Articles tagged with Antarctica
A new study by an international team of scientists has found that Antarctica's biodiversity and conservation management are similar to those globally. Despite some areas of improvement, such as invasive species management, overall progress is lagging behind global targets.
Scientists at NASA and NSIDC report record low wintertime maximum extent of Arctic sea ice on March 7, reaching 5.57 million square miles. In Antarctica, sea ice minimum extent fell to 815,000 square miles in February, its lowest level since satellites began measuring in 1979.
A new study by CU Boulder researchers shows the Barnes Ice Cap on Baffin Island will melt in about 300 years due to a rapid warming climate. The ice cap, which is still 500 meters thick, has never been this small in the past 2.5 million years.
Operation IceBridge's ninth year in the Arctic will be its most extensive campaign yet, with two new research flights based out of Svalbard to survey the Eurasian sector. The mission aims to collect valuable data on polar ice changes and improve snowfall accumulation models.
Researchers found that local atmospheric conditions and ocean circulation are the main drivers of ocean temperature changes in the critical depth range, leading to increased melting. The study used a five-year record to track the interactions between ocean and atmosphere, revealing an annual cycle in heat exchange that drives melting.
The USCGC Polar Star's port call in Lyttelton marks a significant shift in US-New Zealand relations, allowing for increased cooperation on logistics and scientific research. The visit supports the US Antarctic Program's cargo operations and enables the efficient transportation of supplies to research stations.
A team of Japanese scientists has discovered a new species of polychaete worm, revealing its gel-like coat and long notochaeta. The discovery provides insight into marine life's adaptation to extreme Antarctic conditions.
Researchers at McGill University suggest that a link between global climate change and dramatic changes in ocean circulation can explain the formation of Antarctica's ice sheets. This new theory highlights the complexity of climate change and the impact of ocean circulation patterns on global temperatures.
AGU evaluates shifting science landscape and climate concerns, including air pollution's impact on desert southwest. Researchers also explore Mars' possible warming due to greenhouse effect.
Researchers have mapped large oceanic valleys beneath massive glaciers flowing into the Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica. The discovery reveals channels that enable warm water to reach the undersides of glaciers, fueling their rapid retreat.
New study reveals large oceanic features that enable warm water to reach glacier undersides, fueling rapid retreat. The findings highlight the importance of ocean heat access in controlling glacier behavior.
The Eurasian ice sheet grew from small ice caps to a massive ice mass, nearly three times the size of modern-day Greenland, through a process driven by climate cycles and snowfall. The sheet's growth had a profound impact on regional climates, creating rain-shadow effects and desert conditions in western Russia and Siberia.
New University of Washington research reveals that rapid Arctic warming events cause a shift in Southern Hemisphere winds, which can impact global rainfall patterns and climate feedbacks. The study uses chemical clues from an Antarctic ice core to support the findings.
Researchers found that Antarctic ocean temperatures became more layered, leading to coastal melting of ice sheets. This stratification is now happening again due to global warming, potentially triggering a three-meter rise in global sea levels.
Delicate fossil remains of tomatillos found in Patagonia, Argentina, show that the nightshade family existed 52 million years ago, far earlier than previously thought. The discovery provides a rare link between ancient and modern plants, challenging traditional views on plant evolution.
Researchers have discovered a mysterious crater on the King Baudoin ice shelf, revealing hidden meltwater lakes and confirming that East Antarctica is also vulnerable to climate change. The findings suggest that the region's ice shelves are extremely sensitive to warming temperatures.
Scientists can now map the speed of glaciers and ice sheets globally, tracking unique patterns and identifying areas with rapid change. This near-real-time data enables researchers to understand the impact on sea level and coastal communities.
A new study by a team of American geophysicists found that Antarctica warmed about 11 degrees Celsius between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago, 2 to 3 times the average temperature increase worldwide. The disparity highlights the amplification of warming at poles consistent with today's climate change models.
The new observatory will record high-resolution images of the Sun every five seconds, measuring internal gravity waves and their role in transporting energy and momentum. The data will aid in understanding space weather events, solar coronal heating, and the structure of the Sun's atmosphere.
Researchers at Ohio State University discovered a crack that formed deep beneath the Pine Island Glacier, leading to its breaking apart in 2015. The rift's origin suggests that warming ocean waters are melting the center of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, potentially causing accelerated ice loss and sea-level rise.
