Feed aggregator

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

There's a surprising amount of information stored in the hardened plaque, or calculus, between teeth. And if that calculus belongs to the remains of a person who lived in ancient times, the information could reveal new insights about the past. But the tiny samples can be difficult to work with. Now, scientists apply a new method to this analysis, finding more proteins than traditional approaches.

For the first time, two researchers have accurately dated the arrival of the first herbivorous dinosaurs in East Greenland. Their results demonstrate that it took the dinosaurs 15 million years to migrate from the southern hemisphere, as a consequence of being slowed down by extreme climatic conditions. Their long walk was only possible because as CO2 levels dropped suddenly, the Earth's climate became less extreme.

The Antarctic Peninsula is melting faster than ever. In a recent study, scientists have revealed how heating in the Tasman sea causes warming of the West Antarctic region and leads to melting of ice and rise in sea levels. They suggest that wind streams flowing towards poles from the tropics play an important role in these oceanic and temperature variations. These findings can be helpful to populations that are vulnerable to sea level rise.

In its large caldera, Newberry volcano (Oregon, USA) has two small volcanic lakes, one fed by volcanic geothermal fluids (Paulina Lake) and one by gases (East Lake). These popular fishing grounds are small windows into a large underlying reservoir of hydrothermal fluids, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) with minor mercury (Hg) and methane into East Lake.

More Antarctic meltwater is surfacing than was previously known, modifying the climate, preventing sea ice from forming and boosting marine productivity- according to new research. For the first time, researchers have been able to obtain full-depth glacial meltwater observations in winter, using instruments attached to the heads of seals living near the Pine Island Glacier, in the remote Amundsen Sea in the west of Antarctica.