Articles tagged with Ice Sheets
Research reveals that Greenland's coastal ice caps experienced growth rather than shrinkage during past periods of warming. This study provides a new perspective on climate change, highlighting the complex relationship between climate conditions and ice cap changes across different regions of the Arctic.
Scientists have imaged fine-scale landforms within ancient glacial channels in the North Sea, revealing how water moved through the channels and even how ice stagnated and melted away. The findings provide clues to how ice sheets react to a warming climate and offer insights into future changes in ice sheet behavior.
A Princeton University-led research team discovered that water blisters on the surface of Greenland's high-elevation ice sheet can estimate transmissivity, a property characterizing the efficiency of water networks between ice and bedrock. The study found that transmissivity can increase by two orders of magnitude during the summer mel...
Researchers observed a 'warming bias' in the Earth's ancient history, with more warming events and greater temperature shifts than cooling events. The study suggests that a multiplier effect may kick back in as ice sheets disappear, leading to further amplification of human-induced global warming.
A decline in atmospheric CO2 played a major role in driving Earth's climate from a warm greenhouse into a cold icehouse world around 34 million years ago. Land temperatures cooled by about 3C alongside ocean temperatures, and only climate models with declining CO2 could reproduce this cooling.
Scientists at Stanford University have developed a technique using solar radio signals to measure the depth of ice sheets and glaciers, which could lead to large-scale insight into melting ice sheets and sea-level rise. The passive radar system uses naturally occurring radio waves from the sun to detect changes in ice thickness.
Scientists use NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite 2 to map subglacial lakes under the West Antarctic ice sheet. The study reveals two new lakes and provides critical insight into freshwater exchange, which may alter ocean circulation and ecosystems.
Scientists discovered that changes in Earth's orbit allowed for ice-free regions to develop on 'Snowball Earth', enabling periodic survival of animal life. The research found evidence of iron-rich sedimentary rocks forming in the icy ocean near colossal ice sheets, providing a sanctuary for complex multicellular life.
A new study suggests that ice sheet thickness and the rate of calved icebergs limit the collapse of marine-terminating glaciers. Understanding this process is crucial for forecasting potential future sea level rise.
Simulations show domino effects at up to 2°C global warming, increasing risk of irreversible climate change. Rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions is indispensable to limit risks of crossing tipping points.
Researchers found significant amounts of mercury in meltwater rivers from Greenland's glaciers, with concentrations comparable to industrial China. The discovery highlights the need for rethinking conservation measures and management strategies to address mercury pollution.
Researchers discovered high concentrations of mercury in Greenland glacial meltwaters, exceeding typical river levels by up to 1500 times. This finding raises questions about the impact of glacial melting on aquatic ecosystems and food chains.
Researchers discovered high concentrations of mercury in Greenland glacial meltwaters, comparable to those found in industrial China. This finding raises concerns about the impact on coastal ecosystems and the seafood industry, which is a significant export for Greenland.
Researchers have successfully detected groundwater beneath Hiawatha Glacier in Greenland using airborne ice-penetrating radar. The discovery could greatly impact sea-level rise projections by enabling the study of water flow through ice sheets at a continental scale.
The central-western Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate, with early warning signals suggesting a critical transition. The melt-elevation feedback mechanism drives this destabilization, indicating significantly enhanced melting in the near future.
An analysis of the Central-Western Greenland ice sheet reveals distinct marks of instability due to accelerated melting. The study suggests that this part of the ice sheet has reached a critical threshold, leading to severe consequences for global sea level and climate.
Researchers detected new early-warning signals indicating the Greenland Ice Sheet's destabilization and potential melting at limited warming levels. The study suggests that a tipping point is approaching in the central-western part of the ice sheet, which could lead to substantial long-term sea level rise.
A weather pattern known as atmospheric blocking causes reduced snowfall in Greenland, exposing older, darker snow that absorbs more heat. This results in faster melting of the ice sheet, with a potential impact of up to 25 gigatons of lost ice over three years.
Researchers used fibre-optic sensing to obtain highly detailed temperature measurements from the surface of the ice sheet to its base, revealing a heterogeneous temperature distribution. This finding contradicts previous theories and highlights limitations in current models, including those predicting global sea-level rise.
A new study suggests that the Antarctic ice sheet was more unstable in the past than previously thought, with fluctuations in its area causing significant changes in deep-sea temperatures. This can lead to a chain reaction of climate change, accelerating further ice loss and increasing rainfall on Antarctica.
