Introduction

This chapter describes an authoritative guide to some of the most significant contemporary issues pertinent to the Polar Regions, as well their global significance, influence and reach, through an exploration of key areas of research in both the natural/physical sciences and the social sciences/humanities. Research in the Polar Regions is thus of global importance, and global processes and global interconnections are being highlighted by scientific research and by indigenous and local communities. Research in both Polar Regions is increasingly valued for the wider contribution it makes to how we understand global processes and global issues. The Polar Regions have been firmly located within research agendas concerned with planetary boundaries and understanding the current epoch when humans have introduced changes to the Earth system, which we increasingly refer to as the Anthropocene.