Scientists have gained new insight into how glacier movement is affected by melting ice in summer, enabling more accurate predictions of sea level rise. The study found that fast summer ice flow caused by significant melting is cancelled out by slower motion the following winter.
NASA's Operation IceBridge is conducting a daily survey flight through Nov. 26, collecting data on Antarctic land and sea ice. The mission aims to track changes in polar ice, including the Siple Coast and Ross Sea areas.
Researchers are mapping Greenland's ice sheet and surrounding Arctic sea ice using a single season of summer melt data. The study aims to provide baseline measurements for future satellite missions.
Researchers have discovered how Pseudomonas syringae bacteria use their ice-nucleating proteins to lock water molecules in place and form ice crystals. This process is triggered at warmer-than-normal temperatures, allowing the bacteria to invade plant tissues and seed clouds with precipitation.
Researchers have discovered vast channels beneath an Antarctic ice shelf, stretching hundreds of kilometers. The channels' formation is linked to meltwater flowing under the grounded ice sheet, shedding light on how ice responds to environmental changes.
Researchers are utilizing post-glacial rebound to determine the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet. By studying seismic waves generated by distant earthquakes, scientists can measure the rate at which the ice sheet is losing mass and estimate its future behavior in a warming world.
A new study reveals that stronger westerly winds around the South Pole can explain 80% of the increase in Antarctic sea ice volume over the past three decades. This is achieved through the creation of thicker, longer-lasting ice and exposure to blistering cold winds.
New research reveals that sub-shelf melting is a significant contributor to Antarctic ice loss, accounting for up to 90% of mass loss in some areas. This finding is crucial for understanding how the ice sheet interacts with the climate system and its potential impact on global sea levels.
A team led by NASA's Robert Bindschadler measures the rate at which warm ocean water melts Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier ice shelf from underneath. The study reveals melt rates of up to 2.36 inches per day, with implications for sea level rise and glacier stability.
Scientists have measured ice-shelf melting rates and processes beneath Pine Island Glacier, revealing a critical need to understand channelized melting under massive glaciers. The findings could lead to the break-up of the ice shelf and contribute to global sea-level rise.
Researchers found that ocean warming is melting the Pine Island Glacier's floating ice shelf, causing rapid movement of glaciers in Antarctica. This process can lead to increased sea level rise as more ice is added to the mass of Antarctic glaciers.
A community of microscopic algae and bacteria thrives within Arctic and Antarctic pack ice, secreting large quantities of gels that affect the physical structure within the ice and how carbon travels to the ocean floor. The gels also influence weather patterns by acting as cloud condensing nuclei.
Researchers found that an ice sheet on West Antarctica existed 20 million years earlier than believed, growing at the start of a global transition to cool icehouse climate. This discovery contradicts previous assumptions and sheds light on the history of Earth's great global ice sheets.
Researchers found a negative correlation between gravity and topography signals on Titan, attributed to large roots extending into the ocean beneath the ice shell. The study suggests that Titan's ice shell is rigid and at least 40 kilometers thick.
The Arctic sea ice cover is on track to reach its annual minimum, but it's unlikely to break records this year. The ice extent has been declining steadily over the last decade, with a sustained downward trend observed by NASA and other satellites. Antarctic sea ice, however, is expected to reach its largest extent on record.
A recent review of research reveals that declining Arctic sea ice is leading to the greening of coastal areas, altering marine and terrestrial food chains. The study finds that changes in sea-ice cover are affecting animal migration patterns and plant growth, with some areas showing cooling trends and declines in vegetation productivity.
The loss of Arctic sea ice will have far-reaching ecological consequences, impacting the marine food web and wildlife species that depend on it. Human activity in the region is expected to increase, leading to increased oil spills and other disturbances.
Researchers employed a unique approach to study the Greenland ice sheet, discovering that current models may not accurately predict its movement. The team found that as the ice sheet accelerates, it opens up space between the ice and bedrock, expanding the drainage network.
A new study published in Nature reveals that West Antarctica began emerging from the last ice age about 22,000 years ago, earlier than previously thought. The research found that changes in solar energy triggered warming of the region, which was amplified by the release of CO2 from the Southern Ocean.
New research shows Antarctic warming began at least two millennia earlier than previously thought, contradicting the long-held idea of a passive continent. The findings suggest that changes in Earth's orbit may not have been as influential in driving climate change as once believed.
