Articles tagged with Ice Sheets
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Researchers used ICESat-2 to track changes in ice sheet elevation over 16 years, finding significant losses in West Antarctica and Greenland's shrinking ice sheet, responsible for 14 millimeters of sea level rise. The study also reveals complex patterns of change in individual glaciers and ice shelves.
Researchers propose that catastrophic outburst floods, triggered by warm periods, carved Greenland's megacanyon over time. The floods are believed to have occurred hundreds of times, carving the Grand Canyon and influencing ocean circulation and present-day ice-sheet stability.
The study found that Greenland's ice sheet lost an average of 200 gigatons of ice per year, and Antarctica's ice sheet lost an average of 118 gigatons of ice per year. This resulted in a global sea level rise of 0.55 inches (14 millimeters) since 2003.
A team of scientists proposes that catastrophic outburst floods carved Greenland's megacanyon network, influenced by large meltwater-filled lakes. The study suggests that these floods could have impacted ocean circulation and caused abrupt climate changes with regional significance.
The study found that exceptional atmospheric circulation patterns contributed significantly to the record ice loss, which may be underestimated by current climate models. The lack of snowfall and resulting clear skies led to increased melting and runoff, resulting in a sea level rise of about 1.5 millimeters.
Scientists have found that liquid meltwater from Greenland's glaciers can flow deep below the ice sheet during winter, raising questions about sea-level rise and future climate change. This discovery highlights the need for year-round Arctic hydrological investigations to understand how meltwater moves through the ice sheet.
Researchers unveil a new slip law to describe glaciers sliding on soft, deformable material, improving models of fast-flowing, marine-terminating glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. This development enhances the understanding of glacier movement and parameterization for better sea-level rise estimations.
Researchers have assessed East Antarctica's Denman Glacier, which has retreated 5 kilometers, and found alarming clues about its condition. The glacier's potential impact on long-term sea level rise is significant due to its sheer size.
A study by University of Melbourne researchers found that increased tilt angle of the Earth's axis triggers warmer summers, melting Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and ending ice ages. The team used stalagmites and ocean sediment records to determine the age of two terminations around 960,000 years ago.
Algae found in glaciers thrive under extreme conditions, absorbing UV light and producing energy to drive surface melt. Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet accelerates surface melt, with algal biomass contributing to its melt, according to a new study.
New research reveals how glacier algae thrive in extreme icy environments and cause widespread darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The algae produce a phenolic pigment that captures sunlight energy for melt generation, driving surface melt increases by up to 10%.
The 'Antarctica Factor' study reveals that Antarctic ice-loss is the greatest risk and uncertainty for global sea-levels, with a possible contribution of up to 58 cm within this century. The range of estimates is quite large, from 6-58 cm, but the results are robust due to the large number of ice sheet modeling groups involved.
Researchers found that temperatures exceeding present levels longer than during past interglacials suggest the Greenland Ice Sheet's fate is influenced by duration of warming. The study suggests a possible threshold for significant GIS retreat may be less than 1 °C above current levels.
Climate scientists continue to face uncertainties in predicting ice sheet melt rates, which directly impact sea-level rise projections. Recent research highlights the need for improved observations and computer models to refine these estimates and inform climate adaptation efforts.
Satellite data shows Greenland's glaciers have retreated about 3 miles between 1985 and 2018, with the rate of ice calving beginning to accelerate in 2000. This imbalance is causing the glacier to lose mass faster than snow can replace it.
The Greenland ice sheet has lost 3.8 trillion tonnes of ice since 1992, with the rate of ice loss increasing seven-fold over three decades. The study's findings show that the ice sheet is tracking the IPCC's high-end climate warming scenario, predicting 40 million people will be exposed to coastal flooding by 2100.
Researchers report rapid draining of a lake on the Greenland Ice Sheet, altering ice dynamics. Partial drainage events deliver large volumes of water to the bed in under 5 hours.
Research suggests oxygenated ocean waters existed during the 'Snowball Earth' ice ages, allowing aerobic eukaryotes to survive. Iron isotope ratios and cerium anomalies in iron formations indicate input from oxygenated meltwater from the ice sheet base.
Researchers found significant changes in Antarctica's ice shelf thickness, causing ice to flow into the ocean. Thinning ice shelves result in a significant instantaneous response to ice flow and ongoing mass loss, affecting global sea levels.