The discovery of Ball's Antarctic Tundra Beetle sheds light on Antarctica's ancient insect fauna. The new species is the second known beetle for the continent with living descendants, and its presence confirms that tundra ecosystems persisted in Antarctica for millions of years.
Researchers found that a cavity formed beneath the glacier prior to the mid-1940s, allowing warm sea water to flow under it and cause retreat. The study provides direct evidence of the timing of glacier retreat before satellite measurements were available.
The NASA IceBridge mission has concluded its eighth consecutive Antarctic deployment, carrying out a record number of research flights and providing valuable insights into changes in polar ice. The campaign's findings shed light on the impact of sea level rise on climate change.
International scientists are searching for the oldest ice core in Antarctica, up to 1.5 million years old, to decipher past climate processes and improve future predictions. The 'Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice' project aims to drill a core with sufficient atmospheric gases to analyze past greenhouse gas levels.
A SUNY Geneseo composer is gathering information to compose music based on seismic data gathered at the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. The music will express messages within the ice and be performed in both choral and instrumental music performances.
Two studies by UCI and NASA found the fastest rates of glacier retreat in West Antarctica, offering insights into ice melting and its impact on global sea level rise. The researchers used satellite data to measure changes in glacier grounding lines, revealing significant ice loss at the bottom of glaciers.
At Syowa Station, a daily mean CO2 concentration of 400.06 ppm was recorded on May 14, 2016, surpassing the previous threshold. This observation highlights the impact of human activities on the Antarctic region, contributing to global warming.
Two new studies by UCI and NASA researchers found the fastest rates of glacier retreat ever observed in West Antarctica, shedding light on the interaction between ocean conditions and bedrock beneath glaciers. The studies provide crucial data for predicting future Antarctica ice loss and global sea level rise.
New research reveals how a single warming event in Antarctica may indicate future ecosystem changes, with cascading ecological consequences observed over the last 15 years. The study found that massive flooding caused by melting glaciers led to dramatic changes in the environment, including erosion of streams and lake levels rising.
A new study finds that rising Antarctic temperatures will lead to more snowfall, which could help mitigate global sea level rise. By mid-century, the effect of human-induced warming on Antarctica's net snow accumulation is expected to emerge above natural climate variability.
Researchers studied West Antarctica's landscape and found the ice sheet thinned relatively quickly after a period of warming, losing 400m of thickness in 3,000 years. This caused sea levels to increase by up to two metres.
Researchers have discovered a 65% reduction in Antarctic sea ice around 128,000 years ago, which has significant implications for predicting the Earth's future climate. The study, published in Nature Communications, used analysis of ice cores to determine the state of Antarctic sea ice during this past warm period.
A citizen science project, SOS, uses high-resolution satellite images to help researchers count Weddell seals in the Ross Sea. By contributing to this effort, the public will aid in understanding how fishing affects seal populations and the entire ecosystem.
A new study predicts that climate change will restrict migratory birds to small islands in the Arctic Ocean as they retreat north, leading to declines in hard-hit regions and changes in migration pathways.
A new study by NCAR suggests that the recent trend of increasing Antarctic sea ice extent can be explained by a natural climate fluctuation, specifically the negative phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). This natural variability cancels out when simulations are averaged, leaving only human-caused climate change as the p...
The Adélie penguin population in Antarctica is facing significant threats from climate change, with some colonies expected to decline by 30% by 2060 and 60% by 2099. Climate warming in certain regions has led to population declines, while cooling conditions have resulted in stable or increasing populations.
Climate change is projected to lead to a 60% decline in Adélie penguin populations by the end of the century, with some areas already experiencing population declines. The study suggests that refugia, or areas with relatively unaltered climate, may exist beyond 2099 and buffer a species-wide decline.
Robert DeConto, a leading expert on climate modeling, has won the 2016 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica. His research integrating geological data with modeling reveals likely consequences for future sea level rise from ice sheet melt.
Researchers have found that Antarctic lakes are repositories for ancient soot from wildfires, dating back over 2,500 years. The study also indicates a more recent increase in dissolved black carbon from fossil fuel burning, which may be caused by helicopter emissions or long-range transport of carbon.
A new study reveals a link between melting Greenland ice and faster Arctic warming, with significant implications for sea level rise and ocean circulation. The research found that a unique atmospheric pattern led to record-breaking melt in northern Greenland during the summer of 2015.