The Greenland ice sheet is losing about 227 gigatonnes of ice per year, contributing to sea level rise. Researchers have coupled an ice/climate model with a thermo-mechanical model to accurately depict the ice sheet's dynamics and temperature changes.
Researchers used computer simulations to demonstrate that ice-age/warm-period interchange depends on the alternating influence of continental ice sheets and climate. The team found that large-scale glaciation alters sea levels and ocean currents, affecting the climate.
Sea-ice loss has widespread effects on Arctic wildlife, including disruptions to food chains, population mixing, and disease dynamics. The loss of albedo and increased warming accelerate melting, affecting critical habitats for species such as caribou, arctic foxes, and walrus.
A study by the University of New South Wales reveals that global warming may lead to a decline in seasonal water storage capacity for Argentina and Chile. The North Patagonian Ice-field, vital to maintaining this capacity, is expected to shrink due to changes in westerly winds.
Researchers documented an acceleration in coastal Antarctic permafrost melt rates, rising to 10 times the historical average. The change is attributed to increased sunlight due to changes in weather patterns, leading to 'retrogressive thaw slumps' and potential dramatic increases in melting if Antarctica warms as predicted.
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet repeatedly melted back several hundred miles inland during the Pliocene Epoch, with carbon dioxide levels similar to today's. The study suggests that the region's low-lying topography made the overlying ice sheet susceptible to melting, leading to significant rises in global sea level.
The study highlights the need for continuous satellite monitoring to better predict melting and sea-level rise. The ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland contain 99.5% of the Earth's glacier ice, with a potential raise of 63m if melted completely.
The study found that Greenland's ice sheets are losing significant amounts of ice at a rate of about 300 billion tons per year. The accelerated loss of ice mass is attributed to both anthropogenic warming and natural processes such as variations in snowfall and ocean currents.
A new study suggests that the Greenland ice sheet's contribution to sea-level rise will continue to increase as surface melting becomes more significant. This change is driven by the rapid retreat of outlet glaciers and strong warming-induced surface melting, which removes ice before it can reach the marine margin.
Researchers modeled the influence of Arctic sea ice on temperatures during the Pliocene era, finding that ice-free conditions contributed to surface warming. The study suggests that 400 parts per million atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations may be sufficient to greatly reduce Arctic sea ice extent and seasonal persistence.
A new study by UC Irvine and others reveals that warm ocean waters are responsible for most of the continent's ice loss, accounting for 55% of shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. Ice shelves are melting at a rate twice as fast as the Antarctic ice sheet itself.
Research explores Arctic sea ice impact on atmospheric circulation and surface temperatures, revealing significant effects beyond the Arctic region.
A new study found that the world's glaciers lost an average of roughly 260 billion metric tons of ice annually between 2003 and 2009, contributing to ocean rise of 0.03 inches or 0.7 millimeters per year. This loss exceeds previous estimates, highlighting the crucial role of smaller ice bodies in global sea level rise.
A new study using NASA satellite data found that glaciers outside of Greenland and Antarctica lost an average of 571 trillion pounds of mass every year, contributing to a 0.03-inch-per-year rise in sea levels. This is equal to about 30% of the total observed global sea level rise during the same period.
IceBridge team measures sea ice, maps sub-ice bedrock, and gathers data on Greenland's glaciers, improving computer models of sea and land ice. The campaign aims to collect as much data as possible to understand the changing state of Arctic sea ice.
A new 1000-year Antarctic Peninsula climate reconstruction reveals a near-tenfold increase in summer ice melt since the mid-20th century. This intensification has important implications for ice instability and sea level rise in a warming climate.
A UC student researcher used satellite imagery to calculate ice flow velocity in Antarctica, predicting potential climate change impacts. The study aims to understand the process of ice motion and estimate influence on sea levels.
Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a 1,800-year-old 'Rosetta Stone' in tropical ice cores, providing the most complete picture of Earth's low-latitude climate history to date. The cores reveal year-by-year patterns in chemical composition, offering a new tool for studying past climate change.
The 2013 Arctic sea ice winter extent was the fifth lowest in the past 35 years, reaching 5.82 million square miles. This decline is part of a long-term trend and is associated with increasing greenhouse gases, which affect the radiation type during Arctic winter.
A study on polar bears in western Hudson Bay found that the timing of their migration can be predicted by sea ice melt and freeze patterns. The results suggest that as sea ice melts earlier and freezes later, polar bears arrive on shore earlier in the summer and leave later in the autumn.
