Edward Augustus Inglefield is usually credited with penetrating Jones Sound to 84°W longitude during his Franklin search voyage of 1852. His chart of the region including Coburg Island replaced Horatio Austin's chart made in 1851 and became the accepted standard until the 20th century. By analysing Inglefield's map of Coburg Island it is shown that he made several errors in navigation and surveying which resulted in him believing he was further west than he really was and overestimating his speed. The results suggest he mistook Stewart Islands for Cone and Smith Islands and that his Sir Robert Inglis Peak reportedly seen near 84°W was actually Cone Island. Thus his penetration of Jones Sound was no further than Austin's the year before and the ready acceptance of his charts set back the mapping of that region of the Arctic for three quarters of a century.

Sir Raymond Priestley served with Shackleton (1907–1909) and Scott (1910–1913), then after the First World War had a distinguished career in university administration. During retirement he spent three years in charge of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (later the British Antarctic Survey). This note seeks to remove an unsubstantiated blemish from that otherwise exemplary record.

This note discusses aspects of Norwegian polar research in the twentieth century. There has always been a close connection between science and politics in the polar regions. This pertains not only to the research sponsored by individual nation-states, but also to international research cooperation in this area. Research in the polar regions has been linked to national interests, but also implemented through international cooperation. Norwegian activity and research are even today, as is the case with other polar nations, controlled by national interests. But today these interests are balanced by international legal regimes and international research cooperation.

The World has become the largest passenger ship to transit the northwest passage, from Nome, Alaska, to Nuuk, Greenland, 17 August to 12 September 2012. 183 vessels have transited the passage to date, following that of the first transit by Roald Amundsen in 1903–1906. The itinerary included most of the usual stops and routes of previous transits of other vessels, with a major exception. There was no ice in the western part of the itinerary to Cambridge Bay, and open pack after that for the remainder of the route in Canada. Approaching Ilulissat, Greenland, ice in the form of bergs, bergy bits and growlers was encountered, a common feature of ice exiting the adjacent fjord. A few polar bears were sighted in Canada, and very few whales.