Articles tagged with Glaciers
Shrinking Andean glaciers pose a significant threat to the water supplies of 90 million people, with thinning rates 35% faster than the global average. Effective management of water resources and drastic reduction in carbon emissions are crucial to mitigate this impact.
An international team of glacier scientists has formed the Glacier Stewardship Program to address the challenges of glacier loss. The program aims to explore new technical approaches, mitigate impacts on communities, and establish a biobank to save glacier biodiversity.
Climate change impacts Arctic coastal ecosystems through melting glaciers, altering kelp growth and elemental composition. Kelps are highly susceptible to changes in run-off intensities, leading to increased metal concentrations and negative ecological consequences.
Researchers found that ancient glaciers carved deep into the Earth's crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry. This process created conditions that allowed complex life to evolve, with the influx of elements changing ocean chemistry at a critical time in evolution.
The 5th International Polar Year (IPY-5) aims to study the Arctic and work towards climate solutions. Research emphasizes science diplomacy and international cooperation to address the climate emergency.
Global glacier mass loss has increased by 36% since 2000, with 6,542 billion tons lost between 2000 and 2023. This results in an 18 mm annual contribution to global sea-level rise, making glaciers the second-largest contributor after ocean warming.
Since the turn of the millennium, glaciers worldwide have lost around 273 billion tonnes of ice per year, corresponding to about five and a half times the volume of Lake Constance. The loss of ice from glaciers has led to a rise in sea level of 18 millimetres, making it the second strongest driver of sea level rise after ocean warming.
Researchers discovered that Arctic glaciers are leaking significant amounts of methane through the 'glacial fracking' process. This previously unrecognised process could contribute to Arctic climate feedbacks and accelerate global warming.
Global glacier melt accelerated over the last decade, with a 36% increase in meltwater compared to the previous decade. This poses significant risks to drinking water supplies, particularly in South America and Asia due to rising sea levels and increased flooding after the melt season.
Researchers discovered that tiny algae on glacier ice can grow rapidly despite limited nutrients, darkening the surface and accelerating melting. This finding has significant implications for predicting climate change, as it highlights a potential positive feedback loop between warming and ice melt.
Researchers detect nanoplastic particles on glaciers in France, Italy, and Switzerland, suggesting sea pollution as the source. The concentrations of nanoplastics varied between locations, with wind direction affecting their accumulation.
A new study reveals that dust storms picking up black carbon from heavily-polluted areas and depositing it in the mountains darkens the ice and snow, causing it to melt faster. This regional environmental problem is a second, more local cause of glacier loss in the Himalayas.
Researchers generated a dataset of water flow beneath the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet, improving projections of sea level rise. The model predicts higher degrees of glacier melt and mass loss by the end of the century.
Scientists at KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed a refined method for measuring and predicting gravity changes as the Nordic region rises. The study found that the Ferroscandinavian peninsula's land mass is more dense than previously known, with an upper mantle density of approximately 3,546 kilograms per cubic meter.
Researchers developed a new algorithm that combines fibre optic data with traditional seismometer measurements to improve earthquake detection. The approach works well even in noisy environments and can be applied to any fibre network, enabling more detailed and effective seismic monitoring networks.
A new study reveals that glacier speed varies on a daily basis due to changes in air temperature, rainfall, and tides. The research found acceleration events coinciding with high temperatures or heavy rainfall, highlighting the complex interactions between environmental factors and glacial dynamics.
A collaborative effort investigates the Sikkim Himalaya flood, exploring its drivers, causes, and downstream impacts. The research aims to inform disaster risk reduction and build resilience in vulnerable regions.
A new study projects global sea-level rise between 0.5 and 1.9 meters by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario, with the very likely range being 90% probability for the event to occur. The fusion approach combines strengths of existing models with expert opinions, offering a clearer picture of future sea-level rise.
A new study has revealed the alarming extent to which glaciers have shrunk over the past 40 years in Svalbard, with an area loss of over 800 km² detected. The research found that more than half of the glaciers undergo seasonal cycles in glacier calving, highlighting the vulnerability of these ice masses to climate change.
Researchers at Iowa State University have rewritten the equation for deformation and flow of watery glacier ice, which could lead to more accurate models predicting sea-level rise. The new value of the stress exponent 'n' is 1.0, indicating a linear relationship between stress and deformation speed.
A recent Colorado State University study demonstrates that climate change can affect earthquake frequency, as glaciers recede and slip along faults increases. This suggests that earthquake activity could increase as glaciers melt, impacting hazard assessment and seismology.
