Researchers found algae significantly reduce ice sheet's albedo and contribute to its melting. Algal darkening is responsible for 5-10% of total melt each summer, according to the study.
Researchers use large ensemble of model simulations to examine lead-lag relationships between Arctic sea ice and atmospheric circulation. They find evidence that sea ice change is both a driver of and a response to atmospheric variability.
New research reveals the East Antarctic Ice Sheet has undergone significant growth and shrinkage over millions of years, with frequent intervals of open water along the Sabrina Coast. This dynamic behavior is a concern as climate change raises global air temperatures and could lead to dramatic ice mass loss.
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet's stability is being questioned after a marine geologic survey found that some regions have been sensitive to climate change for millions of years. This ice mass loss could lead to catastrophic sea level rise, affecting Florida and other major US cities.
Researchers found that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet has a history of expanding and shrinking, indicating it could contribute to global sea level rise. The study used geophysical and geological data to reconstruct how glaciers on the Sabrina Coast have advanced and retreated over 50 million years.
The longest-ever record of Earth's climate history has been assembled from the oldest ice core ever drilled outside the polar regions, revealing more than half a million years of climate history. The ice core provides dramatic evidence of a recent and rapid temperature rise at some of the highest, coldest mountain peaks in the world.
Scientists found that thinning small areas of floating ice at Antarctica's coast can trigger accelerated movement of grounded ice hundreds of kilometers inland. The study reveals that warming ocean waters and increased stress on the grounding line can lead to catastrophic ice loss, threatening cities worldwide.
A UCLA-led team used extreme fieldwork and climate modeling to unravel a meltwater mystery on Greenland's ice sheet. They discovered that sunlight penetrating into the ice causes subsurface melting and storage of meltwater, leading to discrepancies between models' estimates and real-time data.
A recent study investigates the relationship between Arctic sea ice loss and the Eurasian winter cooling trend. The research suggests that changes in sea surface temperature, not sea ice concentration, are responsible for the observed warming trend.
A new study explores the impact of ice on Martian landslides, finding similarities with Earth's ice-lubricated landslides and demonstrating how ice influences shape and velocity. The research uses glacial morphology and remote sensing measurements to model landslide dynamics.
Research published in Science shows climate warming reduced the mass of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet by half in 500 years, indicating a similar fate for the Greenland Ice Sheet. The study suggests that once ice sheets start to melt, they can do so quickly, causing significant sea level rise and changes in ocean circulation.
Thousand-year-old iceberg marks in Pine Island Bay show how West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated rapidly as it balanced on sloping ground. Researchers warn that similar instability may occur again due to global warming, triggering rapid ice retreat and sea-level rise.
Researchers found that ancient volcanic eruptions caused significant melting of the northern European ice sheet, with some eruptions leading to 20 centimeters of ice loss. The study suggests that modern ice sheets may be vulnerable to similar effects, highlighting a potential positive feedback loop between volcanism and climate change.
A research article reveals that a warmer ocean surface in central-eastern Baffin Bay triggered the ice retreat of Jakobshavn Isbrå ice stream during the Younger Dryas period. The study used marine fossil diatoms to reconstruct past sea surface conditions, finding warmer sea surface temperatures and less-extensive sea ice cover.
Researchers discovered that water-repellent surfaces force ice to grow upward, making it easier to remove. The team's findings suggest applying water-repellent coatings or engineering surfaces with built-in repelling properties could enable breeze-assisted ice removal.
The Weddell Sea has formed a large ice-free area, supporting the Kiel climate model. This natural phenomenon plays a crucial role in sea ice formation and deep water circulation. Scientists closely monitor its occurrence to improve climate models and differentiate between natural variability and human-induced changes.
Researchers from Hokkaido University discovered that UV-irradiated amorphous ice exhibits liquid-like behavior at extremely low temperature ranges. The ice behaves similarly to a liquid, with a viscosity similar to that of honey or silicic magma, allowing it to facilitate the formation of organic compounds and dust accretion on planets.
Researchers at NTNU have developed a novel approach to prevent ice build-up by cracking it. By adding inner pillars and holes to surfaces, they can create macro-cracks that allow ice to fall off, reducing adhesion strengths by up to 50%. This method has the potential to revolutionize anti-icing technology in various industries.
Quantitative analysis reveals that dark ocean surfaces absorb more light than white ice surfaces, leading to accelerated sea ice melt. The study found a significant correlation between solar heat input and ice melt volume, suggesting that heat input is a major causative factor of melting ice.
