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Wildfire -- it's not spreading like wildfire

A new analysis of global data reveals that global area burned has seen an overall slight decline over past decades, with around 4% of the global land surface affected by vegetation fires each year. The researchers also found that there is increasing evidence that there is less fire in the global landscape today than centuries ago.

SourceSwansea University·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (B )·DateMay 24, 2016

Geothermal heat contributes to Greenland ice melt

A recent study by University of Montana researcher Jesse Johnson reveals that geothermal heat enhances rapid ice flow and subglacial melting in northern Greenland. The research, published in Nature Geoscience, identifies a west-to-east zone with anomalously high heat that drives widespread melting and rapid ice flow.

SourceThe University of Montana·JournalNature Geoscience·DateApr 6, 2016

Permafrost soil: Possible source of abrupt rise in greenhouse gases at end of last Ice Age

Researchers found that thawing Arctic permafrost soil may have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere around 14,600 years ago. The study suggests that this process could have amplified initial warming through positive feedback, similar to current effects of permafrost thawing in Siberia.

Global warming greatest in past decade

Researchers confirm that surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were warmer over the last 10 years than any time during the last 1300 years. The study uses a variety of proxy data, including tree rings, marine and lake sediment cores, ice cores, and coral cores, to derive a long-term temperature record.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 1, 2008

Permanent ice fields are resisting global warming

Researchers found that high-altitude ice fields, like Mont Blanc and Dôme du Goûter, have remained stable in mass balance over the last 100 years. The accumulation of snow and ice has varied little since the beginning of the 20th century, indicating a lack of significant melting due to climate change.

SourceCNRS·DateMay 16, 2007