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Deep ocean currents around Antarctica headed for collapse, study finds

Science Daily - Thu, 03/30/2023 - 09:23
Antarctic circulation could slow by more than 40 per cent over the next three decades, with significant implications for the oceans and the climate.

A reconstruction of prehistoric temperatures for some of the oldest archaeological sites in North America

Science Daily - Thu, 03/30/2023 - 09:21
Scientists often look to the past for clues about how Earth's landscapes might shift under a changing climate, and for insight into the migrations of human communities through time. A new study offers both by providing, for the first time, a reconstruction of prehistoric temperatures for some of the first known North American settlements.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is close to a melting point of no return

Science Daily - Mon, 03/27/2023 - 15:32
A new study using simulations identified two tipping points for the Greenland Ice Sheet: releasing 1000 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere will cause the southern portion of the ice sheet to melt; about 2500 gigatons of carbon means permanent loss of nearly the entire ice sheet. Having emitted about 500 gigatons of carbon, we're about halfway to the first tipping point.

Ancient genomes reveal immunity adaptation in early farmers

Science Daily - Thu, 03/23/2023 - 12:55
Research has revealed that diversity in genes coding for immunity may have facilitated adaptation to farming lifestyles in prehistoric periods.

Sea ice will soon disappear from the Arctic during the summer months -- and it has happened before

Science Daily - Wed, 03/22/2023 - 09:45
In a new study, an international team of researchers warn that the Arctic Sea ice may soon be a thing of the past in the summer months. This may have consequences for both the climate and ecosystems. Ten thousand years ago, the ice melted at temperatures similar to those we have today.

3000+ billion tons of ice lost from Antarctic Ice Sheet over 25 years

Science Daily - Tue, 03/21/2023 - 10:26
Scientists have calculated that the fastest changing Antarctic region?-?the Amundsen Sea Embayment?-?has lost more than 3,000 billion tonnes of ice over a 25-year?period.??

Genome research: Origin and evolution of vine

Science Daily - Mon, 03/20/2023 - 13:37
Cultivation and growth of grapevines have strongly influenced European civilizations, but where the grapevine comes from and how it has spread across the globe has been highly disputed so far. In an extensive genome project, researchers have determined its origin and evolution from the wild vine to today's cultivar by analyzing thousands of vine genomes collected along the Silk Road from China to Western Europe.

3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier

Science Daily - Fri, 03/17/2023 - 17:49
Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.

Neolithic ceramics reveal dairy processing from milk of multiple species

Science Daily - Tue, 03/14/2023 - 19:54
A new study has found evidence of cheesemaking, using milk from multiple animals in Late Neolithic Poland.

New study finds early warning signs prior to 2002 Antarctic ice shelf collapse

Science Daily - Tue, 03/14/2023 - 14:51
In 2002, an area of ice about the size of Rhode Island dramatically broke away from Antarctica as the Larsen B ice shelf collapsed. A new study of the conditions that led to the collapse may reveal warning signs to watch for future Antarctic ice shelf retreat, according to a new scientists.

Arctic climate modelling too conservative

Science Daily - Mon, 03/13/2023 - 09:11
Climate models used by the UN's IPCC and others to project climate change are not accurately reflecting what the Arctic's future will be, experts say.

Life in the smoke of underwater volcanoes

Science Daily - Thu, 03/09/2023 - 11:50
Disconnected from the energy of the sun, the permanently ice-covered Arctic deep sea receives miniscule amounts of organic matter that sustains life. Bacteria which can harvest the energy released from submarine hydrothermal sources could thus have an advantage. Scientists found bacteria uniquely adapted to this geo-energy floating in deep-sea waters. They describe the role of these bacteria for biogeochemical cycling in the ocean.

Elegantly modeling Earth's abrupt glacial transitions

Science Daily - Tue, 03/07/2023 - 10:44
Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized that the timing of glacial transitions has been controlled by the orbital parameters of the Earth, which suggests that there may be some predictability in the climate, a notoriously complex system. Now researchers propose a new paradigm to simplify the verification of the Milankovitch hypothesis. The new 'deterministic excitation paradigm' combines the physics concepts of relaxation oscillation and excitability to link Earth's orbital parameters and the glacial cycles in a more generic way.

Sea level rise poses particular risk for Asian megacities

Science Daily - Fri, 03/03/2023 - 16:58
Sea level rise this century may disproportionately affect certain Asian megacities, according to new research that looks at the effects of natural sea level fluctuations in addition to climate change. The study identified several Asian megacities that may face especially significant risks by 2100, including Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.

Ocean surface tipping point could accelerate climate change

Science Daily - Fri, 03/03/2023 - 09:54
A study has found that intense global warming could shut down the ocean's ability to soak up carbon dioxide, leading to accelerated global warming as the greenhouse gas accumulates in the atmosphere. The decline happens because of a surface layer of low-alkalinity water that emerges during extreme warming that hinders the ability of the oceans to absorb CO2. The study is based on a climate simulation configured to a worst-case emissions scenario that the researchers say must be avoided at all costs.

Robot provides unprecedented views below Antarctic ice shelf

Science Daily - Thu, 03/02/2023 - 10:42
With the help of an underwater robot, known as Icefin, a U.S.- New Zealand research team has obtained an unprecedented look inside a crevasse at Kamb Ice Stream -- revealing more than a century of geological processes beneath the Antarctic ice.

Wisconsin cave holds tantalizing clues to ancient climate changes, future shifts

Science Daily - Thu, 03/02/2023 - 10:38
A newly published study of a stalagmite found in Cave of the Mounds reveals previously undetected history of the local climate going back thousands of years. Researchers describe evidence for an ice age punctuated by massive and abrupt warming events across much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Reassessment of Storegga event: Second major landslide recognized

Science Daily - Wed, 03/01/2023 - 11:07
Submarine landslides have a large tsunami potential and occurred on the central Norwegian shelf more frequently in the past than previously thought. Scientists investigate the Nyegga landslide off the coast of Norway. The submarine landslide occurred in the same area as the well-known Storegga event 8,150 years ago. The new findings suggest that approximately one-third of the seafloor material missing -- previously attributed to the Storegga event -- was removed by the Nyegga event 20,000 years ago. This raises questions about the frequency of large submarine landslides and their associated tsunami hazard.

Climate trends in the west, today and 11,000 years ago

Science Daily - Mon, 02/27/2023 - 15:14
What we think of as the classic West Coast climate began just about 4,000 years ago, finds a study on climate trends of the Holocene era.

Human-wildlife conflicts rising worldwide with climate change

Science Daily - Mon, 02/27/2023 - 12:26
Scientists reveal that a warming world is increasing human-wildlife conflicts globally. They show that climate shifts can drive conflicts by altering animal habitats, the timing of events, wildlife behaviors and resource availability. It also showed that people are changing their behaviors and locations in response to climate change in ways that increase conflicts.

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