A team from Okayama University in Japan has discovered a new family of ice phases called aeroices, which have the lowest density of all known ice crystals. These ices can be more stable than zeolitic ice at certain thermodynamic conditions under negative pressure.
A Rice University study reveals that flowing liquid water below the Antarctic ice appears to play a pivotal role in determining the fate of Antarctic ice streams. The research used sediment cores and precise seafloor maps to uncover an extensive, uncovered, water-carved channel connected to subglacial lakes.
A new study from Indiana University validates the stability of the East Antarctic ice sheet's central core, even if the West Antarctic ice sheet melts. The research team found evidence confirming the stability at an altitude of 6,200 feet, suggesting that climate change may not have a significant impact on the interior ice sheet.
Researchers develop iron-based synthetic antifreeze mimicking natural Antifreeze Proteins (AFPs), which can slow ice crystal growth, making airplane wings safer, ice cream smoother and human tissue for transplantation more stable.
New research confirms that Greenland's outlet glaciers slide over wet, slippery sediment rather than hard rock, and this will accelerate ice flow as global temperatures rise. This challenges the view of a slowdown in ice flow, suggesting a more complex future pattern of ice sheet movement.
The largest remaining ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula has lost 10% of its area after a giant iceberg four times the size of London broke free. Dr Anna Hogg and Dr Hilmar Gudmundsson tracked the iceberg using satellite technology, revealing that it has started to drift away from the Larsen-C and formed smaller icebergs.
A team of Penn State food scientists found that people generally cannot tell the difference between fat levels in ice creams within a certain range. The study challenges some ice cream marketing that suggests high-fat ice cream is higher quality and better tasting.
A nearly 2,240 square-mile iceberg broke off from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf between July 10 and 12. The event has reduced the ice shelf area by approximately 10 percent, sparking concerns about potential destabilization of the remaining ice shelf.
Researchers at Ohio State University have created ice crystals with near-perfect cubic arrangement of water molecules, a form of ice that may exist in high-altitude clouds. The ability to study cubic ice in the lab could improve computer models of climate change and enhance our understanding of water.
A new study found that ice-free areas in Antarctica could increase by up to 25% by the end of this century, potentially creating new habitat for biodiversity. However, the warming climate may also facilitate invasive species to establish themselves.
The Eurasian ice sheet's collapse 23,000 years ago led to a 20m drop in global sea level and severe flooding. The study reveals that this event was ten times more significant than current rates of ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica.
A massive surface melt event occurred on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in 2015-2016, with melt episodes spanning most of the Ross Ice Shelf. The study suggests that strong El Niño events may become more common, leading to increased ice sheet instability and potential sea level rise.
NASA's Operation IceBridge expanded its Arctic ice survey range this year, covering a wider area than ever before with denser and more accurate measurements. The mission also explored the Eurasian half of the Arctic Basin and measured a newly formed crack on Petermann Glacier.
A new study found that ultra-pure water forms ice crystals most efficiently in wedge-shaped surfaces with 45-degree or 70-degree angles. This discovery could impact transportation safety and the production of frozen food.
Climate researchers predict an irreversible inflow of warm water under the ice shelf due to rising air temperatures above the Weddell Sea. The resulting meltwater feedback cycle could lead to dramatic melting and collapse of the second-largest ice shelf in Antarctica.
A Hokkaido University researcher found a correlation between high tropical Pacific seawater temperatures and increased ice breakup in East Antarctica. The study suggests that warmer seawater triggers atmospheric waves, leading to large ice breakups at Syowa Station.
A team of researchers has uncovered a hidden world of water conduits and sediment ridges beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. These features are five times larger than those seen in deglaciated landscapes, shaping the ice hundreds of kilometers downstream.
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey describe the role of föhn winds in influencing Antarctic ice shelf behavior. The study found that these winds contribute to melt pools and weaken the ice surface, making it more at risk of collapse.
Researchers reconstructed the evolution of Iceland's last ice sheet, revealing rapid changes occurred when temperatures rose by 3°C in just 500 years. This period mirrors modern-day ice sheet behavior and provides evidence for significant sea level rise.
Researchers from Hokkaido University conducted microgravity experiments on the International Space Station to measure ice crystal growth rates. They found that glycoproteins in fish blood facilitate growth, but also lead to a slowing effect when flat faces are truncated by slower-growing faces.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks study found that warmer Atlantic water is a significant contributor to Arctic sea ice loss. Increased mixing in the Eastern Eurasian Basin allows heat from the warmer water to reach the surface, causing sea ice to melt.
