scholarly journals High Stakes in the High North: Alternative Models for Greenland’s Ongoing Constitutional and Political Transformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Zellen
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Political Transformation ◽  
Forward Movement ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Constituent Component ◽  
Political Form ◽  
The Many

Given the widespread attention and curiosity that accompanied the critical response to former President Trump’s 2019 Greenland purchase initiative, even in the absence of forward movement on the plan, the White House’s renewed (and continuing under the new Biden administration) interest in the Arctic and its increasing commitment to engagement and forward presence in the High North Atlantic region, has nonetheless been positively reinforced in the many months since – and this surely has not escaped the attention of America’s principal rivals in Beijing and Moscow, nor of its friends in Greenland, Iceland and across the lightly-settled and strategically salient North Atlantic. As Greenland continues its transformation from colony to autonomy and beyond toward a more formally independent sovereign status, several models are examined in this thought essay that Greenland could potentially pursue as it evolves from its current constitutional and political form. Because of the dynamic uncertainties of the polar thaw, and the return of Westphalian state competition to the Arctic region in recent years, the potential independence of Greenland becomes instead a strategic wildcard needing to be closely studied and pro-actively engaged to ensure a future sovereign Greenland maintains the close, collaborative and friendly relationship with the United States and the West, optimally as part of NATO, that it currently pursues as a constituent component of Denmark.

NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN THE ARCTIC REGION

2020 ◽  
pp. 74-83
Author(s):  
Pavel A. Anisimov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Early 21St Century ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Arctic Region

The article examines the main challenges to the national security of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region. In particular, the author analyzes the reasons for the behavioral patterns of Russia and the NATO countries in relation to the Arctic through the prism of a realistic paradigm in the theory of international relations. It is the comprehensive approach to the consideration of the Arctic situation that determines the novelty and relevance of the study. In connection with the discovery and development of large mineral deposits, the role of the Arctic region in modern world political processes has increased. Also, since the late 20th – early 21st century, the Arctic has been in the focus of increased attention of international actors due to its geopolitical importance. All this makes it a priority for Russia. The intensification of the economic activity of the Russian Federation in the Arctic, as well as the implementation of such projects as the Northern Sea Route, has become the cause of the growing tensions in the region. The United States and other NATO countries, whose geopolitical interests are affected, are not only strengthening their anti-Russian rhetoric, but also increasing their military presence. In turn, this is perceived by the Russian side as a strategic threat and leads to mirror measures, including the deployment of a military infrastructure and an increase in the number of military exercises. However, despite growing tensions in the Arctic, Russia has consistently demonstrated its readiness for open dialogue and cooperation with its Western partners.

scholarly journals CMIP5 Projections of Arctic Amplification, of the North American/North Atlantic Circulation, and of Their Relationship

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (13) ◽  
pp. 5254-5271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Barnes ◽  
Lorenzo M. Polvani
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Arctic Amplification ◽  
Arctic Warming ◽  
The North ◽  
Sequence Of Events

Abstract Recent studies have hypothesized that Arctic amplification, the enhanced warming of the Arctic region compared to the rest of the globe, will cause changes in midlatitude weather over the twenty-first century. This study exploits the recently completed phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and examines 27 state-of-the-art climate models to determine if their projected changes in the midlatitude circulation are consistent with the hypothesized impact of Arctic amplification over North America and the North Atlantic. Under the largest future greenhouse forcing (RCP8.5), it is found that every model, in every season, exhibits Arctic amplification by 2100. At the same time, the projected circulation responses are either opposite in sign to those hypothesized or too widely spread among the models to discern any robust change. However, in a few seasons and for some of the circulation metrics examined, correlations are found between the model spread in Arctic amplification and the model spread in the projected circulation changes. Therefore, while the CMIP5 models offer some evidence that future Arctic warming may be able to modulate some aspects of the midlatitude circulation response in some seasons, the analysis herein leads to the conclusion that the net circulation response in the future is unlikely to be determined solely—or even primarily—by Arctic warming according to the sequence of events recently hypothesized.

Late Holocene glacier and climate reconstruction from proglacial records in Vatnsdalur, northern Iceland.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Nebel ◽  
Timothy Lane ◽  
Kathryn Adamson ◽  
Iestyn Barr ◽  
Willem van der Bilt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Arctic Climate ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Proglacial Lake

