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Revealing complex behavior of a turbulent plume at the calving front of a Greenlandic glacier
Scientists have succeeded in continuous monitoring of a subglacial discharge plume, providing a deeper understanding of the glacier-fjord environment.
Greenland caves: Time travel to a warm Arctic
An international team of scientists presents an analysis of sediments from a cave in northeast Greenland, that cover a time period between about 588,000 to 549,000 years ago. This interval was warmer and wetter than today, the cave deposits provide an outlook in a possible future warmer world due to climate change.
Changes in Antarctic marine ecosystems
Understanding the evolution of the polar sea ice is not enough to study the effects of the climate change on marine ecosystems in Antarctic seafloors. It is also necessary to determine the intensity of phytoplankton local production during the Antarctic summer.
Last Ice Age: Precipitation caused maximum advance of Alpine Glaciers
Geologists unexpectedly found mineral deposits in former ice caves in the Austrian Alps dating back to the peak of the last ice age. These special calcite crystals demonstrate that intensive snowfall during the second half of the year triggered a massive glacier advance leading to the climax of the last ice age.
Climate change can destabilize the global soil carbon reservoir
The vast reservoir of carbon that is stored in soils probably is more sensitive to destabilization from climate change than has previously been assumed, according to a new study.
Sea-level rise in 20th century was fastest in 2,000 years along much of East Coast
The rate of sea-level rise in the 20th century along much of the U.S. Atlantic coast was the fastest in 2,000 years, and southern New Jersey had the fastest rates, according to a new study.
Explosive origins of 'secondary' ice and snow
Scientists publish new direct evidence that shattering drizzle droplets drive explosive 'ice multiplication' events. The findings have implications for weather forecasts, climate modeling, water supplies -- and even energy and transportation infrastructure.
Arctic methane release due to melting ice is likely to happen again
Beneath the cold, dark depths of the Arctic ocean sit vast reserves of methane. These stores rest in a delicate balance, stable as a solid called methane hydrates, at very specific pressures and temperatures. If that balance gets tipped, the methane can get released into the water above and eventually make its way to the atmosphere.
Melting glaciers contribute to Alaska earthquakes
Glaciers in Southeast Alaska have been melting since the end of the Little Ice Age, many of which are in close proximity to strike-slip faults. When these glaciers melt, the land begins to rise, and the faults they'd previously sutured become unclamped. In this study, scientists determine this process has influenced the timing and location of earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater in the area during the past century.
Organic crystals' ice-forming superpowers
At the heart of ice crystals, often, are aerosol particles onto which ice can form more easily than in the open air. It's a bit mysterious how this happens, though. New research shows how crystals of organic molecules, a common component of aerosols, can get the job done.
What is the probability of ships becoming beset in ice in Arctic waters?
Statisticians have calculated the probability of ships of different Polar Ship Categories becoming beset in ice along the Northern Sea Route. Their data will help assess the risks of maritime traffic.
Icy ocean worlds seismometer passes further testing in Greenland
The Seismometer to Investigate Ice and Ocean Structure (SIIOS) performed well in seismic experiments conducted in snowy summer Greenland, according to a new study.
Scientists stunned to discover plants beneath mile-deep Greenland ice
Scientists found frozen plant fossils, preserved under a mile of ice on Greenland. The discovery helps confirm a new and troubling understanding that the Greenland Ice Sheet has melted entirely during recent warm periods in Earth's history -- like the one we are now creating with human-caused climate change. The new study provides strong evidence that Greenland is more sensitive to climate change than previously understood -- and at risk of irreversibly melting.
Melting glaciers could speed up carbon emissions into the atmosphere
An international research team has for the first time linked glacier-fed mountain rivers with higher rates of plant material decomposition, a major process in the global carbon cycle.
Antarctic peninsula likely to warm over next two decades
An analysis of historic and projected simulations from 19 global climate models shows that, because of climate change, the temperature in the Antarctic peninsula -- long a canary in the coal mine for the rest of the continent -- will increase by 0.5 to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2044.
Traces of Earth's early magma ocean identified in Greenland rocks
New research led by the University of Cambridge has found rare evidence - preserved in the chemistry of ancient rocks from Greenland - which tells of a time when Earth was almost entirely molten.
Glaciers and enigmatic stone stripes in the Ethiopian highlands
Although past temperature variations in the tropics are of great importance to understanding the global climate system, little is known about their extent and chronological course. Researchers have now been able to demonstrate strong local cooling in the tropics during the last glacial period on the basis of glacier fluctuations and large stone stripes in the Ethiopian Highlands.
Zealandia switch: New theory of regulation of ice age climates
Abrupt shifts of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds, paced by subtle variations in Earth's orbit, lie at the heart of ice age cycles, according to an international research team. This 'Zealandia Switch' hypothesis differs from the long-held view that orbital influences on the extent of Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheets regulate ice age climates. Southern Hemisphere westerlies regulate the exchange of CO2 and heat between the ocean and atmosphere, exerting further influence on global climate.
The narwhal's tusk reveals its past living conditions
Every year, a new growth layer is added to the narwhal's spiralled tusk. The individual layers act as an archive of data that reveals what and where the animal has eaten, providing a glimpse of how the ice and environmental conditions have changed over its long life span (up to 50 years).
47 million year old fly found with a full belly
Scientists have found a previously unknown fossil fly species in old lake sediments of the Messel Pit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany. In the stomach of the fossil insect, pollen from various plants could be detected, which allows rare insights into the feeding behavior, the ecology and the role of the fly as a pollinator.
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