A study analyzing hydrogen isotopic composition of marine sediments found interglacial summer warmth influences Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) retreat more strongly than maximum temperatures. This research suggests persistently high summer temperatures will be more harmful to the ice sheet's long-term stability under climate change.
A new University at Buffalo study uses ocean-bottom sediments to learn about ancient summer temperatures in southern Greenland, revealing that prolonged warmth may be disastrous for the Greenland Ice Sheet. The findings hold a message of caution as the world warms again today, with potential long-lasting effects on Earth's temperature.
A collaborative research project published in Nature offers the most complete sea-level rise projections created to date, with Antarctica remaining a wild card. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures could cut projected 21st century sea-level rise from land ice in half.
A new study reveals that rapid methane release occurs in response to Arctic ice sheet melting, with thousands of years of data showing a correlation between deglaciation events and methane emissions. The research suggests that the release of this potent greenhouse gas is strongly linked to the retreat of ice sheets.
New research suggests that reversing global warming quickly enough can prevent abrupt and irreversible changes triggered by climate tipping points. The study found that thresholds could be temporarily exceeded without permanent shifts, providing a lifeline to avoid dangerous climate change.
Researchers at Stanford University used a new approach to analyze radar data to show that extreme melt events can create persistent structural changes in the ice sheet, reducing its ability to store meltwater. This change can lead to slippery conditions on the ice bed and speed up the ice sheet's melting.
Researchers at UMass Amherst used a novel approach to model ancient Antarctic ice sheets, revealing a thick but diminished ice sheet under mid-Miocene warmest conditions. The study suggests that greater precipitation led to a thickening of the ice sheet's interior regions, with potential implications for future sea level rise.
A new study suggests that 34% of Antarctic ice shelves could disappear by the end of the century if the planet warms up by 4°C. The melting could lead to a significant rise in sea levels, threatening coastal regions worldwide.
A recent study by Durham University reveals that the rapid sea-level rise at the end of the last ice age was primarily caused by the melting of ice sheets in North America and Scandinavia. This finding, which challenges previous theories, provides valuable insights into the complex interactions between ice-ocean-climate systems.
The SIIOS team successfully tested its technology on Greenland's surface, detecting seismic waves comparable to those from ground-based seismometers. The findings could aid NASA's future missions to Europa and Enceladus, where subsurface liquid oceans are believed to exist.
Researchers find fossilized plant structures at the bottom of a 4560-foot-deep ice core, indicating that most of Greenland was ice-free within the last million years. The discovery highlights the vulnerability of the Greenland ice sheet to climate warming and sea-level rise, posing a significant threat to coastal cities worldwide.
A model study suggests that abrupt shifts in ocean currents could occur decades before anticipated due to rate-induced tipping. This could lead to drastic changes in agriculture, biodiversity, and the economy. The findings highlight fundamental limitations in climate predictability and emphasize the need to limit CO2 emissions.
Researchers propose new model to accurately represent iceberg melt speed, with implications for oceanographers and climate scientists. Icebergs do not melt uniformly but at different speeds depending on shape.
A new study shows that rapid ice melt in the Arctic during the last deglaciation parallels current melt rates, raising concerns about climate change. The research used marine sediment cores to reconstruct the state of the environment 20,000-10,000 years ago and found a consistent correlation between global warming and ice sheet retreat.
The Earth lost 28 trillion tonnes of ice between 1994 and 2017, equivalent to a sheet of ice 100m thick covering the UK. The rate of ice loss has increased markedly over the past three decades, driven by warming oceans and atmosphere.
Phosphorus-containing minerals from wind-blown dust fuel algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet, darkening the surface and contributing to increased melting. The blooms, particularly in the Dark Zone, have significant implications for future ice sheet melting and sea level rise.
Researchers found that 74 glaciers in deep valleys accounted for nearly half of Greenland's total ice loss between 1992 and 2017. Warming coastal waters accelerate undercutting, a process where warm water melts the ice from below, causing glaciers to break apart more quickly.
Rutgers scientists found that bacteria cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in meltwater streams on the Greenland ice sheet. This process can be incorporated into climate models for more accurate melting predictions.
The study highlights a significant difference in ice shelf collapse between two glaciers in Greenland. Warming subsurface ocean water may be the culprit behind the rapid mass loss of the Zachariae Isstrøm glacier.
Scientists analyzed 141 outlet glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet to predict how far thinning may spread along their flow lines. Glaciers flowing over gentle slopes could have a greater impact on sea-level rise due to their ability to let thinning expand hundreds of kilometers inland.