<p>The Arctic region is experiencing surface air temperature increase of twice the global average. To better understand Holocene Arctic climate variability, there is the need for continuous, high-resolution palaeoclimate archives. Sediment cores from proglacial lakes can provide such climate archives, and have the potential to record past environmental change in detail.       </p><p>Vatnsdalur, a valley in northern Iceland, hosts small, climatically sensitive cirque glaciers that became independent from the Iceland Ice Sheet after its retreat following the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 15 ka BP). Importantly, this region is located at the confluence of warm water and air masses from the south and cold polar water and air masses from the north, making it highly sensitive to North Atlantic and Arctic climate change. However, at present the region is highly understudied, lacking any high-resolution climate reconstructions.           </p><p>To address this, we combine geomorphological mapping with the first high-resolution analysis of proglacial lake sediments, to thoroughly examine northern Iceland Late Holocene environmental change.</p><p>Field mapping supplemented by high-resolution drone data was used to characterise catchment geomorphology, including seven Holocene moraines. A sediment core (SKD-P1-18) from proglacial lake Skeiðsvatn, Vatnsdalur, was analysed for sedimentological (dry bulk density, loss-on-ignition, grain size), geophysical (magnetic susceptibility) and geochemical (X-ray fluorescence core scan, 2 mm resolution) parameters.             <br>We identify three main sedimentary facies from these analyses, indicating variations in glacial input and catchment environmental conditions. Radiocarbon dating of lake macrofossils, supplemented by tephrochronology, provides a chronological framework. Catchment point samples, also analysed using the above analytical techniques, were used for sediment fingerprinting to disentangle non-glacial from glacial end-members.</p><p>Our results indicate the disappearance and reformation of small, climatically sensitive cirque glaciers in Vatnsdalur during the Holocene. We interpret the data to show an abrupt return to a glaciated catchment. Our results fill a geographical gap of high-resolution proglacial sediment studies in the Arctic-North Atlantic region.</p>

scholarly journals U.S. Arctic policy: the agenda of 2019

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Andrei Andreevich Kovalev
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Policy ◽  
Defense Cooperation ◽  
Relevant Consideration ◽  
The Arctic Region

This article explores the key stages of the development of U.S. policy with regards to Arctic Region. The goal is set to outline the fundamental interests of the United States in the Arctic, as well as analyze the actions aimed at their achievement. The article examines the main priorities in U.S. Arctic policy, namely the protection and preservation of resources and ecosystem in the Arctic Region, scientific study of climatic changes, peculiarities of economic development of Alaska, and national security interests of the state. The questions of interaction of Arctic states with regards to defense cooperation become increasingly relevant. Consideration of the mid-term and long-term prospects of U.S. Arctic policy allowed the author focusing attention on the news aspects of U.S. government actions. Maritime capabilities of the United States in the Arctic waters are views in the context of modern tendencies. The author attempted to trace the prospects for expansion of U.S. influence in the Arctic Region based on the current agenda of 2019.

scholarly journals The Arctic Vector of US Foreign Policy: Dynamics of Development in the Late 20th – Early 21st Centuries

2021 ◽  
pp. 30-41
Author(s):  
Ф. Х. Соколова ◽  
◽  
А. Е. Шапаров
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Politics ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Policy Dynamics ◽  
Foreign Policies ◽  
Arctic Policy

The current international political agenda has seen a growing importance of the Arctic region, which in the last century remained on the periphery of world politics. The interest in the Arctic is clearly manifested in the global socio-political discourse, with national interests in this region being advanced not only by the Arctic states, but also by countries having no direct geographical connection with it. Based on the analysis of key strategic documents, this article presents the dynamics of the development of the US Arctic policy in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is demonstrated that Barack Obama’s and Donald Trump’s Arctic policies were interconnected and had common grounds, including the following: protection of the country’s national interests in the region; environmental priorities and ensuring sustainable development of the region; participation of indigenous peoples in the decision-making process concerning their interests; development of international cooperation; freedom of navigation; responsible management of the Arctic under the leadership of the United States. However, according to the authors, Obama’s and Trump’s Arctic policies had two significant differences. Firstly, Obama viewed the Arctic as a territory of cooperation and dialogue, while Trump, as an area of rivalry and competition. Secondly, in Obama’s policy, the ecological component was more pronounced, while Trump primarily focused on the country’s economic interests. In general, the two presidents’ Arctic policies were in line with the corresponding foreign policies of the Democratic and Republican Parties. Thus, it can be predicted that Joe Biden’s Arctic policy will be a continuation of Obama’s policy.

scholarly journals Some issues of cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-339
Author(s):  
Elena S. Novikova ◽  
◽  
Anna V. Kripak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Arctic Region

The article is devoted to the consideration of the reasons and a number of areas of cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic region. The importance of this region for Russia and China is analyzed. The advantages of the Arctic for the two countries in terms of territory, economy, and politics are revealed. The conclusion is made about the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the exacerbation of the crisis of political and economic relations between China, Russia, and the United States.

scholarly journals ‘Ancient lore with modern appliances’: networks, expertise, and the making of the Open Polar Sea, 1851–1853

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Nanna Katrine Lüders Kaalund ◽  
John Woitkowitz
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
New Findings ◽  
History Of ◽  
Arctic Exploration ◽  
Epistemic Objects ◽  
Arctic Science

