Scientists have found that the Arctic Ocean's sea ice cover began to form around 2.6 million years ago, with significant expansion occurring around this time. This new knowledge can be used to improve future climate models and predict potential ice-free periods, which could have major implications for the planet's climate system.
Polar bears may undergo 2-5 months of ice-free conditions by 2100, threatening their survival. Projected warming under business-as-usual climate projections could lead to significant habitat loss for nearly one-tenth of the world's polar bear habitat.
A new underwater robot has enabled scientists to create detailed, high-resolution 3D maps of Antarctic sea ice, providing accurate measurements of ice thickness and volume. The technology, known as SeaBED, fills a gap in data collection by allowing researchers to measure thicker areas of sea ice.
Researchers discovered a vast network of lakes and rivers at the Gamburtsev Mountains' base, preserved by thick ice. The study explains how the blanket of ice has halted erosion, stalling aging of the mountains at higher elevations.
Researchers have observed a significant increase in Antarctic sea ice extent, reaching a new record high. This upward trend is an exception to the overall decline of sea ice globally.
Researchers directly observed multiple parts of Greenland's subglacial plumbing system and found that it adapts to increased meltwater over the course of the summer season. The findings suggest that a component of the system is changing in response to climate change, potentially slowing down the ice sheet's movement towards the sea.
Researchers have discovered a new mechanism, 'stable energetic embedding', where atoms and molecules become trapped within ice. This discovery has significant environmental, scientific, and defense-related implications.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is more sensitive to climate change due to the role of soft ground beneath it, which affects its dynamics and leads to increased ice loss. This study reveals that the ice sheet is vulnerable not only to warming temperatures but also to extreme meteorological events like heavy rainfall and heat waves.
A new study found that global sea levels rose at rates of up to 5.5 meters per century at the end of each of the last five ice-age cycles. The research provides a detailed record of sea-level variability over 500,000 years.
Researchers found that Arctic sea ice helps remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere through chemical processes. The discovery suggests that every winter, newly formed sea ice forms flower-like structures called frost flowers, which hold high concentrations of calcium carbonate and can impact the potential CO2 uptake in the Arctic.
Arctic sea ice coverage reached its annual minimum of 1.94 million square miles in September 2014, the sixth lowest recorded since 1978. The summer started cool and lacked intense storms or persistent winds, contributing to the low extent.
A new study documents the warming of Greenland's large ice sheet at the end of the last ice age, resolving a long-standing paradox over when that warming occurred. The researchers used nitrogen isotope ratios to reconstruct air temperatures and found significant warming in response to increasing atmospheric CO2.
Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute used new analytical techniques to reconstruct past temperatures in Greenland ice cores, contradicting a long-held assumption. By analyzing oxygen isotope O18 and nitrogen content, they found that central Greenland was warmer around 12,000 years ago compared to 15,000 years ago.
Arctic sea ice covered about 2.31 million square miles on Aug. 19, falling short of the record low in 2012 but continuing a trend of decline over the past 30 years. NASA scientists are flying three airborne research campaigns to study climate-driven changes in the Arctic.
A new study by the Institute of Food Technologists found that okra extracts can be used as a stabilizer in ice cream, improving texture and extending shelf life. The naturally extracted stabilizers offer an alternative to traditional stabilizers, making them suitable for the ice cream industry.
Researchers have mapped elevation changes in both Greenland and Antarctica using satellite data, revealing the ice sheets are losing volume at an unprecedented rate. The study shows that the two ice sheets combined are thinning at a rate of 500 cubic kilometres per year, contributing significantly to sea level rise.
Scientists have mapped the elevation changes of Greenlandic and Antarctic glaciers, revealing a record decline in ice sheet volumes. The study shows that Greenland is losing around 375 cubic kilometers of ice per year, while the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is thinning at a rate of 500 cubic kilometers per year.
Researchers found that intermediate sea levels and ice volumes triggered abrupt climate swings, with temperatures changing dramatically over a few decades. This discovery can help explain the rapid climate changes known as Dansgaard-Oeschger events during the last ice age.
Research confirms significant thinning of Arctic sea ice snow, particularly in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, with results showing a decline of 14 inches to 9 inches (35 cm to 22 cm) in western waters near Alaska. Thinner snow cover may impact ice thickness and ecosystem health.
New research suggests that Antarctic sea ice expansion may have been incorrectly measured due to a processing error in satellite data. This finding could affect climate change reports, particularly those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Researchers are monitoring the physics of the ice edge in the Beaufort Sea to better understand and predict open water in Arctic seas. The international effort aims to study how processes drive sea ice melt will change with increasing open water.