A new assessment suggests sea level rise could be higher than current estimates by 2100 due to uncertainties in ice sheet dynamics and warming oceans. Scientists identify key areas of research needed to improve models and predictions, including better mapping of glacier ground and improved coupling of atmosphere-ocean-ice sheet models.
Research reveals Greenland outlet glaciers are halted by knickpoints, stabilizing areas that prevent coastal thinning from reaching inland. However, vulnerable northwest Greenland glaciers could contribute to sea level rise in the next 100 years due to flat bedrock.
A new study predicts a 60% greater melting of the Greenland ice sheet than previously predicted, leading to a 18 cm sea level rise by 2100. The MAR model suggests that increased Arctic warming will contribute significantly to this melting.
Researchers at Tohoku University have discovered a mantle plume beneath central Greenland that melts the ice from below, bolstering understanding of volcanic activities and global sea-level rising.
A new study warns that the Greenland ice sheet will experience irreversible melting if global warming exceeds 2°C, leading to significant sea-level rise and permanent changes. The ice sheet's decline could be reversed with actions to counteract global warming before it's too late.
Researchers found that the ice masses of East Antarctica could be less stable than thought, and a rise in global sea level threatens coastal areas. The study's findings indicate that the formation of large glaciers in the northern hemisphere contributed to the ice sheet's stability.
A new study by McGill University researchers demonstrates that changes in the Antarctic ice sheet were driven by melting ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere. The team used numerical modeling and geological records to simulate simultaneous changes in sea levels and ice dynamics, revealing a complex connection between the two hemispheres.
A team of scientists found that melting ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere caused changes in the Antarctic ice sheet, which are thousands of miles away. This study sheds light on how global warming affects ice sheet stability and provides insight into future climate instability.
Researchers found that subglacial lakes and rivers release significant amounts of trace elements, exceeding oceanic and riverine concentrations. These findings suggest that ice sheets play a key role in regional nutrient mobilization, with implications for climate change and the global carbon cycle.
Researchers reconstructed atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, global sea level, and ice volume for a period around 2.75 to 2.4 million years ago. The study highlights the EAIS's vulnerability to melting due to rising atmospheric CO2 levels and climate change.
Research on ice sheet weathering reveals that meltwaters from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets contain higher concentrations of key trace elements than typical rivers. This suggests long water residence times or increased weathering of minerals underlying the ice sheets, potentially affecting local marine environments.
Researchers found subglacial waters in Antarctica and Greenland have higher concentrations of essential trace elements, challenging scientists' understanding of the Earth's geochemical processes. These discoveries may significantly impact the development of healthy ecosystems and the ocean waters receiving ice sheet meltwater.
Researchers discovered moulins in Greenland ice sheet are much larger than previously thought, with extra volume influencing the ice sheet's stability and movement towards the sea. The study's findings add to knowledge of how meltwater interacts with the base of the ice sheet.
Researchers at Hokkaido University have discovered a possible 1,000-kilometer-long river running deep beneath Greenland's ice sheet. The study suggests that if the valley is open and melting increases, water could flow freely through it, potentially altering future climate change predictions.
A new international study by Monash University reveals that Antarctica's ice loss is expected to continue unabated for a long time, even if climate change is brought under control. The study found that rapid ice loss rates in the recent geological past were similar to those observed in rapidly changing parts of Antarctica today.
A multiorganizational collaboration of climate modelers, ice core scientists, and paleoclimate researchers contributed to a study forecasting significant ice loss in Greenland. The team used ice sheet modeling to reconstruct the ancient climate and projected the ice sheet's future into 2100.
Researchers found that recurrent ice discharges from the Cordilleran ice sheet in the North Pacific contributed to global climate disturbances, including changes in deep ocean circulation and retreat of ice sheets in the North Atlantic. The study challenges theories that these events originated in the North Atlantic.
A new study finds that Greenland's rate of ice loss in the 21st century could be greater than anything seen in the past 12,000 years due to human activities. The research uses ice sheet modeling and ancient climate reconstructions to understand the past, present, and future of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
A new study suggests that Southeast Asian island-building reduced carbon dioxide levels and cooled Earth over 15 million years, allowing large ice sheets to form in North America and Northern Europe. This process, triggered by volcanic rocks dissolving carbon dioxide, is believed to have played a crucial role in the formation of the Gr...
A new climate modeling study simulates the dramatic impacts of accelerated Antarctic ice melt on future climate conditions. The research reveals that higher greenhouse gas emissions could slow warming around Antarctica, but may not prevent serious warming and sea level rise globally.