Feed aggregator

Cold region 'tipping point' now inevitable

Science Daily - Mon, 09/11/2017 - 11:26
The decline of cold regions called periglacial zones is now inevitable due to climate change, researchers say.

USA threatened by more frequent flooding

Science Daily - Mon, 09/11/2017 - 11:26
The East Coast of the United States is threatened by more frequent flooding in the future. According to this study, the states of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are most at risk. Their coastal regions are being immersed by up to three millimeters per year -- among other things, due to human intervention.

Ancient wetlands offer window into climate change

Science Daily - Mon, 09/11/2017 - 08:59
Environmental researchers have uncovered a wealth of information about a unique part of Australia that offers never-before-seen insights into climate change since the last ice age.

NASA flights map summer melt of Greenland ice sheet

Science Daily - Fri, 09/08/2017 - 19:54
Operation IceBridge is flying in Greenland to measure how much ice has melted over the course of the summer from the ice sheet. The flights, which began on Aug. 25 and will go on until Sept. 21, repeat paths flown this spring and aim to monitor seasonal changes in the elevation of the ice sheet.

Ship exhaust makes oceanic thunderstorms more intense

Science Daily - Thu, 09/07/2017 - 13:27
Thunderstorms directly above two of the world's busiest shipping lanes are significantly more powerful than storms in areas of the ocean where ships don't travel, according to new research.

Direct evidence of sea level 'fingerprints' discovered

Science Daily - Thu, 09/07/2017 - 11:02
The first observation of sea level 'fingerprints' -- tell-tale differences in sea level rise around the world in response to changes in continental water and ice sheet mass -- has been reported by researchers.

Unraveling a major cause of sea ice retreat in the Arctic Ocean

Science Daily - Wed, 09/06/2017 - 09:36
Quantitative analysis has evidenced the acceleration system of melting ice: dark water surfaces absorb more heat than white ice surfaces, thus melting ice and making more water surfaces in the Arctic Ocean.

Aeroices: Newly discovered ultralow-density ice

Science Daily - Tue, 09/05/2017 - 13:55
Relatively little is known about the effects of extreme negative pressure on water molecules. Exploring a significant region of negative pressure through molecular dynamic simulations, researchers have now theoretically discovered a new family of ice phases. Called aeroices, these ices have the lowest density of all known ice crystals.

Warmer world may bring more local, less global, temperature variability

Science Daily - Tue, 09/05/2017 - 11:32
Many tropical or subtropical regions could see increases in naturally occurring temperature variability as Earth warms over coming decades, a new study suggests. These local changes could occur even though Earth's global mean surface temperature variability will likely decrease because of less solar reflection from icecaps at high latitudes.

Massive Antarctic volcanic eruptions linked to abrupt Southern hemisphere climate changes

Science Daily - Mon, 09/04/2017 - 14:10
New findings document a 192-year series of volcanic eruptions in Antarctica that coincided with accelerated deglaciation about 17,700 years ago.

Experts call for added focus on the impact of glacier mass loss on downstream systems

Science Daily - Mon, 09/04/2017 - 14:10
Researchers have warned of an 'urgent worldwide need' to address a broad spectrum of cascading impacts of glacier mass loss on downstream systems.

Record-low 2016 Antarctic sea ice due to 'perfect storm' of tropical, polar conditions

Science Daily - Thu, 08/31/2017 - 08:26
The sudden, unexpected nosedive in Antarctic sea ice last year was due to a unique one-two punch from atmospheric conditions both in the tropical Pacific Ocean and around the South Pole.

American pika disappears from large area of California's Sierra Nevada mountains

Science Daily - Wed, 08/30/2017 - 19:21
The American pika, a small mammal adapted to high altitudes and cold temperatures, has died out from a 165-square-mile span of habitat in California's northern Sierra Nevada mountains, and the cause appears to be climate change. Researchers surveyed pika habitat throughout the north Lake Tahoe area and found that pikas had disappeared from an area that stretches from near Tahoe City to Truckee, more than 10 miles away, and includes Mount Pluto.

Century-old seal pelts reveal changes in Ross Sea ecosystem

Science Daily - Wed, 08/30/2017 - 08:43
Scientists sampled a pile of frozen pelts left in a hut by Antarctic explorers for Weddell seal tissue from a century ago, at the very start of human activities in Antarctica. By using sophisticated isotope analysis to compare samples from modern and century-old seals, they were able to investigate human impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem.

Past and future of sea ice cover in the Arctic

Science Daily - Tue, 08/29/2017 - 08:10
Temperatures in the Arctic are currently climbing two to three times faster than the global average. The result is dwindling sea ice. Climate researchers now show that, in the course of our planet's history, summertime sea ice was to be found in the central Arctic in periods characterized by higher global temperatures -- but less CO2 -- than today.

Algae fortifies coral reefs in past and present

Science Daily - Mon, 08/28/2017 - 13:07
The Great Barrier Reef, and most other large reefs around the world, owe their bulk in large part to a type of red algae that grows on corals and strengthens them. New research has found that ancient coral reefs were also bolstered by their bond with red algae, a finding that could help scientists better understand how reefs will respond to climate change.

Human-made fossil methane emission levels larger than previously believed

Science Daily - Thu, 08/24/2017 - 11:14
A team of researchers spent seven weeks in Antarctica collecting and studying 2,000-pound samples of glacial ice cores that date back nearly 12,000 years. The ancient air trapped within the ice revealed surprising new data about methane that may help inform today's policymakers as they consider ways to reduce global warming.

Icebergs: Mathematical model calculates the collapse of shelf ice

Science Daily - Thu, 08/24/2017 - 08:36
Shelf ice, as found in Antarctica, refers to giant floating ice sheets that can span thousands of square kilometres. Pieces break off at their edges which form icebergs in the ocean. In order to more effectively predict these break-offs, in a process known as calving, a research team has developed mathematical models. On the basis of physical factors, it is claimed that these models can be used to predict when and where the ice may collapse. This is important particularly for research teams situated on the ice shelf.

Severity of North Pacific storms at highest point in over 1,200 years

Science Daily - Thu, 08/24/2017 - 08:01
Ice cores from Denali and Mount Logan offer insight into global climate connections and the history on intensifying storms.

Methane from tundra, ocean floor didn't spike during previous natural warming period

Science Daily - Wed, 08/23/2017 - 12:12
The last ice age transition to a warmer climate some 11,500 years ago did not include massive methane flux from marine sediments or the tundra, new research suggests. Instead, the likely source of rising levels of atmospheric methane was from tropical wetlands, authors of the new study say.

Pages

Subscribe to Explore the Ice Age Midwest aggregator