Abstract This article provides a transnational analysis of the campaigns for the organization of expeditions to the central Arctic region by the American explorer Elisha Kent Kane and the Prussian cartographer August Petermann between 1851 and 1853. By adopting a comparative approach, this study focuses on three interventions in the history of Arctic science and exploration: the construction of scientific expertise surrounding the relationship between the ‘armchair’ and the field, the role of transnational networks, and the significance of maps as travelling epistemic objects in the production of knowledge about the Arctic regions. In bringing both campaigns in conversation with each other, this article demonstrates that the histories of Kane's and Petermann's campaigns did not constitute isolated episodes but form part of a transnational nexus of imperial science and Arctic exploration in the nineteenth century. Moreover, based on research in libraries and archives in the United States, Germany and England, this study reconnects otherwise siloed collections and contributes new findings on the interpersonal networks of science and exploration. Finally, this article illustrates the importance of adopting comparative transnational approaches for understanding the fluid and reciprocal nature of Arctic science throughout the transatlantic world.

scholarly journals Environmental effects of the Beaufort Lens on underwater acoustic communications during Arctic operations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Daniel W. Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Underwater Acoustic Communications ◽  
Acoustic Communications ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Arctic Ice ◽  
Undersea Vehicle

Operations in the Arctic Ocean are increasingly important due to the changing environment and the resulting global implications. These changes range from the availability of new global trade routes, accessibility of newly available resources in the area, and national security interests of the United States in the region. It’s necessary to build a greater understanding of the undersea environment and how it’s changing since these environmental changes have a direct impact on adjusting future operations in the region and looming global changes as less Arctic ice is present. The recent presence of the Beaufort Lens is changing the acoustic propagation paths throughout the Arctic region. Here a network of buoys were employed to communicate with an Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) while it operated under the ice throughout the Beaufort Lens with the goal of achieving near GPS quality navigation. The acoustic communications paths were compared using a vertical array throughout the Beaufort Lens. This beam forming was compared to the prediction from BELLHOP. As well, since acoustic communications are affected by multi-path, attenuation and interference from other sources it was interesting to note that bottom bounce was sometimes a reliable acoustic path.

scholarly journals NEW THREATS TO RUSSIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE ARCTIC: PROBLEMS OF COUNTERACTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 226 (6) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
VALERY P. ZHURAVEL ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Security ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Russian Federation

The article reveals real and potential threats to the national security of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region by the NATO. According to the author, these include: the strengthening of the military presence in the Arctic of the Arctic Ocean coastal States and other NATO countries; the increase in the combat capabilities of groups of coalition and national Armed Forces (Navy) of the United States and NATO; the development of naval-based missile defences and early warning systems; the expansion of the United States military satellite constellation to the Arctic; increased activity by the special services of foreign states in conducting intelligence activities in the Arctic and in the frontier territory of the Russian Federation; conduct of multinational military exercises and transfer of combat training areas to the Arctic; the desire of a number of foreign countries to give the Northern Sea Way the status of an international transport highway, and of the Norwegian leadership to change the status of Spitsbergen, to reduce and eventually completely displace the Russian Federation from the archipelago; increasing attempts to discredit the activities of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. The article discusses the measures of the Russian Federation to strengthen the defensive capability in the Arctic direction, paying special attention to the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

scholarly journals China’s Arctic Policy: Challenges to Regional Security (1990s – 2020s)

2021 ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Horobets ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
The World ◽  
Arctic Policy ◽  
The Arctic Region

The article analyzes the evolution of China's Arctic policy, which has expanded over three decades from individual polar research to observer status in the Arctic Council and the existence of a state Arctic strategy. China and Russia have established mutually beneficial cooperation in the Arctic region in such conditions, when in many areas there are fundamental contradictions between the countries. The West did not have a long-term strategy capable of responding to current security challenges, including in the Arctic. When Russia tried to regain lost positions on the world stage in 2007-2008, China became an increasingly influential player in the world. If before the Arctic had been outside the lines of rivalry for decades, the question of the Far North as an arena of military competition began to take first place. China has become a long-term threat to both the United States and Russia. In previous years, with the help of the China, Moscow had the opportunity to receive the necessary investments and technologies for large-scale Arctic projects. The more Beijing attempts to establish itself as an influential player in the Arctic, the more the threat to other Arctic countries will grow. The Russian Federation has positioned itself as a leader in the region. The country's policy was aimed at strengthening this status through regional control and expansion of the military presence. This led to a response from the United States and NATO countries. In Russia it was assessed as a threat. The question arises as to what the strategy of the United States should be, and whether it will be possible to resist the costly arms race. If not, then the competition will be concentrated in the political and economic spheres. A particular aspect is the rapid militarization of the Arctic region after 2014, primarily due to changes in Russia's military strategy, which extends to the North. This has led to the tensions between the United States and Russia. China has not yet resorted to expand its military power in the Arctic. China's policy of economic and infrastructural influence is opposed to military methods. The effectiveness of Chinese non-military methods of influence is assessed

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