A new study suggests that glacial rivers and lakes can consume large amounts of methane being flushed from under melting glaciers, reducing atmospheric methane emissions. This natural process, called oxidation, has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change by up to 53%.
Mother seals prefer stable, slower-moving bergs for giving birth and caring for newborn pups, while in the molting season, they favor speedier ice near the best foraging grounds. This study sheds light on how climate change affects harbor seal distribution and behavior.
A team of scientists, including Binghamton University's Molly Patterson, is drilling into the Ross Ice Shelf to retrieve geological records and gain insights into the ice sheet's response to global warming. The project aims to provide crucial data for adapting to sea-level rise and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
A new study suggests that increased snowfall has protected Patagonia's glaciers from rising temperatures, but this effect is temporary and will cease if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Curb emissions at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to protect maritime glaciers.
Geology researchers from UTEP are partnering with Bhutanese scientists to better understand and mitigate the impact of glacial floods on rural mountain villages. The project aims to use geophysical methods to identify changes in water levels and sediment transport, potentially helping vulnerable villages create early warning systems.
A computer modeling study found that glacial isostatic adjustment caused downward movements in the eastern US, while upward movements occurred in eastern Canada, contributing to relative sea-level rise. The research will help generate maps for aquifer management and inform decisions on sea-level rise impacts.
The Open Radar Code Architecture (ORCA) offers scientists a standardized way to build ice-penetrating radar systems, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. This enables glaciologists to collect and reuse data more effectively, advancing research into melting ice sheets and sea-level rise.
A research team led by Dr. Franco Marcantonio found significant lead pollution in a Tibetan glacier starting in 1974, with highest levels between 2000 and 2007. The team traced the source of pollution to Chinese gasoline emissions containing lead until its phasedown after 2007.
Researchers have confirmed that El Niño causes a drastic reduction in the snow-covered area of the Quelccaya Ice Cap in the Peruvian Andes. The study used NASA Landsat satellites to measure the ice cap's sensitivity to climate shifts, finding that it lost about 58% of its snow cover between 1985 and 2022.
The SUPERSLUG initiative aims to forecast the impact of sediment slugs on river catchments and communities. The project will use a range of sensors and numerical models to provide comprehensive predictions of where and how long-term effects might be felt, up to decades or centuries after an event.
Researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute found that atmospheric blocking slowed the melting of Greenland's 79° N Glacier by cooling Atlantic seawater flowing into its cavern. This change had significant implications for the future of Greenland's glaciers, as warmer ocean temperatures typically accelerate ice melting.
European atmospheric blocking has slowed glacial melt at Greenland's Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Glacier by cooling subsurface waters from 2018 to 2021. The findings highlight the importance of regional atmospheric dynamics in glacier stability, which is crucial for predicting future glacier behavior.
A landslide in remote Greenland caused a mega-tsunami that sloshed back and forth across a fjord for nine days, generating vibrations throughout the Earth. The study used mathematical models to recreate the event and demonstrate how the sloshing of water would have continued, matching global seismic recordings.
A Dartmouth-led study projects that Antarctica's glaciers will rapidly retreat and potentially collapse by 2200, increasing global sea levels by up to 5.5 feet by 2300. The researchers used 16 ice-sheet models to refine the projection of ice loss over the next 300 years.
Five boulders in northern New York and Vermont provide limits on earthquake shaking intensity. The age of the rock formations indicates how long it's been since a region experienced that level of shaking.
A new study has reconstructed virus DNA from glacial ice cores, revealing nearly 1,700 viral species with adaptations that influenced their hosts' survival in extreme conditions. The findings suggest a connection between viruses and climate change, shedding light on the impact of global temperature shifts.
A new study led by Dartmouth researchers questions the rapid polar ice collapse model used in the IPCC's sixth assessment report. The team found that the expected rate of retreat is significantly lower than predicted, making the worst-case scenario less likely, but still dire due to ongoing ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica.
A new study reveals Andean tropical glaciers are the smallest in over 11,700 years due to increasing temperatures and human-induced climate change. This region is a hot spot for understanding the cryosphere's changing state, with implications for higher-latitude glaciers.
The UT Austin expedition aims to investigate how sediments control glacial melt and the future of the Greenland ice sheet. A robotic submersible will gather measurements of the glaciers' underwater walls and sediment-laden meltwater, while surveys and sediment cores will reveal past climate change impacts.
