Antifreeze proteins have been found to bind to ice crystals through a specific mechanism involving hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. This discovery may lead to the development of stronger, more versatile AFPs with commercial applications in various industries.
The 2011 Arctic sea ice extent was the lowest maximum extent of 5,650,000 square miles since satellite record keeping began in 1979. Climate scientists believe shrinking sea ice is tied to warming temperatures and human-produced greenhouse gases.
Operation IceBridge studies changes in Arctic polar ice, glaciers, and sea ice to understand the effects of climate change. The mission aims to monitor ice sheet trends and track changes in glacier mass loss.
Researchers used satellite data to observe and monitor ice-edge blooms across the whole Arctic region. They found that ice-edge blooms occurred in all seasonally ice-covered areas and from spring to late summer.
Researchers found that refrozen ice makes up 24% of the ice sheet base around Dome A, with rates of refreezing greater than surface accumulation rates. This discovery reshapes understanding of how the ice sheet expands and moves, and its potential reaction to a warming climate.
Researchers found that algal secretions can increase ice salinity and create channels in ice, allowing algae to live and grow. This adaptation may help sea-ice algae thrive in a warmer climate.
A set of maps created by the University of Sheffield have illustrated the pattern and speed of shrinkage of the large ice sheet that covered the British Isles during the last Ice Age. The maps use new information on glacial landforms, such as moraines and drumlins, to predict future ice losses in Greenland and Antarctica.
New research suggests that hotter summers may slow down Greenland ice flow, contrary to previous fears. The internal drainage system of the ice sheet adapts to more melt-water, reducing ice speeds.
A new study reveals that the Greenland Ice Sheet experienced its highest melting event in 2010, breaking records by up to 50 days. This unusual phenomenon was attributed to extreme temperatures and reduced snowfall during the summer months, which exposed bare ice earlier than usual.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have discovered a new drumlin field, revealing that modern-day glaciers can create these geological formations. The study provides evidence of rapid ice movements and challenges current climate modeling techniques.
Researchers discover that meltwater flowing through ice sheet interiors can warm the ice rapidly, accelerating its response to climate change. This faster-than-expected process could increase ice flows on ice sheets much faster than previously thought.
The Arctic sea ice cover reached its minimum extent for the year in September, marking the third-lowest recorded since satellites started measuring sea ice extent in 1979. The 2010 minimum ice extent is significantly below the long-term average and outside natural climate variability.
Researchers have revised estimates of Greenland and West Antarctica ice cap melting rates using GRACE satellites, GPS measurements, and glacial isostatic adjustment data. The corrected estimate shows the ice caps are melting at approximately half the predicted speed, resulting in a lower average sea level rise.
Researchers find that increasing Antarctic sea ice extent is due to stabilization of the upper ocean by increased precipitation, which reduces melting from both above and below. Climate models predict faster melting in the future, leading to a potential decrease in sea ice extent.
A Greenland glacier has lost a quarter of its floating ice-shelf, giving birth to an ice island four times the size of Manhattan. The freshwater stored in this ice island could keep the Delaware or Hudson rivers flowing for more than two years.
A team of scientists from 14 countries has successfully drilled through a mile and half of the Greenland ice sheet in search of climate change insights. The ice core samples may offer valuable information about how the world can change during periods of abrupt warming.
A team of 300 scientists and students from 14 countries drilled over 1.5 miles into the North Greenland ice sheet, recovering ice from the Eemian interglacial period. The cores will provide crucial information on past temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations, helping to predict future climate change.
A team of researchers proposes a chain of events linked to the melting of northern hemisphere ice sheets, which reconfigured planet's wind belts and led to rapid southern hemisphere warming. This shift triggered a series of cold spells in Greenland and Europe, but also amplified global warming by resetting the planet's thermostat.
Researchers use radar and camera data to reconstruct the formation of two enigmatic features in Mars' northern ice cap: a massive canyon and spiral troughs. Wind erosion is found to be the primary force shaping these complex structures, revealing a detailed climate history.
Researchers found a massive carbon dioxide 'burp' occurred 18,000 years ago, locking away CO2 in the deep ocean during the last ice age. This discovery supports the theory that ocean circulation played a significant role in triggering global warming during ice ages.
Researchers have reconstructed the formation of two curious features in Mars' northern ice cap, including Chasma Boreale and spiral troughs, revealing that wind shapes polar ice caps over millions of years. The study provides new evidence of climate change on Mars and vindicates an early explanation for the spiral troughs.