A new study provides evidence linking melting in Greenland to Arctic amplification, with a northern swing of the jet stream reaching latitudes never before recorded. The study's findings fit the anticipated effects of Arctic amplification, which fuels a feedback loop of rising global temperatures and melting sea ice.
A new study links melting in Greenland to Arctic amplification, a phenomenon fuelled by rising global temperatures and melting sea ice. The jet stream's northern swing reached record-breaking latitudes, allowing warm air to penetrate further north.
A study of Antarctic coastline images reveals a 40-year record of ice loss to the ocean, with approximately 1000km2 of ice lost over the past four decades. The research team used satellite data to track changes in ice thickness and thinning rates along West Antarctica's coastline.
New research reveals ocean currents explain why Antarctic Ocean has stayed at roughly the same temperature as most of the planet. Deep, centuries-old water is continually pulled up to the surface by constant westerly winds and great depths.
A new study on Antarctica's snow core suggests that warmer temperatures and snowfall are not always linked, contradicting previous projections. Researchers found that individual snow years can have varying relationships with temperature, highlighting the importance of wind patterns in shaping Antarctic weather.
Researchers have found direct evidence of past changes in the Totten Glacier's glacial history, revealing unstable zones prone to rapid collapse. This study sheds light on the region's vulnerabilities and warns of potential catastrophic consequences for sea level rise.
A new study predicts that Totten Glacier in Antarctica may cross a critical threshold within the next century, triggering an irreversible period of rapid retreat and contributing up to 2.9m to global sea-level rise. The glacier's instability is linked to its geology, which will become unstable if it retreats another 100-150km.
A new study provides insights into the evolutionary trajectory of penguins in Australia, revealing a 20-million-year history of species dispersals. The research suggests that ancestors of modern little penguins arrived in Australia with the help of a strengthened Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
A University of Washington project, MICRE, is studying the properties and impacts of Southern Ocean clouds on the surface. The project will help ground-truth satellite measurements and provide new data for improved global climate models.
A new ice sheet model suggests that Antarctic ice sheet melting could lead to a 50-foot rise in sea level by 2500, potentially doubling previous estimates. The researchers attribute this to ocean warming and the fracturing of floating ice shelves, which would cause them to collapse into the sea.
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed that the ocean played a significant role in the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide during the last deglaciation. The researchers found that during this period, there were rapid releases of carbon from land sources such as plants and soils, contributing t...
Researchers discover that warm ocean water is carving channels under Antarctica's ice shelves, weakening their stability. This process can lead to the disintegration of ice shelves, allowing more rapid ice flow into the ocean and increased rates of sea level rise.
Researchers study ice shelf motion and flow to better understand Antarctic ice sheet dynamics. GPS and tilt sensor measurements help modelers project future changes in ice shelf behavior, contributing to sea level rise predictions.
Researchers explore storing water on Antarctica to delay sea-level rise, but conclude it's unlikely to mitigate the problem due to the enormous weight and distance required. They emphasize the need for rapid greenhouse-gas emission reductions and substantial investment in long-term local coastal protection.
Researchers successfully revived and reproduced microscopic tardigrades that had been frozen for over 30 years. The animals demonstrated the ability to recover from long-term cryptobiosis and reproduce, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying their remarkable survival capabilities.
Research reveals that ice-shelf loss leads to rapid dynamic ice loss, exacerbating sea-level rise. The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced significant retreat and break-up of ice shelves over the past two decades, with upstream glaciers flowing into the ocean at an accelerated rate.
The West Antarctic ice sheet may experience catastrophic collapse due to ocean warming, leading to a 3-meter increase in global sea levels. Researchers have identified that parts of the ice sheet have existed continuously for at least 1.4 million years.
An international team of researchers embarks on a monthlong expedition to Antarctica in search of ancient fossils, hoping to answer questions about the origins of modern bird and mammal groups. The team aims to uncover evidence of mammals from the Cretaceous period, which could shed light on evolutionary diversifications in Antarctica.
A new gravity dataset covering 73% of Antarctica has been released, providing geoscientists with a tool to investigate the deep structure of the continent. The dataset will aid in studying subglacial geology, tectonic structures and their impact on ice sheet dynamics.
A team of researchers from McGill University failed to detect active microbial life in permafrost soil from the University Valley in Antarctica, a location thought to be similar to Martian permafrost. The study's findings suggest that even in the coldest and driest conditions on Earth, it may be difficult to find signs of life.