Researchers deployed an unmanned submarine 'Ran' under thick ice in Antarctica, revealing high-resolution maps of the glacier's underside. The findings indicate that stronger underwater currents and flowing water influence the melting process, with complex patterns and formations resembling sand dunes.
A research team deployed an unmanned submersible to map the underside of a floating ice shelf in Antarctica, revealing high melt rates and unique patterns. The findings raise questions about current models for predicting sea level rise.
Researchers found that specific basidiomycete yeasts play a key role in stabilizing assimilated carbon, enriching organic carbon content. Glacial recession exposes new landscapes with limited contact with air, light, and nutrients, making them ideal for studying soil formation.
Researchers found that glacier loss on Juneau Icefield accelerated dramatically since 2010, with rates of glacier area shrinkage five times faster from 2015-2019. The study suggests that current glacier projections may be too small and underestimate future glacier melt.
In a study published in PNAS, researchers found that microscopic fungi play a key role in enhancing soil carbon storage in newly formed landscapes created by shrinking Arctic glaciers. The team discovered diverse communities of microbes thriving in the barren soils, and pioneer fungi sequester carbon in the soil.
Researchers from the Mann Research Group found strong path dependence in Plio-Pleistocene glaciations, driven by a gradual decrease in regolith and volcanic outgassing. The study suggests that carbon dioxide levels determine the onset of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, and that it's not too late to act to prevent ice sheet collapse.
A study by MIT scientists found that microscopic defects in the ice shape how massive glaciers flow, leading to revised predictions of future sea-level rise. The researchers developed a model to estimate an icy region's sensitivity to stress, directly relating it to its likelihood of flowing.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have tracked the evolution of glaciers in East Antarctica using hundreds of old aerial photographs dating back to 1937. The study reveals that the ice has remained stable and grown slightly over almost a century, partly due to increasing snowfall.
Warm seawater is pumping underneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, causing ice to melt intensely and leading to devastating sea level rise. Researchers predict the glacier may retreat into the deeper part of the basin within 10-20 years, accelerating glacier melt and impacting coastal communities worldwide.
New research reveals that ice shelves don't just buckle, but fracture when weighed down by meltwater lakes. This fracturing could cause vulnerable ice shelves to collapse and contribute to sea level rise.
Researchers at UTA used ultra-high energy neutrino particles to search for signatures of quantum gravity, but found no evidence of expected quantum gravitational effects. This non-observation represents a powerful statement about the still-unknown physics operating at the interface of quantum physics and general relativity.
A team of over 100 scientists from Brazil and the US ran high-resolution simulations of South America's past and future climate using a weather research and forecasting model. The goal is to better understand hydroclimatic processes and inform adaptation measures for millions affected by climate change.
A new study reveals that meandering ocean currents and the ocean floor induce upwelling velocity, transporting warm water to shallower depths, contributing to rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves. This process poses a significant threat to coastal communities worldwide due to rising global sea levels.
Climate change causes melting of ice sheet, resulting in loss of about 5,000 meteorites per year. Researchers call for urgent action to preserve the scientific value of meteorites and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Research on South Georgia reveals that invasive species are colonizing newly exposed ground as glaciers retreat due to climate change. This process allows exotic plants and animals to rapidly adapt and spread across the island.
The 79° N-Glacier in Greenland has lost over 160 meters of thickness since 1998, with melt rates reaching 130 meters per year. The glacier's instability is attributed to warm ocean currents and atmospheric warming, threatening sea level rise.
Researchers at UC Irvine and NASA found that warm ocean water beneath the ice is causing accelerated melting of Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland. The study predicts that potential sea level rise will be much worse than previously estimated, with melt rates highest near the mouth of the grounding zone cavity.
A study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans has provided new insights into ocean circulation patterns around glaciers, which can enhance the accuracy of climate models. The research used GPS-tracked icebergs to track hourly changes in their position as they passed through Greenland's Ilulissat Icefjord.
As glaciers shrink due to global warming, glacier-fed streams are becoming warmer, calmer, and clearer, allowing algae and microorganisms to thrive. This shift is leading to a 'green transition' in these ecosystems, with potential impacts on carbon and nutrient cycles.
A young researcher from the University of Copenhagen has made a surprising discovery of high concentrations of methane in meltwater from three Canadian mountain glaciers. The findings challenge previous assumptions that methane in meltwater could only be found in oxygen-free environments under large ice masses.