Scientists from the University of Miami found that Greenland's ice is melting rapidly, causing the land underneath to rise by nearly one inch per year. The study suggests that if current trends continue, this acceleration could lead to a significant increase in global sea level rise.
Scientists have discovered that changes in floating ice are causing sea levels to rise, resulting in a 2.6% increase of global sea levels. The study found that the loss of floating ice amounts to a sea level rise of 49 micrometers per year.
Asteroid 24 Themis has been found to have a thin film of ice coating its surface, with complex, long-chained molecules detected as well. This suggests that water ice is abundant in the asteroid's interior and may be responsible for delivering water to Earth.
Scientists uncover thousands of years-old hunting tools, including wooden arrows and dart shafts, as warming temperatures melt ancient ice patches in the Mackenzie Mountains. The discovery sheds new light on ancient caribou migration patterns and hunting practices.
Researchers from Ohio State University have successfully drilled the deepest core in the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching a length of 445.6 meters. The core may contain ice dating back to the last ice age, providing valuable insights into past global climate changes.
Research on the Devon Island ice cap shows a steady decline in ice volume and area since 1985, primarily due to warmer summers. The ice cap's thinning also exposes dark soil, increasing melt rates and posing concerns for shipping and sea level rise.
A new study finds that the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass on its northwest coast, with uplift rates increasing by 1.5 inches from 2005 to 2009. This acceleration in ice loss suggests that glaciers are sliding downhill faster and dumping more ice in the ocean, contributing to global sea-level rise.
Scientists find that Arctic sea ice loss is driven by the formation of arches, which block flow and lead to increased ice loss. In Mars, solar wind pulses contribute to atmospheric escape, with bursts occurring in association with corotating interaction regions.
A Scripps-led study found that extremely long waves originating along Pacific coasts may destabilize Antarctic ice shelves. The researchers propose that infragravity waves could initiate ice shelf collapse by opening crevasses and reducing ice integrity.
Researchers studying supra-glacial lakes on the Greenland ice sheet seek to understand their role in shaping the ice sheet's topography. The lakes form when melting water collects in pools in the lower levels of the ice sheet, and drain rapidly through cracks in the ice.
Researchers found that Titan's ice is stronger as temperature decreases, allowing it to form an Earth-like landscape. The study used laboratory measurements to understand the impact of cold temperatures on ice erosion.
Researchers studying Greenland's glaciers have discovered that meltwater plays a more complex role in ice loss than previously thought. Water flowing beneath the ice contributes to ice loss through fast-moving outlet glaciers, but its effect is negligible overall.
Researchers will drill through the Whillans Ice Stream and Ross Ice Shelf, sampling rivers, lakes, and microbial communities. The study aims to understand how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet responded to past climate changes and potentially discover new organisms that can produce beneficial compounds.
The study reveals a significant ice loss on Mount Kilimanjaro, primarily attributed to rising global temperatures. The ice volume has decreased by roughly equal proportions through thinning and shrinking, with 85% of the ice lost since 1912.
A new research project will drill through a half-mile of ice to penetrate subglacial Lake Whillans, studying hidden processes that govern the dynamics of the West Antarctic ice sheet. The team aims to develop predictive models of polar melting and understand how subglacial lakes influence ice motion.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions have made new ground measurements that suggest the West Antarctic ice sheet is losing ice slightly more slowly than estimated. The findings could improve estimates of ice mass loss and provide a clearer picture of Antarctica's contribution to rising sea levels.
Researchers are using NASA's DC-8 plane, equipped with laser mapping instruments and other equipment, to study changes in Antarctica's sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. The data collected will help scientists better understand how these changes contribute to future sea level rise.
A NASA DC-8 aircraft will conduct six-week flights over West Antarctica to image the ice sheets and estimate future sea-level rises. The mission aims to understand the rapid Antarctic melting and its impact on global climate change.
The Arctic sea ice extent has reached its third lowest point on record, with a minimum area of 5.10 million square kilometers. The ice cover has declined by about 34 percent since satellite measurements began in the late 1970s.
Despite a slight recovery in summer Arctic sea ice in 2009, the extent remains below previous years and on a trend leading to ice-free Arctic summers. Younger, thinner ice accounts for most of the cover, leaving it vulnerable to melt in coming summers.
Researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have detected sub-surface water ice at high latitudes of Mars, with some areas showing ice purity of up to 99%. The ice is believed to be a relic of a more humid climate on Mars in the recent past and could provide insights into the planet's history.
Satellite lasers have created a comprehensive picture of rapidly thinning glaciers along the coastline of both Antarctica and Greenland. The most profound ice loss is attributed to glaciers accelerating as they flow into the sea, with this phenomenon now reaching all latitudes in Greenland and intensifying on key Antarctic coastlines.
The Arctic sea ice cover has reached its minimum extent for 2009, the third-lowest recorded since satellite measurements began in 1979. The September minimum extent is significantly below the long-term average and well outside natural climate variability, attributed to human-produced greenhouse gases.
Researchers have analyzed ice cores from Greenland and small ice caps to show the evolution of the ice sheet over 11,700 years. The findings reveal that changes in elevation cause different temperatures, allowing scientists to use small ice caps as a standard reference for climate history.
Researchers used NASA's ICESat satellite data to create the most comprehensive inventory of Antarctic lakes that actively drain or fill under ice. The study revealed a continental plumbing system more dynamic than previously thought, with 124 active lakes identified and linked to nearby and distant locations.
Scientists Ron Kwok and Drew Rothrock extend Arctic sea ice record by combining ICESat satellite data with U.S. Navy submarine records, revealing a 53% decline in sea ice thickness since 1980. The study provides insights into the impact of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and global climate.
The North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling project, led by the University of Copenhagen, has reached a depth of 5,767 feet in early August, recovering over a mile of ice core. The project aims to retrieve ice from the last interglacial episode, providing valuable information on past temperatures and precipitation levels.
Researchers have found that slight shifts in solar radiation caused by Earth's rotation and axis are linked to the demise of ice ages. The study, published in Science, confirms a theory developed over 50 years ago and provides a more precise understanding of how ice sheets melt in response to radiative forcing mechanisms.
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey and University of Durham describe a new 3D map created from radar measurements, revealing features in the landscape beneath a vast river of ice. The study provides insight into how ice streams behave and how they might change in the future.
Researchers using NASA's SIERRA aircraft and satellite data to map and measure ice conditions below cloud cover. They found a 74% decline in older ice types since 1988, with only 2% of the Arctic Ocean now covered by these ice types.
A study published in Nature finds that sea ice formed in the Arctic before it did in Antarctica, contradicting scientific expectation. The researchers analyzed oceanic sediment cores and fossilized diatoms to conclude that episodic sea ice formation began around 47.5 million years ago.
Researchers have reconstructed sea ice extent from 13th century to present using historical records and climate curves. The findings show a significant decrease in sea ice coverage since the start of the 20th century, with some record-breaking low levels in recent years.
A recent study published in Hydrological Processes reveals that the Greenland ice sheet is a major contributor to sea-level rise, accounting for nearly 25% of global sea-rise in the past 13 years. The study also shows that seas are rising at a rate of over 3 millimeters per year, more than 50% faster than the average for the 20th century.
A new study found that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's collapse would raise global sea levels by only 3.3 meters, not the previously estimated 5-6 meters, with US coastal areas experiencing a 25% increase in sea level rise, posing significant threats to cities like New York and San Francisco.
Scientists capture the most comprehensive set of sonar images of Antarctica's seafloor around the Amundsen Sea embayment, providing new insights into past ice flow and potential future sea-level rise. The findings indicate that the controlling mechanisms of the Antarctic ice sheet are more complex than previously thought.
The University of Washington's seaglider successfully operated for six months under the ice in Davis Strait, collecting data on fresh water exiting the Arctic. The record-breaking deployment contributes to understanding climate change impacts on ocean circulation.
Researchers from British Antarctic Survey and NASA found that the ozone hole has strengthened surface winds around Antarctica, leading to greater flow of cold air over the Ross Sea. This resulted in a small increase in sea ice extent in West Antarctica, contrary to the expected effects of greenhouse gas increases.
Ken Golden's research on percolation-based models of sea ice has revealed key features that control polar climate dynamics, including the 'rule of fives'. His work has also led to the development of mathematical approaches to predict changes in sea ice permeability.
New Arctic satellite data shows a decade-long trend of shrinking sea ice extent, with thinner ice replacing older, thicker ice. The maximum sea ice extent for 2008-09 was 5.85 million square miles, 278,000 square miles below the average for 1979 to 2000.