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Ice stream draining Greenland Ice Sheet sensitive to changes over past 45,000 years

Science Daily - Mon, 05/14/2018 - 07:39
A ribbon of ice more than 600 kilometers long that drains about 12 percent of the gigantic Greenland Ice Sheet has been smaller than it is today about half of the time over the past 45,000 years, a new study suggests.

Tiny fossils unlock clues to Earth's climate half a billion years ago

Science Daily - Wed, 05/09/2018 - 17:55
Scientists have quantified the temperature of Earth's oceans over half a billion years ago by combining fossil data and climate models.

The slipperiness of ice explained

Science Daily - Wed, 05/09/2018 - 11:15
Everybody knows that sliding on ice or snow, is much easier than sliding on most other surfaces. But why is the ice surface slippery? Researchers have now shown that the slipperiness of ice is a consequence of the ease with which the topmost water molecules can roll over the ice surface.

Ediacara Biota flourished in bacterially rich marine habitats

Science Daily - Fri, 05/04/2018 - 12:36
Researchers have used biomarkers in ancient rocks to learn more about the environmental conditions and food sources that sustained the Ediacara Biota.

Are emperor penguins eating enough?

Science Daily - Wed, 05/02/2018 - 12:18
For emperor penguins waddling around a warming Antarctic, diminishing sea ice means less fish to eat. How the diets of these tuxedoed birds will hold up in the face of climate change is a big question scientists are grappling with.

Climate change will boost global lake evaporation -- with 'extreme' consequences

Science Daily - Wed, 05/02/2018 - 10:59
Global lake evaporation will increase 16 percent by the end of the century, triggering, among other outcomes, stronger precipitation events, according to a new study. But the specific mechanisms that will drive that phenomenon are not quite what scientists expected.

'Hairdryer wind' melts snow in Antarctica in winter as well

Science Daily - Wed, 05/02/2018 - 09:40
Even though the sun does not shine in Antarctica in winter, in some places snow on the glaciers can melt. The cause: warm wind. Utrecht glacier researchers discovered that fact by combining the results of weather stations and satellite images.

American pikas tolerate climate change better than expected

Science Daily - Tue, 05/01/2018 - 07:53
The American pika, a relative of rabbits, occupies rocky environments in the mountains of western Northern America. It has been widely thought that pikas could not survive extremes of temperature and thus were at risk of running out of space at the tops of mountains as temperatures rise due to climate change. But is there more to the story?

Physics of a glacial 'slushy' reveal granular forces on a massive scale

Science Daily - Mon, 04/30/2018 - 15:04
New findings describe the dynamics of the clog of icebergs -- known as an ice mélange -- in front of Greenland's Jakobshavn Glacier. The fast-moving glacier is considered a bellwether for the effects of climate change.

Russian Arctic glacier loss doubles as temps warm

Science Daily - Wed, 04/25/2018 - 15:20
Ice mass loss in the Russian Arctic has nearly doubled over the last decade.

Blinded by the light: Climate change, the sun, and Lake Superior

Science Daily - Tue, 04/24/2018 - 15:02
Lakes tend to emit carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, making them important players in the planet's natural regulation of its climate. However, the direction of the flow of CO2 between lakes and the atmosphere can be influenced by humans or by natural factors such as rainfall or air temperature.

Record concentration of microplastic in Arctic sea ice

Science Daily - Tue, 04/24/2018 - 10:29
Experts have recently found higher amounts of microplastic in arctic sea ice than ever before. However, the majority of particles were microscopically small.

Did last ice age affect breastfeeding in Native Americans?

Science Daily - Mon, 04/23/2018 - 14:50
Biologists have been puzzled by the evolutionary adaptation behind a common tooth trait of northern Asians and Native Americans: shovel-shaped incisors. An analysis of archeological specimens shows that nearly 100 percent of early Native Americans had shoveled incisors, and genetic evidence pinpoints the selection to the Beringian standstill 20,000 years ago. One researcher proposes that a trait linked to shoveling, mammary duct growth, was selected to provide vitamin D and fat to infants.

Study reveals new Antarctic process contributing to sea level rise and climate change

Science Daily - Wed, 04/18/2018 - 13:15
A new study has revealed a previously undocumented process where melting glacial ice sheets change the ocean in a way that further accelerates the rate of ice melt and sea level rise. The research found that glacial meltwater makes the ocean's surface layer less salty and more buoyant, preventing deep mixing in winter and allowing warm water at depth to retain its heat and further melt glaciers from below.

Warming planet led to peatland formation

Science Daily - Mon, 04/16/2018 - 14:56
Rising temperatures were a key driver of peatland formation after the last glacial maximum, according to new research.

Virtual contact lenses for radar satellites

Science Daily - Mon, 04/16/2018 - 09:58
Radar satellites supply the data used to map sea level and ocean currents. However, up until now the radar's 'eyes' have been blind where the oceans are covered by ice. Researchers have now developed a new analysis method to solve this problem.

Scientists discover first super salty subglacial lakes in Canadian Arctic

Science Daily - Wed, 04/11/2018 - 16:41
An analysis of radar data led scientists to an unexpected discovery of two lakes located beneath 550 to 750 meters of ice underneath the Devon Ice Cap, one of the largest ice caps in the Canadian Arctic. They are thought to be the first isolated hypersaline subglacial lakes in the world.

Atlantic Ocean circulation at weakest point in more than 1,500 years

Science Daily - Wed, 04/11/2018 - 12:16
New research provides evidence that a key cog in the global ocean circulation system hasn't been running at peak strength since the mid-1800s and is currently at its weakest point in the past 1,600 years. If the system continues to weaken, it could disrupt weather patterns from the United States and Europe to the African Sahel, and cause more rapid increase in sea level on the US East Coast.

Snowfall patterns may provide clues to Greenland Ice Sheet

Science Daily - Wed, 04/11/2018 - 12:16
A new study describes a unique method involving cloud characteristics for measuring snowfall that could help answer some big questions about the Greenland Ice Sheet.

North-exposed ice cliffs accelerate glacier melt

Science Daily - Wed, 04/11/2018 - 10:10
Researchers have confirmed the suspicion that north-facing ice cliffs on debris-covered glaciers in the Himalayas accelerate ice melt.

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