Articles tagged with Glaciers
A study found that black carbon aerosols from India are a major contributor to the decline in snow and ice cover on the Himalayan glaciers. The research suggests that greenhouse gases alone are insufficient to explain the melting, with black carbon contributing at least 30% of the impact.
A study in Alaska's Gulf of Alaska has found that glacial watersheds export biologically active organic matter to marine ecosystems, supporting higher organisms. As glaciers recede, this valuable food source will decrease, potentially impacting marine productivity.
Researchers from four universities and the U.S. Forest Service found that glaciers along the Gulf of Alaska are a significant source of organic carbon, with up to 4,000-year-old material being flushed out with glacier melt. This ancient carbon is enriching stream and near-shore marine ecosystems.
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.
A new NASA study finds that soot and dust contribute as much to atmospheric warming in the Himalayas as greenhouse gases. The region's rapid glacier melting threatens fresh water resources for over a billion people.
Scientists from NASA and Chinese Academy of Sciences found that black carbon deposits contribute significantly to glacial retreat in the Tibetan region, rivaling greenhouse gas effects. The study suggests that reduced soot emissions are needed to avoid glacier demise and preserve seasonal fresh water supplies.
The Himalayas' distinct geography, combined with industrial soot and dust, exacerbates glacial melting. Aerosols enhance the monsoon's intensity, transferring heat from low-lying lands to high-altitude surfaces, hastening glacial retreat.
Karl E. Karlstrom received the GSA Distinguished Service Award for his exceptional leadership in publishing and editorial board service, while Bruce F. Molnia was awarded the GSA Public Service Award for enhancing public understanding of earth sciences through his photography and public outreach.
Researchers have discovered hidden glacial valleys in Alberta that contain valuable resources, including loose rock and natural gas, posing risks of accidents and environmental damage. The valleys were found using a combination of seismic and electrical mapping data, highlighting the importance of advanced underground mapping practices.
A new lab machine developed by Iowa State University professor Neal Iverson can simulate key elements of glacier sliding, helping researchers understand how glaciers react to climate change. The machine uses a ring of ice and hydraulic press to apply pressures equal to those beneath a 1,300-foot-thick glacier.
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey have discovered a new natural carbon-absorption mechanism in Antarctica, where large blooms of phytoplankton are thriving in areas left exposed by rapid glacier melting. This process stores approximately 3.5 million tonnes of carbon each year, which could help mitigate climate change.
Drilled at 17,598ft above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, the ice cores contain a number of insects and plant materials that may have originated from the Amazon Basin. The cores provide an annually resolvable record of climate conditions, allowing researchers to determine past temperatures and precipitation rates.
Researchers aim to correlate seismic activity with glacier slip using pump tests and measurements of natural seismicity. The projects focus on stability of ice stream grounding zones and role of active subglacial lakes in ice sheet loss.
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 study finds that glacial melting is releasing persistent organic pollutants into lakes, despite decreased use of these compounds in products. The pollutants were deposited earlier and preserved over decades, with the flow increasing sharply since the late 1990s.
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.
New study locates source of L'Aquila earthquake, finding it increases seismic hazard in region. Researchers also find waning sea ice bodes stormier, rainier Arctic with increased precipitation. Additionally, scientists develop new method to measure snow depth using GPS technology.
A new study reveals a link between climate fluctuations in the northern hemisphere and tropical regions. Glaciers in Europe, North America, and southern Peru moved together during the Little Ice Age, suggesting a global-scale pattern of glacier activity and climate change.
A new study links climate swings in Peru's Andes to those in Europe and North America during the Little Ice Age. The research provides precise ages for glacial moraines, shedding light on global-scale glacier activity and climate patterns.
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.
Recent studies published in the November/December 2009 GSA Bulletin reveal insights into the Cenozoic tectonics of Nicaragua and the Median Trough, as well as the stratigraphic signature of late Cenozoic Antarctic Ice Sheets. The research also explores bivergent thrust wedges surrounding oceanic island arcs in the northeastern Caribbea...