The study reveals that peripheral glaciers in Greenland are losing mass at a rate of up to 50 Gigatons per year, contributing to around 15-20% of sea-level rise. This is higher than expected and more significant than the ice sheet alone.
At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, researchers create ultrathin layers of amorphous ice to replicate extreme chemistry found in space. They find that water helps amino acids last longer when exposed to cosmic radiation, producing new chemical byproducts.
A new study projects that global sea-level rise will not be uniform, with certain regions experiencing higher rates of rise. The team used sophisticated computer modeling to show how ice loss from glaciers and ice sheets will impact regional sea levels, particularly in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Researchers studying ice sheet movement in Greenland and Antarctica have found that warming temperatures cause sea levels to rise. The speed of ice shelf movement has nearly doubled in recent years, leading to increased sea level rises and uncertainty about future projections.
A European Space Agency satellite confirms a University of Washington analysis that the Arctic has lost more than a third of its summer sea-ice volume since 2012. The Arctic is now shrinking and thinning, with summer ice volume estimated to be one-fifth of what it was in 1980.
Researchers found a 36% autumn and 9% winter decline in Arctic sea ice volume over the last decade. The study builds on previous studies using submarine and NASA satellite data, verifying compatibility with CryoSat-2 satellite measurements.
A new University of Washington study reveals the Cyclone in 2012 did not cause the record low for Arctic sea ice minimum. Instead, it suggests that natural warming trends and thin ice were the primary factors contributing to the melting.
A new study analyzing Greenland ice cores suggests that melting of the Antarctic ice sheet may have contributed more to sea-level rise than the Greenland ice sheet around 100,000 years ago. The research findings indicate a warmer-than-expected climate during the Eemian interglacial period, with surface temperatures about 8 degrees Cels...
A new study using a 2,540-metre long Greenland ice core has reconstructed the island's temperature and ice sheet extent during the last interglacial period, known as the Eemian period. The research found that the warmest temperatures were about 8°C degrees warmer than average over the past 1,000 years.
New research from the NEEM project in Greenland reveals that the Eemian period was around 8 degrees C warmer than today, with global sea levels four to eight meters higher. The ice sheet was less than half the total sea-level rise during this period.
A new study analyzing ice cores from the Greenland ice sheet found that between 130,000 and 115,000 years ago, the climate rose to about 14 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today. This past warm period may serve as a 'road map' for future warming due to increasing greenhouse gases.
Researchers have found that melt ponds on young, thin Arctic sea ice absorb 50% more solar radiation, causing the ice to melt faster. This changes the light transmission beneath the ice, affecting photosynthesis and potentially impacting ecosystems.
A new study provides a geological timeline for ice loss in West Antarctica, shedding light on the recent rapid melting of glaciers and improving predictions for future sea-level rise. The research reveals that exceptional changes in glacier retreat may occur only rarely over the past 10,000 years.
Researchers used NASA's Operation IceBridge data to correct forecast models and improve seasonal predictions. The new quick look data product, released before the end of the Arctic campaign, supplements final sea ice data and enables more accurate forecasts.
A University of Delaware research team has developed a novel camera system to map the surface topography of Arctic sea ice, enabling accurate habitat classification for threatened walruses. The system uses areas of higher competence to interpolate lower-confidence areas, resulting in dense 3-D reconstructions with precision accuracy wi...
A new study published in Nature shows that increased snowfall in Antarctica leads to more rapid ice flow and greater ice loss, contributing to higher sea levels. The research suggests that global warming may accelerate ice discharge from the continent, potentially offsetting any ice gain due to increased snowfall.
A CU research team studied the Larsen C Ice Shelf, finding that massive crevasses make it more susceptible to collapse. However, they also discovered that bendable ice in suture zones helps protect the shelf from disintegration.
The study finds that the combined rate of ice sheet melting is increasing, with Antarctica and Greenland losing more than three times as much ice as in the 1990s. The new research confirms that both polar regions are losing ice, contrary to earlier uncertainty.
A new international study has reconciled measurements of ice sheet changes in Antarctica and Greenland, providing a more consistent estimate of their contribution to sea-level rise. The results show that the planet's two largest ice sheets have been losing ice faster during the past decade, causing widespread concern.
An international team of satellite experts has produced the most accurate assessment of ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland to date, confirming both regions are losing ice. The study reveals that melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets has contributed significantly to global sea level rise over the past two decades.