Science Daily

Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to new research.

Arctic researchers have been visiting the Bering and Chukchi seas off Alaska for nearly 30 years, collecting information about the biological diversity of the watery world under the sea ice. This year, a late-season research cruise revealed a surprise. At a time of year when an ice-breaking ship is usually required to get to some of the data-gathering outposts, scientists found nothing but open water and an unusually active ecosystem.

A new study found that suicide rates increase during all types of disasters -- including severe storms, floods, hurricanes and ice storms -- with the largest overall increase occurring two years after a disaster. A team of researchers examined the impact of 281 natural disasters on suicide rates during a 12-year span and found overall suicide rates increased by 23% when compared to rates before and after the disaster.

Scientists have detected what they say are the sediments of a huge ancient lake bed sealed more than a mile under the ice of northwest Greenland.

During the last Ice Age about 20,000 years ago, iron-containing dust acted as a fertilizer for marine phytoplankton in the South Pacific, promoting carbon dioxide sequestration and thus the glacial cooling of the Earth. But where did the dust come from?

A new study shows that increased heat from Arctic rivers is melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and warming the atmosphere.

A long-standing mystery in the study of glaciers was recently and serendipitously solved. A trigger was identified for some of the largest floods on Earth -- those emerging suddenly and unpredictably from beneath glaciers or ice caps.

Following the presidential election, a leading group of scientists are making the case that a 'rule reversal' will not be sufficient to allow the Endangered Species Act to do its job. Instead, they're calling for deeper improvements to the rules federal wildlife agencies use to apply the law -- aiming to make the Act more effective and to gain bipartisan and industry support in an era of accelerating climate change.

A group of climate experts make the case for including paleoclimate data in the development of climate models. Such models are used globally to assess the impacts of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, predict scenarios for future climate and propose strategies for mitigation.

Bonfire Night celebrations contaminate our air with 100 times more soot than usual. The particles, also known as black carbon are so small, they can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause irritation. Long term exposure can cause harmful effects on the heart and lungs and contributes to millions of deaths worldwide each year.

Some people refer to the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau as the 'third pole' because the region has the largest reserve of glacial snow and ice outside of the north and south poles. The glaciers, which are extremely sensitive to climate change and human influence, have been retreating over the past decade. Now, researchers have detected light-absorbing 'tarballs' in the Himalayan atmosphere, which could contribute to glacial melt.

Scientists have investigated the causes of a glacial lake outburst flood in the Ladakh region of India. They drew on field surveys and satellite images to create an inventory of glacial lakes for the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, identifying changes in the size and number of glacial lakes, including undocumented outburst floods. The inventory aims to improve risk assessment for future events.

Mega-droughts - droughts that last two decades or longer - are tipped to increase thanks to climate change, according to new research.

An examination of two documented periods of climate change in the greater Middle East, between approximately 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, reveals local evidence of resilience and even of a flourishing ancient society despite the changes in climate seen in the larger region. The study demonstrates that human responses to climate change vary at the local level, and highlights how challenge and collapse in some areas were matched by resilience and opportunities elsewhere.

Ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet has accelerated significantly over the past two decades, transforming the shape of the ice sheet edge and therefore coastal Greenland.

Hurricanes, the United States' deadliest and most destructive weather disasters, are notoriously difficult to predict. With the average storm intensity as well as the proportion of storms that reach category 4 or 5 likely to increase, more accurate predictions of future hurricane impacts could help emergency officials and coastal populations better prepare for such storms -- and ultimately, save lives.

The loss of huge ice masses can contribute to the warming that is causing this loss and further risks. A new study now quantifies this feedback by exploring long-term if-then-scenarios.

A researcher has now discovered that the irregular appearance of interglacials has been more frequent than previously thought. His study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Earth's fundamental climate changes.

Research has found permafrost to be mostly absent throughout the shallow seafloor along a coastal field site in northeastern Alaska. That means carbon can be released from coastline sources much more easily than previously thought.

Ancient Maya in the once-bustling city of Tikal built sophisticated water filters using natural materials they imported from miles away, according to new research. A multidisciplinary team of anthropologists, geographers and biologists identified quartz and zeolite, a crystalline compound consisting of silicon and aluminum, that created a natural molecular sieve. Both minerals are used in modern water filtration.