Feed aggregator

Northern lakes at risk of losing ice cover permanently, impacting drinking water

Science Daily - Wed, 01/13/2021 - 11:07
Close to 5,700 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may permanently lose ice cover this century, 179 of them in the next decade, at current greenhouse gas emissions, despite a possible polar vortex this year, researchers have found. Those lakes include large bays in some of the deepest of the Great Lakes, such as Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, which could permanently become ice free by 2055.

Red and green snow algae increase snowmelt in the Antarctic Peninsula

Science Daily - Wed, 01/13/2021 - 11:06
Red and green algae that grow on snow in the Antarctic Peninsula cause significant extra snowmelt on par with melt from dust on snow in the Rocky Mountains, according to a first-of-its-kind scientific research study. This could have serious impacts on regional climate, snow and ice melt, freshwater availability and ecosystems, yet is not accounted for in current global climate models.

Melting icebergs key to sequence of an ice age

Science Daily - Wed, 01/13/2021 - 11:06
Scientists claim to have found the 'missing link' in the process that leads to an ice age on Earth.

A bucket of water can reveal climate change impacts on marine life in the Arctic

Science Daily - Tue, 01/12/2021 - 10:01
We know very little about marine life in the Arctic. Now researchers are trying to change that. They have shown that a simple water sample makes it possible to monitor the presence, migration patterns and genetic diversity of bowhead whales in an otherwise hard-to-reach area. The method can be used to understand how climate changes and human activities impact life in the oceans.

New study of Earth's crust shows global growth spurt three billion years ago

Science Daily - Tue, 01/12/2021 - 07:54
Researchers have used ancient crystals from eroded rocks found in stream sediments in Greenland to successfully test the theory that portions of Earth's ancient crust acted as 'seeds' from which later generations of crust grew.

Number of people suffering extreme droughts will double

Science Daily - Mon, 01/11/2021 - 11:56
A global research effort offers the first worldwide view of how climate change could affect water availability and drought severity in the decades to come. By the late 21st century, global land area and population facing extreme droughts could more than double -- increasing from 3% during 1976-2005 to 7%-8%, according to a professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Will global warming bring a change in the winds? Dust from the deep sea provides a clue

Science Daily - Wed, 01/06/2021 - 10:20
Climate researchers describe a new method of tracking the ancient history of the westerly winds--a proxy for what we may experience in a future warming world.

The new face of the Antarctic

Science Daily - Wed, 01/06/2021 - 08:53
In the future, the Antarctic could become a greener place and be colonized by new species. At the same time, some species will likely disappear.

Drought of the century in the Middle Ages -- with parallels to climate change today?

Science Daily - Tue, 01/05/2021 - 12:01
The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age was apparently accompanied by severe droughts between 1302 and 1307 in Europe. Researchers write that the 1302-07 weather patterns display similarities to the 2018 weather anomaly, in which continental Europe experienced exceptional heat and drought.

New tool for reconstructing ancient sea ice to study climate change

Science Daily - Mon, 01/04/2021 - 12:19
A previously problematic molecule turns out to be a reliable proxy for reconstructing sea ice, a new study by Brown University researchers shows.

Alert system shows potential for reducing deforestation, mitigating climate change

Science Daily - Mon, 01/04/2021 - 10:40
Forest loss declined 18% in African nations where a new satellite-based program provides free alerts when it detects deforestation activities.

Evidence for a massive paleo-tsunami at ancient Tel Dor

Science Daily - Wed, 12/23/2020 - 13:24
Underwater excavation, borehole drilling, and modelling suggests a massive paleo-tsunami struck near the ancient settlement of Tel Dor between 9,910 to 9,290 years ago, according to a new study.

Ancient DNA sheds light on the peopling of the Mariana Islands

Science Daily - Tue, 12/22/2020 - 12:20
Compared to the first peopling of Polynesia, the settlement of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific, which happened around 3,500 years ago, has received little attention. Researchers have now obtained answers to long debated questions regarding the origin of the first colonizers of the Marianas and their relationship to the people who initially settled in Polynesia.

Climate change: Threshold for dangerous warming will likely be crossed between 2027-2042

Science Daily - Mon, 12/21/2020 - 15:04
The threshold for dangerous global warming will likely be crossed between 2027 and 2042 - a much narrower window than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's estimate of between now and 2052. Researchers introduce a new and more precise way to project the Earth's temperature. Based on historical data, it considerably reduces uncertainties compared to previous approaches.

Volcanic eruptions directly triggered ocean acidification during Early Cretaceous

Science Daily - Mon, 12/21/2020 - 15:04
New study supports hypothesis that Ontong Java Plateau large igneous province eruptions led to oceanic anoxic event 1a, 127 to 100 million years ago.

Ice sheet uncertainties could mean sea level will rise more than predicted

Science Daily - Fri, 12/18/2020 - 10:25
Sea level could rise higher than current estimates by 2100 if climate change is unchallenged, according to a new assessment.

Taking the chill off icy build-up on planes and wind turbines

Science Daily - Thu, 12/17/2020 - 13:52
New research is changing the way aircraft and wind turbine operators are addressing the risks related to ice build-up. A team has broadened the scope and functionality of their ice sensors.

Weddell sea: Whale song reveals behavioral patterns

Science Daily - Thu, 12/17/2020 - 12:53
Scientists have now used permanently installed underwater microphones, which have been recording for the past nine years, to successfully gather and analyze whale observation data from the Weddell Sea. The AWI's underwater recordings confirm: Minke whales prefer the shelter of sea ice, while humpback whales avoid it.

Greenland 'knickpoints' could stall spread of glacial thinning

Science Daily - Thu, 12/17/2020 - 10:28
The jagged terrain of Greenland's mountains is protecting some of the island's outlet glaciers from warm coastal waters, according to a team of researchers. However, in regions where the flat bedrock offers no such protection, runaway thinning can reach far into the ice sheet and eat away at previously unaffected ice and contribute to sea level rise.

Colorado river mystery solved: Ancient shallow sea with strong tides

Science Daily - Thu, 12/17/2020 - 08:23
Researchers have provided new evidence that today's desert landscape of the Colorado River's lower valley was submerged roughly 5 million to 6 million years ago under shallow seas with strong, fluctuating tidal currents.

Pages

Subscribe to Explore the Ice Age Midwest aggregator