Researchers will use MABEL to develop algorithms for analyzing ICESat-2 data, which will help track summer sea ice melting and identify patterns in melt ponds. The flights will provide critical data on sea ice conditions, including the extent of summer ice melt.
Researchers discovered ragged blocks of ice as tall as city skyscrapers in the bottom of Greenland's ice sheet, formed by water refreezing and warping surrounding ice. The findings suggest that refreezing process uplifts and softens the ice, making it easier to flow towards the sea.
Over the last 30,000 years, three species of penguins - Chinstrap, Adélie, and southern Gentoo penguins - increased in numbers as Antarctica warmed. However, recent declines in some populations suggest ice is now retreating too far or too fast.
A new study reveals that gentoo penguin populations continue to grow in response to climate warming, while Adélie and chinstrap penguin populations are declining due to reduced krill supplies. The research, led by scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, sheds light on how past climate change affected these species.
A new study from Project Ice Storm found that prenatal maternal stress predicts asthma-like symptoms and autistic-like traits in 6 1/2 year-old children. The greater the mothers' objective hardship and subjective distress, the more severe their children's autistic-like traits at 6½ years of age.
NASA's Operation IceBridge concludes its 11-week Arctic field campaign, collecting data on rapidly changing areas of sea and land ice. The mission released two new sea ice data products and provided a professional development opportunity for science teachers.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet began melting 5,000 years earlier than thought, with eight distinct episodes causing rapid sea level rise. The study provides solid evidence that the ice sheet contributed to meltwater pulse 1A, a period of rapid sea level rise.
Scientists have observed a significant increase in ice losses from Antarctica, with the Antarctic ice sheet now losing twice as much ice as it did when last surveyed. The study uses measurements collected by the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite mission to reveal the extent of this loss.
Researchers conclude that Antarctica's West Antarctic Ice Sheet will likely disappear within a few decades, with the Thwaites Glacier disappearing in centuries. The ice sheet contains enough ice to cause another 3-4 meters of global sea level rise.
A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that East Antarctica's ice sheet could trigger a persistent ice discharge into the ocean, resulting in a long-term sea-level rise of 300-400 centimeters. This could lead to catastrophic consequences for coastal cities worldwide.
Researchers have developed a new technique using radiometric krypton dating to accurately determine the age of Antarctic ice, dating back up to 1.5 million years. This breakthrough could help reconstruct Earth's climate history and understand the mechanisms that trigger ice ages.
Researchers successfully used a new Krypton-dating technique to confirm the age of a 120,000-year-old sample of Antarctic ice. This technique provides an accurate means of confirming the age of ice samples, and allows scientists to reconstruct climate back as far as 1.5 million years.
A team of scientists discovered a 3-million-year-old tundra landscape preserved under the Greenland Ice Sheet, suggesting the ice sheet has endured for longer than previously known. The findings indicate that even during warm periods, the center of Greenland remained stable, preventing the complete melting of the ice sheet.
Researchers funded by NSF discover that some landscapes underlying the massive Greenland ice sheet may have remained undisturbed for almost 3 million years. The team analyzed chemical composition of silts from an ice core and found evidence of a continuous cover of Summit, Greenland, with minimal surface erosion during warmest periods.
Researchers discover 3-million-year-old organic soil frozen beneath 2 miles of ice, indicating the Greenland Ice Sheet has persisted longer than known. The ancient landscape suggests a stable center during warm periods, with minimal erosion.
A team of researchers, including a scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has found evidence that ancient dirt in Greenland was cryogenically frozen for millions of years. The discovery provides insights into how major ice sheets reacted to past climate change and could inform predictions about future changes.
Researchers have discovered new relationships between deep-sea temperature and ice-volume changes to provide insight into the climatic relationships that caused major ice-age cycles. The study found that cooling events and continental ice-volume cycles occurred at different times, contradicting previous theories.
Researchers at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a new thermodynamic model that improves the reliability of ice friction assessments. The model shows that sliding speed and ice temperature significantly affect surface friction, leading to erroneous interpretations in earlier laboratory measurements.
A recent study by Simon Fraser University geographer Lance Lesack discovered that warmer springs with unexpected snowfall declines are driving earlier-than-expected ice breakup in great Arctic rivers. This finding is significant as it challenges previous assumptions about the effects of climate change on Arctic ice systems.
