Into Vanishing Ice

The melting Arctic is creating new trade, economic and operational opportunities — but also new challenges that could threaten the U.S. border and the region’s fragile ecosystem. Relative to other Arctic nations, notably Russia, the U.S. has had minimal presence in and around the region, giving those nations a leg up. The U.S. is now racing to compensate. To address the many challenges, including insufficient infrastructure and tools that can’t withstand the area’s harsh conditions, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are pooling their expertise and established experience in materials, modeling, AI and sensing to develop the technology and knowledge for a sustainable and lasting foothold in this rapidly changing region.