Science Daily


Read science articles on the ice age, glaciation and climatology. Discover the connection between ice ages and global warming.
Updated: 33 min 2 sec ago
Complete world map of tree diversity
Researchers have succeeded in constructing, from scattered data, a world map of the diversity of tree species. Climate plays a central role for its global distribution; however, the number of species in a specific region also depends on the spatial scale of the observation, the researchers report. The new approach could help improve conservation.
Preserved leaves reveal 7000 years of rainfall and drought
A study has revealed what south-east Queensland's rainfall was like over the last 7000 years -- including several severe droughts worse and longer lasting than the 12-year Millennium Drought.
Scientists look to past to help identify fish threatened with local extinction
Marine scientists have developed a methodology to assess fish stocks that combines new data with archeological and historical records - some dating back to the 8th Century AD.
Undersea gases could superheat the planet
Geologic carbon and hydrate reservoirs in the ocean pose a climate threat beyond humanmade greenhouse gases.
Antarctic ice shelves buckle under weight of meltwater lakes
The filling and draining of meltwater lakes has been found to cause a floating Antarctic ice shelf to flex, potentially threatening its stability.
Climate of North American cities will shift hundreds of miles in one generation
In one generation, the climate experienced in many North American cities is projected to change to that of locations hundreds of miles away -- or to a new climate unlike any found in North America today. A new study and interactive web application aim to help the public understand how climate change will impact the lives of people who live in urban areas of the United States and Canada.
Ice volume calculated anew
Researchers have provided a new estimate for the glacier ice volume all around the world, excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Their conclusion: previous calculations overestimated the volume of the glaciers in High Mountain Asia.
NASA finds possible second impact crater under Greenland ice
A NASA glaciologist has discovered a possible second impact crater buried under more than a mile of ice in northwest Greenland.
Arctic sea ice loss in the past linked to abrupt climate events
A new study on ice cores shows that reductions in sea ice in the Arctic in the period between 30-100,000 years ago led to major climate events. During this period, Greenland temperatures rose by as much as 16 degrees Celsius.
Sand from glacial melt could be Greenland's economic salvation
As climate change melts Greenland's glaciers and deposits more river sediment on its shores, an international group of researchers has identified one unforeseen economic opportunity for the Arctic nation: exporting excess sand and gravel abroad, where raw materials for infrastructure are in high demand.
Species 'hotspots' created by immigrant influx or evolutionary speed depending on climate
New research reveals that biodiversity 'hotspots' in the tropics produced new species at faster rates over the last 25 million years, but those in temperate regions are instead full of migrant species that likely sought refuge from shifting and cooling climates.
Melting ice sheets may cause 'climate chaos' according to new modelling
The weather these days is wild and will be wilder still within a century -- in part, because the water from melting ice sheets off Greenland and in the Antarctic will cause extreme weather and unpredictable temperatures around the globe. A new study is the first to simulate the effects, under current climate policies, that the two melting ice sheets will have on ocean temperatures and circulation patterns as well as on air temperatures by the year 2100.
2018 fourth warmest year in continued warming trend, according to NASA, NOAA
Earth's global surface temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Forecast suggests Earth's warmest period on record
The forecast for the global average surface temperature for the five-year period to 2023 is predicted to be near or above 1.0 degree C above pre-industrial levels, says the United Kingdom's Met Office. If the observations for the next five years track the forecast, that would make the decade from 2014 to 2023 the warmest run of years since records began.
Cracks herald the calving of a large iceberg from Petermann Glacier
Cracks in the floating ice tongue of Petermann Glacier in the far northwest reaches of Greenland indicate the pending loss of another large iceberg.
Revising the history of big, climate-altering volcanic eruptions
Researchers have developed a new isotopic method to analyze the recent history of large stratospheric volcanic eruptions, using 2,600 years' worth of records contained in ice cores from Antarctica. Stratospheric eruptions can launch sulfate particles more than 6 miles above Earth's surface, where they reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the planet. By understanding the history of big eruptions, researchers can place short cooling episodes and other climate events into the context of large-scale climate patterns.
Ice Age survivors or stranded travellers? A new subterranean species discovered in Canada
The discovery of a new to science species of rare and primitive arthropod in a cave that was covered by a thick ice sheet until recently is certain to raise questions. Researchers describe a new species of cave-dwelling, insect-like dipluran from the island of Vancouver (Canada) and discuss its origin.
Volcanic growth 'critical' to the formation of Panama
Scientists put forward new explanation as to how land bridge formed between North and South America.
Early spring rain boosts methane from thawing permafrost by 30 percent
A team has found that early spring rainfall warms up a thawing permafrost bog in Alaska and promotes the growth of plants and methane-producing microbes.
Researcher unearths an ice age in the African desert
A field trip to Namibia to study volcanic rocks led to an unexpected discovery by geologists.