A new model of Britain's Ice Sheet reveals it reversed its flow back up valleys, creating unique 'drumlins' along the A66 road through Eden Valley and Lake District lowlands. The ice sheet flowed downhill initially but complex flow directions switched significantly over short timescales.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience finds that human activities such as large-scale farming can cause erosion at rates comparable to the world's largest rivers and glaciers. This is contrary to previous scholarship, which suggested that glaciers were more erosive than rivers.
A team of researchers found that glaciers in the region advanced due to cooler temperatures created by increased cloud cover and reduced evaporation. The study provides valuable insights into how glaciers respond to climate change, enabling better forecasting of water supply changes in the coming decades.
The Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is losing ice four times as fast as it was a decade ago, with scientists estimating that the main section of the glacier will disappear in just 100 years. The glacier's acceleration is attributed to warming oceans and has significant implications for global sea level rise.
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.
A study of a prehistoric Canadian Arctic glacier found it rapidly retreated in just a few hundred years, demonstrating the phenomenon's occurrence. This rapid retreat could lead to sharply rising global sea levels and threaten coastal populations if similar conditions recur today.
Researchers found evidence of a massive 4,500-year-old drought in Africa and Asia, as well as a rapid 5,200-year-old cooling event that accelerated tropical glacier growth. The findings suggest that similar changes are currently occurring globally.
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.
A new study reveals that glaciers in New Zealand's Southern Alps have fluctuated frequently over the past 7,000 years, with some advances and declines not seen in the Northern Hemisphere. The research uses a refined method to date young moraines, allowing for more accurate reconstructions of glacial advances worldwide.
A new study using cosmogenic dating reveals that New Zealand's largest glaciers moved out of step with their northern hemisphere counterparts for the past 7,000 years. The research provides a glacial timeline and shows regional climate variations in both hemispheres.
Microbes adapted to manipulate sulfur and iron compounds to survive in the absence of photosynthesis. The discovery provides insights into the origins of life on Earth and offers a unique laboratory for studying life in hostile environments.
Researchers at Harvard University and Dartmouth College discovered hardy microbes living in isolation beneath an Antarctic glacier. The microbes, similar to those found in modern marine environments, have adapted to survive in extreme conditions by breathing iron and using sulfur catalysts.
Scientists discovered an ancient ecosystem trapped beneath Taylor Glacier in Antarctica, which survived without light or oxygen by transforming sulfur and iron compounds for growth. This unique ecosystem has the potential to explain how life might exist on other planets and serve as a model for life under ice.
Researchers linked pre-historic seismic events on the San Andreas Fault to assess likelihood of future great ruptures. Analysis suggests several events similar to a historical earthquake occurred since A.D. 900 on the southern San Andreas fault.
Scientists are conducting airborne field campaigns in the Arctic to study Greenland and Iceland ice sheets and their sea ice and glaciers. NASA's ICESat spacecraft is also completing a seasonal survey of the world's ice sheets to gauge changes in ice thickness and mass.
Researchers found that dust blown to Antarctica from Patagonia provides vital information about glacier activity and past climates. The study suggests that the coldest periods of the last ice age correspond with the dustiest periods in Antarctica's past.
Scientists use Autosub, a robot submarine, to map the seabed and underside of Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica. The mission aims to understand why the glacier is thinning and accelerating over recent decades.
A team of Yale scientists has discovered that a significant drop in CO2 levels triggered the rapid formation of massive ice sheets in Antarctica around 34 million years ago. The findings refute previous theories and suggest that a decline in greenhouse gases played a crucial role in shaping the climate during this period.
Research papers highlight the impact of melting glaciers and ice caps on sea levels, with a minimum of 180mm of rise expected in the next 100 years. Additionally, studies show the widening of the tropical belt due to human environmental effects and an underestimation of ozone abundance in the troposphere.
A Montana State University study has found that the coldest daily temperatures recorded in Bozeman, Mont., and Coldstream, British Columbia, have occurred less often over the past several decades. Extreme warm nighttime temperatures have become more frequent at a rate of about one percent per year or 10 percent per decade.