The Arctic melt season is growing longer by several days each decade, with an earlier start allowing the ocean to absorb more solar radiation. This trend is causing the sea ice cover to weaken, as thinner, younger ice becomes more prevalent.
A study analyzing 300 summer Arctic sea ice forecasts found that predictions are accurate when conditions follow the observed downward trend, but less so when they deviate from it. Improving forecasting by incorporating sea ice thickness and concentration data may enhance seasonal predictions.
A new study has found that six massive glaciers in West Antarctica are losing ice at an unprecedented rate, causing global sea levels to rise. The amount of ice draining from these glaciers increased by 77 percent between 1973 and 2013, with Pine Island Glacier accelerating by 75 percent over the same period.
Researchers found that the northeast Greenland ice sheet is no longer stable and contributing to global sea level rise. The ice stream's retreat accelerated by 20 kilometers over the last decade, suggesting a positive feedback mechanism that could increase future sea level rise.
Scientists found that Northeast Greenland Ice Stream started losing mass in 2003 due to localized temperature increase, contradicting previous predictions. The study suggests this region is sensitive to climate changes and could contribute significantly to global sea-level rise.
IceBridge began its 2014 Arctic campaign with two sea ice surveys north of Greenland, focusing on changes in sea ice elevation and thickness. The mission aims to collect more data, including cross-basin surveys over the Arctic Ocean and flights over the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.
New research using NASA data shows that only a small number of Greenland's largest glaciers are responsible for the majority of ice discharge into the ocean. The study used satellite observations and ice thickness measurements to calculate ice flow rates, providing a clearer picture of how glacier dynamics affect the Greenland Ice Sheet.
New research confirms Arctic ice trends show a five-day per decade increase in the length of the melt season, with implications for climate change tracking and shipping. The study's findings also highlight the importance of understanding Arctic sea ice feedback mechanisms.
The NASA satellite captured a record-breaking freeze on the Great Lakes, with 80.3% of the lake's surface covered in ice. This is the most extensive ice cover since 1994, and scientists attribute it to persistently low temperatures across the region.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid ice loss, driven by ocean warming and increased surface melting. This phenomenon can lead to fresh water input into the North Atlantic Ocean, potentially disrupting global climate circulation patterns.
Scientists discovered that the mass extinction of large mammals after the latest Ice Age was linked to changes in vegetation, particularly the loss of protein-rich forbs. This finding provides a new understanding of the role of climate change in shaping ecosystems during the Ice Age.
A University of Waterloo study finds Arctic lakes froze up later and thawed earlier, resulting in a 24-day shorter winter ice season. Climate change has also caused a significant decrease in lake ice thickness, with some lakes losing up to 38 centimeters of ice.
The UEA project aims to understand the chemical exchanges between ocean, sea ice, snow, and atmosphere in polar regions. It will use a unique sea ice chamber and computer models to predict the effect of global warming on Arctic ice melt.
A new study suggests that Antarctica's ice shelves are at risk of collapsing due to global warming. The disappearance of the snow layer on top of the ice shelves could lead to a rapid increase in sea levels. Researchers warn that urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate this threat.
Researchers with the ANDRILL Program discovered thousands of small sea anemones burrowed into the underside of the Ross Ice Shelf, a first for a species to live in ice. The newly identified species, Edwardsiella andrillae, can be found hanging from the ice surface, with no clear mechanism for survival or reproduction.
Researchers found that penguin colonies moved from sea ice to thicker floating ice shelves due to changing environmental conditions. This surprising adaptation may help the species survive, but more research is needed to understand its extent and implications for other penguin populations.
A new study suggests that El Nino events are tied to the rapid melting of Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier. The glacier's ice shelf has been thinned nearly continuously since observations began in the 1970s. Under certain conditions, a thick layer of warm water surrounding the continent can flood the glacier margin and accelerate melt.
IceBridge collected data on many facets of Antarctic land and sea ice, including ice elevation and thickness. The mission also took measurements of sea ice in the Ross Sea, an area with comparatively little attention compared to other parts of the Southern Ocean.
The NASA airborne mission is using a low-frequency radar instrument to map the sub-glacial bedrock hidden beneath thick ice sheets. The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) measures ice thickness and maps sub-ice rock by sending radar waves down through polar ice.
Researchers have identified two subglacial lakes beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, which could influence global sea level rise and the future of the ice sheet. The lakes are part of an open system connected to the surface, unlike isolated Antarctic lakes, and their existence has significant implications for understanding ice flow speeds.