46 :? E9:D 4@FCD6 H:== 96=A 96C 56D:8? 7FEFC6 6IA6C:>6?ED :? DF49 492==6?8:?8 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am

kAm%96 DEF56?ED >FDE =62C? >@C6 E92? ;FDE 5:G:?8 F?56C :46 E92EVD ?62C=J 2 >6E6C W2C@F?5 E9C66 766EX E9:4< 2?5 :?E@ H2E6C E6>A6C2EFC6D E92E 9@G6C ;FDE 23@G6 7C66K:?8] u@C DE2CE6CD[ E96C6VD E96 7C:8:5 2:C E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 H9:AA:?8 H:?5D @G6C {2<6 z:=A:D;äCG:]k^Am

kAm%92E 492==6?86D E96 E@AD:56 DFAA@CE E62>[ H9:49 >FDE @A6C2E6 6BF:A>6?E E@ <66A E96 5:G6C D276 H9:=6 76?5:?8 @77 E96:C @H? C:D< @7 7C@DE3:E6] %96J 2=D@ 92G6 E@ =62C? 9@H E@ 364@>6 D276EJ 5:G6CD :? 42D6 @7 2? 6>6C86?4J[ =:<6 :7 E96 AC:>2CJ 5:G6C 42?VE 7:?5 E96 9@=6 :? E96 :46 E@ DFC7246 27E6C cd >:?FE6D 36=@H]k^Am

kAmqFE @?46 E96JVC6 F?56CH2E6C[ E96 5:G6CD D2J :EVD 2? :?4C65:3=6 6IA6C:6?46] sFC:?8 E9:D >@?E9VD D6DD:@?[ E96 8C@FA 5:G65 36?62E9 :46 C@F89=J g_ 46?E:>6E6CD W2C@F?5 a½ 766EX E9:4<] r96? DA@EE65 D@>6 7:D9 2=@?8 E96 D62 7=@@C 2?5 E96? E@@< 2 >@>6?E E@ =@@< E@ E96 DFC7246 2D DF?=:89E DEC62>65 E9C@F89 E96 :46[ D66>:?8=J >:>:4<:?8 2?@E96C pC4E:4 A96?@>6?@?]k^Am

kAm“xE =@@<D :?D2?6 7C@> E96 3@EE@> FA[” r96? D2:5] “xE 492?86D 2== E96 E:>6[ =:<6 E96 }@CE96C? {:89ED]”k^Am

kAmqF:;D D2:5 E92E E96 4@=5 5@6D?VE 27764E E96 4@G6C65 A2CED @7 2 5:G6CVD 3@5J] qFE E96 2C62 2C@F?5 E96:C >@FE9 C6>2:?D 6IA@D65 F?56CH2E6C]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96 H@CDE E9:?8 :D =:<6 J@FC =:AD 766= G6CJ ?F>3 27E6CH2C5 2?5 E96J =:<6 DE:4< @FE 2 =@E[” 96 D2:5[ =2F89:?8] “*@F <:?5 @7 86E q@E@I =:AD 2 =:EE=6 3:E]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm$E672?:6 s2K:@ C6A@CE65 7C@> q6C=:?]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] %96 p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E] u:?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^23@FE^DE2?52C5D\7@C\H@C<:?8\H:E9\@FED:56\8C@FAD^Qmp!VD DE2?52C5Dk^2m 7@C H@C<:?8 H:E9 A9:=2?E9C@A:6D[ 2 =:DE @7 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 7F?565 4@G6C286 2C62D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^5:D4@G6C^$FAA@CE:?8\p!Qmp!]@C8k^2m]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.