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USSR's Arctic Reign Began 75 Years Ago. There are many glorious pages in the history of the discovery and study of the Russian Arctic. But there is a special chapter that started the heroic polar development. 75 years ago, on May 21, 1937, polar air expedition of the USSR reached the North Pole and landed research station "North Pole-1" on drifting ice for the long nine months. This expedition began systematic exploration of the Arctic basin, making navigation through the Northern Sea Route regular. Its members were to gather data on atmospheric phenomena, meteorology, geophysics, and hydrobiology. The research was led by Ivan D. Papanin, his coworkers were a hydrologist Peter Shirshov, geophysicist and astronomer Eugene Fedorov, and radio operator Ernst Krenkel. The expedition was led by Otto Schmidt. Mikhail Vodopyanov, a hero of the Soviet Union, was the pilot of the flagship N-170 aircraft. Pravda 

Greenland's Loss of Ice Mass During the Last 10 Years is Unusually High Compared to Last 50 Years. Loss through melting and iceberg calving during the last 10 years is unusually high compared to the last 50 years. The Greenland ice sheet continues to lose mass and thus contributes at about 0.7 millimeters per year to the currently observed sea level change of about 3 mm per year. This trend increases each year by a further 0.07 millimeters per year. The pattern and temporal nature of loss is complex. The mass loss is largest in southwest and northwest Greenland; the respective contributions of melting, iceberg calving and fluctuations in snow accumulation differing considerably. Science Daily 

Clinton Lands Amid Protocol Conflict. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton landed in Oslo Thursday night and planned to stay into the weekend with a trip up to northern Norway, escorted by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The ministry itself was left denying that Clinton's visit didn't involve a snub to officials in the northern city of Tromsø. Foreign ministry officials announced late last week that Clinton would arrive May 31 and stay in Norway until June 2. They later claimed that US authorities didn't confirm Clinton's visit until last Friday. She was spending most of this Friday morning, June 1, in meetings with both Støre and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Clinton was also to meet King Harald V at the Royal Palace in Oslo in the mid-afternoon. News and Views from Norway 

BSEE Oversees Arctic Spill Response Exercise. Officials from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) recently participated in an all-day table top exercise designed to simulate the response to a well blowout in the Chukchi Sea. The exercise, planned over the past several months, included representatives from the US Coast Guard, US Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, State of Alaska and the North Slope Borough, as well as officials from Shell. Offshore Shipping Online 

Canada's Security Agenda. With their shared border, strong trade relationship and participation in NATO, the United States and Canada have long had a close security relationship. As the two countries work to secure their borders, they need to ensure that trade isn't hampered, says Canadian Rear Adm. David Gardam, who participated with the Canadian Navy in the 2012 U.S. Fleet Week, which commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Gardam says that the transition in Afghanistan, where Canada has committed "blood and treasure," is proceeding as expected. He notes that "per capita, Canada has lost more soldiers, sailors, and airmen than any other nation in that fight," and says that Canada will continue to help foster the conditions for a successful transition. Though Canada is in the midst of a major naval upgrade, Gardam--noting the increasing number of failed states, many of which are coastal--says Western navies are downsizing, which creates the need for greater coordination among countries for security. Council on Foreign Relations 

Canada- More of the Great White North Up for Energy Development? Quick - which is the U.S.'s biggest supply of non-OPEC oil? Canada - according to the U.S. Energy Administration. The United States' total crude oil imports now average 9.033 million barrels per day (mbpd), with Canada sending 2.666 mbpd southward to the U.S., making it America's top source of oil imports. CNBC 

Safety Officials to Investigate Gas Leak at North Sea Platform. The cause of a large gas leak on a Heimdal Field platform is to be investigated by Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority. The PSA has decided to conduct an investigation due to, among other factors, the significant potential of the incident. The leak occurred in connection with valve testing on the drilling, production and accommodation facility HMP1 on the Heimdal field. It has not yet been determined how much gas leaked out, but the gas leak was substantial and resulted in a serious situation on the facility. Marine Link

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The Tenth International Conference on Permafrost, June 2012. The conference will be held in Tyumen, Russia, and is organized and hosted by Russia. The last conference was held in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2008. Click here.