Recent research on Mars includes studies on the planet's geology and potential habitability. A new method for classifying Quaternary glacial deposits was also proposed by GSA Today's science article.
Scientists analyzed East/Japan Sea CO2 uptake, finding a surprising drop in recent years. Simulations also suggest large raindrops favor tornado formation. Remotely sensed dune celerity revealed the world's fastest moving dunes, while Martian craters indicate hidden ice deposits.
Researchers found evidence of increased greenhouse gases in ancient ice core records, suggesting that human influence on climate started with large-scale agriculture and deforestation. The study challenges the traditional view that the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of human-induced climate change.
Researchers monitoring Greenland's glaciers report a nearly three-fold increase in ice loss this summer compared to the previous record year. The total ice loss since 2000 is 10 times the size of Manhattan Island.
The USGS discusses prehistoric climate changes providing clues to future shifts and large deposits of gas hydrates on Alaska's North Slope. Holiday lights reveal the mineral composition behind their glow.
Research focuses on solar magnetic flux, which is linked to cosmic ray boosts. The study also investigates iceberg scrapes causing glacial quakes in Greenland. Additionally, scientists examine the renewed growth of atmospheric methane, which plays a significant role in ozone layer chemistry.
A rare mineral called nahcolite has been found to form only under high atmospheric CO2 levels, suggesting a possible benchmark for future climate change. The discovery is rooted in the Eocene Epoch, when CO2 levels were three times higher than current levels, and may signal an impending 'hothouse' climate by the end of the century.
Researchers using ground-penetrating radar on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have discovered vast Martian glaciers of water ice under protective blankets of rocky debris. The concealed glaciers extend for tens of miles and are up to one-half mile thick, making them the largest reservoir of water ice on Mars outside the polar caps.
Researchers found no radioactive signals in recent ice core samples from the Naimona'nyi glacier, suggesting that it has not accumulated new ice since 1944 and posing a threat to water supplies for half a billion people in Asia. The absence of these signals makes it challenging to date the ice cores and extract climate history.
Research reveals how intense glacial erosion changes the St. Elias mountain range's internal structure, responding to plate tectonics and climate change. The study provides new insights into the impact of glaciers on mountain formation and evolution.
A new NASA technique uses satellite data to measure changes in the mass of mountain glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska with unprecedented precision. The annual ice mass lost from glaciers has been found to be 84 gigatons annually, contributing nearly half as much freshwater melt as Greenland.
A genetic study found that Townsend's warblers have inherited mitochondrial DNA from hermit warblers, indicating interbreeding in the past. The DNA analysis suggests that natural selection drove hermits out of their range, leaving behind genetic fingerprints.
Researchers have developed a numerical model to recreate the Rhône Glacier's state in 1874 and predict its future evolution. The model predicts a significant increase in equilibrium line altitude due to climate change, leading to a 50% loss of volume by 2060 and complete disappearance by 2100.
New research suggests that glacial dams formed at the mouths of tributaries helped prevent the Tsangpo River from carving into the Tibetan Plateau. These dams, made of moraines and debris, flattened the river's slope and reduced its ability to cut into the surrounding terrain.
Most Alaskan glaciers are retreating and thinning, especially at lower elevations, while some are advancing, according to a comprehensive USGS study. The report uses satellite images and aerial photographs to document glacier behavior and distribution.
A team of researchers attributes the sudden thinning of Jakobshavn Isbræ, one of Greenland's largest glaciers, to subsurface ocean warming and atmospheric changes. The study suggests that ocean temperatures may play a more significant role in glacier flow than previously thought.
A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters shows that small coastal glaciers in Greenland are responsible for the majority of the island's recent ice loss. Researchers found that these smaller glaciers account for three times more ice loss than their larger counterparts.
A CU-Boulder team discovered how microbial life becomes established and flourishes in extreme environments, with three species of cyanobacteria colonizing soil within the first year. The diversity of bacteria increased significantly over four years, snatching gaseous forms of carbon and nitrogen from the atmosphere.