Researchers use drones to observe fracture formation on Greenland Ice Sheet, finding that meltwater causes formation of new fractures and expansion of dormant ones. The study shows how these chain reactions can trigger catastrophic lake drainages, with significant effects on the ice sheet's instability.
More than half of identified climate tipping points are now active, threatening the Amazon rainforest and ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. The scientists call for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent key tipping points, warning of a worst-case scenario of a less habitable planet.
Researchers are studying ice loss on Greenland's Helheim glacier to better predict sea-level rise. The four-year project brings together experts in geology, atmospheric science, and oceanography to investigate the complex processes driving glacier melting.
A £4 million EU-funded study is investigating the likelihood of abrupt changes in Antarctica's ice sheets, which could lead to a large and irreversible rise in global sea levels. The researchers aim to assess the chances of Antarctica's ice sheets entering an unstable retreat caused by thinning or disappearance of ice shelves.
Researchers studying glacier algae in the Greenland Ice Sheet found that purple-pigmented ice algal blooms cause increased melting by darkening the surface and absorbing more sunlight. The project aims to understand the complex interactions between light-absorbing particulates and predict where and when biological darkening will occur.
A €11 million ERC grant will study the role of glacier algae in darkening the Greenland Ice Sheet surface, affecting sea level rise predictions. The research aims to understand how biological darkening occurs and where it will occur in the future.
New research reveals that warm ocean water is attacking the undersides of Antarctica's ice shelves, weakening their edges and making them more vulnerable to breakup. This process can lead to increased rates of sea-level rise, as ice on land flows quickly into the ocean.
A study has mapped over 65,000 supraglacial lakes on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, revealing a more extensive presence than previously thought. The findings suggest that East Antarctica may be more susceptible to the effects of a warming climate.
A CU Boulder-led study finds that thick ice slabs in Greenland are sending meltwater spilling into the ocean, contributing to sea-level rise. The runoff zone could expand by the size of Colorado or Texas under different climate scenarios, raising seas by an extra quarter inch to nearly three inches.
Researchers studying the Ross Ice Shelf's paleo-pinning points aim to understand how and why it unpinned from Ross Bank. The study focuses on a crucial 30-year period, with data collection set for January 2021 in Antarctic waters.
Researchers have digitized vintage film showing Thwaites Glacier's ice shelf is being thawed by a warming ocean more quickly than expected. This finding contributes to predictions for sea-level rise that would impact coastal communities worldwide.
A USF-led team studied geological formations in a coastal cave to understand past sea level rise. They found that 3-4 million years ago, global mean sea level was 16 meters higher than present, with potential implications for current-day sea level rise.
A team of scientists discovered geologic evidence in a Mallorcan cave showing sea levels were 16 meters higher than present day 4 million years ago. The findings provide insights into past global sea level rise and implications for predicting current-day rise amid a warming climate.
New discoveries at Cooper's Ferry site suggest humans occupied western Idaho by nearly 16,500 years ago. The findings support a Pacific coastal migration route and contradict the traditional 'ice-free corridor' hypothesis.
A world-leading team reveals ice sheets are no longer passive parts of the Earth's carbon cycle, but reactors that process rock and boost nutrient release. Ice sheets store vast amounts of organic carbon, fuel marine food webs, and influence global carbon sinks.
A new study suggests that artificially pumping ocean water onto coastal regions surrounding the West Antarctic ice sheet could stabilize it, but at great cost. The approach would require a minimum of 7,400 gigatons of artificial snowfall over 10 years to achieve a two-to-five-centimeter sea level drop.
A team of scientists suggests pumping ocean water onto glaciers in West Antarctica to prevent long-term sea level rise. The plan involves distributing the water with snow cannons, but poses significant environmental and engineering challenges.
Scientists found that ice on Greenland's ice sheet slides across hard bedrock at high speeds, moving more ice than previously thought to the ocean. This discovery suggests the ice sheet can efficiently respond to climate change and potentially increase melting.
Scientists have made significant advancements in measuring global ice sheet mass using satellite imaging and remote sensing equipment, allowing for greater detail than ever before. This improves the connection between climate variations and ice mass changes over time.
Large ensembles of Antarctic ice sheet simulations show increased uncertainty in sea level projections. Marine ice sheet instability amplifies and skews uncertainty in projected sea level rise.
Scientists have discovered 56 new subglacial lakes in Greenland, expanding our knowledge of lake distribution and behavior under the ice sheet. The newly identified lakes are relatively stable but may become active as climate change causes surface meltwater to form lakes and streams.
