Science Daily
Read science articles on the ice age, glaciation and climatology. Discover the connection between ice ages and global warming.
Updated: 1 hour 27 min ago
Antarctica's thinning ice shelves causing more ice to move from land into sea
New study provides the first evidence that thinning ice shelves around Antarctica are causing more ice to move from the land into the sea.
Animals could help humans monitor oceans
Sharks, penguins, turtles and other seagoing species could help humans monitor the oceans by transmitting oceanographic information from electronic tags.
Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists
More than half of the climate tipping points identified a decade ago are now 'active,' a group of leading scientists have warned.
Nearly 40% of plant species are very rare and are vulnerable to climate change
Almost 40 percent of global flora is categorized as 'exceedingly rare,' and these species are most at risk of extinction by human development and as the climate continues to change, according to new research.
Wolfe Creek Crater younger than previously thought
Wolfe Creek Crater, one of the world's largest meteorite craters, is much younger than previously thought.
Vanishing ice puts reindeer herders at risk
Mongolia's Tsaatan reindeer herders depend on munkh mus, or eternal ice, for their livelihoods. Now, soaring global temperatures may threaten that existence.
Icebergs as a source of nutrients
The importance of icebergs as an important source of nutrients in the polar regions has long been discussed. An international research team has investigated ice samples worldwide. A key result is that only a small part of the glacier ice contaminated with sediment contains large amounts of iron, while the vast majority of clean ice contains very little iron.
Impact of climate change on Arctic terns
New study shows how changes in Antarctic sea ice is driving one of the world's smallest seabirds to forage further for food.
Pollution from Athabasca oil sands affects weather processes
Scientists have been looking at pollution affecting the air, land and water around the Athabaska Oil Sands for some time. After looking at contaminants in snow taken from up-to 25 km away from the oil sands, a McGill-led scientific team now suggests that oil sand pollution is also affecting the weather patterns in the surrounding regions.
Going with the floe: Sea ice movements trace dynamics transforming the new Arctic
Scientists have used MODIS satellite imagery to understand long-term ocean movements from sea ice dynamics. The engineers used image-processing algorithms to remove clouds, sharpen details, and separate individual floes. Image analysis algorithms mapped the floe movement over a period of days. The resulting ocean current maps were about as accurate as maps made using traditional methods. Tracking sea ice will help scientists better understand the sources driving sea ice transport.
When reporting climate-driven human migration, place matters
Location matters when talking about how climate might or might not be driving migration from Central America. Climate research in the dry corridor region revealed a complex pattern of change. If you average across the entire region you wouldn't see a trend going either way.
Individual climate models may not provide the complete picture
Equilibrium climate sensitivity -- how sensitive the Earth's climate is to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide -- may be underestimated in individual climate models, according to a team of climate scientists.
Last Arctic ice refuge is disappearing
The oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing twice as fast as ice in the rest of the Arctic Ocean, according to new research.
Coastlines' contribution to climate change might have been underestimated
Permafrost coasts make up about one third of the Earth's total coastline. As a result of accelerated climate change, whole sections of coastline rapidly thaw, and erode into the Arctic Ocean. A new study now shows that large amounts of carbon dioxide are potentially being produced along these eroding permafrost coastlines in the Arctic.
Turbulence creates ice in clouds
Vertical air motions increase ice formation in mixed-phase clouds. This correlation was predicted theoretically for a long time, but could now be observed for the first time in nature. Using laser and radar equipment, the team measured the vertical air velocity and ice formation in thin mixed-phase clouds.
Unless warming is slowed, emperor penguins will be marching towards extinction
Emperor penguins are some of the most striking and charismatic animals on Earth, but a new study has found that a warming climate may render them extinct by the end of this century.
Melting Arctic sea ice linked to emergence of deadly virus in marine mammals
Scientists have linked the decline in Arctic sea ice to the emergence of a deadly virus that could threaten marine mammals in the North Pacific, according to a study.
Scientists declare climate emergency, establish global indicators for effective action
A global coalition of scientists says 'untold human suffering' is unavoidable without deep and lasting shifts in human activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and other factors related to climate change.
Changes in high-altitude winds over the South Pacific produce long-term effects
In the past million years, the high-altitude winds of the southern westerly wind belt, which spans nearly half the globe, didn't behave as uniformly over the Southern Pacific as previously assumed. Instead, they varied cyclically over periods of ca. 21,000 years. A new study has now confirmed close ties between the climate of the mid and high latitudes and that of the tropics in the South Pacific.
Sea levels to continue rising after Paris agreement emission pledges expire in 2030
Sea levels will continue to rise around the world long after current carbon emissions pledges made through the Paris climate agreement are met and global temperatures stabilize, a new study indicates.