The study reveals that the ice caps around Greenland's edges have lost their capacity to contain and refreeze meltwater, causing massive ice mass loss. The researchers found that the highest ice caps are still relatively healthy, but the 'melting line' is moving towards them, posing a significant problem.
Researchers found that melting on Greenland passed a tipping point 20 years ago, causing the smallest glaciers and ice caps to no longer regrow lost ice. The study suggests that this will raise global sea level by about 1.5 inches by 2100.
Researchers from Harvard SEAS developed a mathematical model explaining the emergence of phytoplankton blooms under Arctic sea ice. The study found that thinning ice and increased melt ponds allow more sunlight to penetrate, creating conditions favorable for plankton growth.
Scientists at NASA and NSIDC report record low wintertime maximum extent of Arctic sea ice on March 7, reaching 5.57 million square miles. In Antarctica, sea ice minimum extent fell to 815,000 square miles in February, its lowest level since satellites began measuring in 1979.
A new study by CU Boulder researchers shows the Barnes Ice Cap on Baffin Island will melt in about 300 years due to a rapid warming climate. The ice cap, which is still 500 meters thick, has never been this small in the past 2.5 million years.
A new study reveals that the sub-antarctic island of South Georgia was covered by a massive ice cap about 20,000 years ago. The researchers used sonar mapping and gravity corers to find hundreds of distinct ridges bulldozed into the seabed, showing that the ice extended across South Georgia's vast continental shelf.
Juvenile polar cod rely heavily on ice algae for sustenance, with 50-90% of their carbon coming from these tiny organisms. As Arctic sea ice melts, the fish's food source is threatened, posing a risk to the entire food web.
Researchers found that air pollution, specifically sulfate aerosols, may have temporarily hidden the effects of global warming on Arctic sea ice, leading to an increase in sea ice extent from 1950 to 1975. The study's findings challenge the perception that Arctic sea ice was unperturbed by human-caused climate change until the 1970s.
Scientists have developed a simple rule to predict when the Earth's climate warms out of an ice age, using astronomical changes in the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The model predicts interglacials occurring roughly every 100,000 years, which explains why we've been in a warm period for the last 11,000 years.
Researchers found that small spikes in ocean temperature, rather than atmospheric warming, likely drove the rapid disintegration of ancient ice sheets. The study's findings add to evidence that climate change may bring higher seas than predicted by current models.
A NASA study reveals that meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet can drain through aquifers and fractures in the ice, reaching the ocean. This discovery could significantly impact computer models of sea level rise, providing new insights into the Greenland contribution.
A new UCI study shows that Canadian glaciers are losing ice at an alarming rate, with surface melt accounting for 90% of the loss since 2005. The researchers found that the Queen Elizabeth Islands' ice cap has been melting by 900 percent annually, contributing to sea level change.
Researchers at the University of Utah discovered how Arctic melt ponds form by clogging ice pores with freshwater. This process lowers permeability, allowing meltwater to pool on top of the ice, which affects climate modeling and sea ice dynamics.
The Eurasian ice sheet grew from small ice caps to a massive ice mass, nearly three times the size of modern-day Greenland, through a process driven by climate cycles and snowfall. The sheet's growth had a profound impact on regional climates, creating rain-shadow effects and desert conditions in western Russia and Siberia.
A new study led by Colorado State University suggests that a shift in the Southern Annular Mode, similar to El Nino, can lead to stronger ocean waves and the collapse of ice shelves. The research found that reduced sea ice cover allows ocean waves to directly impact ice shelves, enhancing surface melting and weakening ice shelves.
A new study uses airborne ice-penetrating radar to observe meltwater's year-round life under the Greenland ice. The research reveals extensive winter water storage beneath the ice, which affects glaciers' response to melting.
A team of scientists from France has developed a method to visualize ice crystals in three dimensions as they grow, providing new insights into their formation process. By using confocal laser scanning microscopy and image analysis, the researchers can capture rapid images of ice crystals growing and measure their expansion rates.
Researchers observed 'traffic jams' in the Rutford Ice Stream in Antarctica, where ocean tides speed up or slow down glacial movement. The study used COSMO-SkyMed radar-imaging satellites to gather near-continuous data for nearly nine months.
The 'new Arctic' is more prone to melting and storms, threatening its role as a climate moderator. Thinner sea ice functions differently, moving faster, breaking up easily, and being vulnerable to winds and storms.
Scientists can now map the speed of glaciers and ice sheets globally, tracking unique patterns and identifying areas with rapid change. This near-real-time data enables researchers to understand the impact on sea level and coastal communities.