Clouds play a crucial role in projecting future Greenland ice sheet melt, with high emission scenarios showing the most significant uncertainty. The study found that clouds can increase or decrease sea level rise by up to 11 cm within the next thousand years.
A new study predicts that Greenland's ice sheet could lose up to 25% of its ice by 3000, contributing up to 6.5 feet of sea level rise if greenhouse gas emissions are cut significantly.
A new modeling study published in Science Advances predicts that melting at the present rate could contribute 19-63 inches of global sea level rise, exceeding previous estimates of up to 35 inches. The study's updated model accurately represents outlet glacier flow and shows that limiting emissions could limit ice loss to 8-25 percent.
An international team of scientists used structured expert judgment to estimate plausible ranges for future sea level rise from melting ice sheets. Their findings suggest that coastal communities should not rule out the possibility of 21st-century SLR in excess of two metres when developing adaptation strategies.
A Japanese team analyzed sediment cores from Northwestern Australia to understand past climate variability and sea-level change. The results indicate that the global ice sheet changed on a shorter timescale than previously thought, revealing short-period ice-sheet dynamics during the last ice age.
Researchers found that accounting for the grounding line's interaction with the solid earth reveals a delayed ice sheet collapse, slowing glacier retreat at major ice structures like Thwaites Glacier. This reduces sea level rise projections by over 25%. Fine-scale feedbacks improve predictions and guide future research.
Researchers reconstructed Greenland Ice Sheet mass changes from 1972 to 2018 using data on ice velocity, thickness, and surface elevation. The study found a significant increase in ice loss, with an average of 290 Gt per year during 2010-2018, contributing to a 13.7 mm rise in global sea level.
Genomic data from two hickory species suggests that one species survived in a northern microrefuge and expanded to its current range from a southern origin. Phylogeography analysis indicates that the species retreated southward as ice sheets advanced, aiding climate shift responses.
Researchers have discovered that tall ice-cliffs on glaciers can trigger massive calving events, which could lead to rapid sea-level rise. The study found that cliffs over 100 meters high are most susceptible to slumping, a process that accelerates calving without waiting for the melting of the front.
A new study finds that rain is becoming increasingly common over parts of the Greenland ice sheet, triggering sudden melting events. The researchers estimate that nearly a third of total runoff is initiated by rainfall, leading to more widespread future melting.
A new satellite mission has captured precise data on the elevation of the Antarctic ice sheet, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool for long-term monitoring efforts. The Sentinel-3 satellite's performance over ice sheets shows promise in detecting areas where the ice surface is rapidly lowering.
Researchers at Brown University found that the movement of Greenland's snowline plays a crucial role in controlling the rate of ice melt. The study showed that changes in snowline elevation explained more than half of the annual radiation variability on the ice sheet, highlighting its importance in determining melting rates.
A new study simulates the effects of melting ice sheets on ocean temperatures and circulation patterns, as well as air temperatures, by 2100. The research predicts significant disruptions to ocean currents and increased warming around the world.
A new subterranean species of dipluran was discovered in a cave on Vancouver Island, Canada. The species, named Haplocampa wagnelli, has characteristics that suggest it may not be exclusively underground.
Researchers found that the Greenland ice sheet was more sensitive to warming in the past million years, and that geothermal heat beneath the ice sheet played a crucial role in its formation and melting. The team's hypothesis suggests that past geological changes can help predict future ice sheet behavior.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet's growth and decay are linked to changes in obliquity and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Loss of sea ice could amplify the effects of Earth's astronomical motions on the ice sheet's stability.
Researchers found that subglacial biological activity impacts atmosphere far more than previously thought. Methane was continuously exported from beneath the ice, with at least six tons transported to a measuring site from the Greenland Ice Sheet alone.
A new study by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reveals that sea levels are rising faster in some U.S. East Coast regions compared to others, primarily due to post-glacial rebound. The research team found that when post-glacial rebound was stripped away, sea level trends increased steadily from Maine to Florida, indicating the impa...
A new study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers found that ozone depletion above Antarctica increases snowfall, partially offsetting the continent's ice sheet mass loss. However, the gains in snowfall are outpaced by an even greater ice loss rate due to warming oceans.
Research shows Greenland's surface melting has increased dramatically since the mid-19th century, with a 50% increase in total ice sheet meltwater runoff versus the start of the industrial era. This study provides evidence that climate change is driving unprecedented rates of ice sheet melting, which could accelerate sea level rise.