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Read science articles on the ice age, glaciation and climatology. Discover the connection between ice ages and global warming.
Updated: 1 hour 33 min ago

Puerto Rico tsunami deposit could have come from pre-Columbian megathrust earthquake

Thu, 04/20/2023 - 16:16
Tsunami deposits identified in a coastal mangrove pond in Northwest Puerto Rico could have come from a megathrust earthquake at the Puerto Rico Trench that occurred between 1470 and 1530, according to new research.

Greenhouse gas release from permafrost is influenced by mineral binding processes

Thu, 04/20/2023 - 12:53
New insights into the binding of carbon to mineral particles in permafrost can improve the prediction of greenhouse gas release.

Polar ice sheet melting records have toppled during the past decade

Thu, 04/20/2023 - 07:07
The seven worst years for polar ice sheets melting and losing ice have occurred during the past decade, according to new research, with 2019 being the worst year on record. The seven worst years for polar ice sheets melting and losing ice have occurred during the past decade, according to new research, with 2019 being the worst year on record. The melting ice sheets now account for a quarter of all sea level rise -- a fivefold increase since the 1990's -- according to researchers who have combined 50 satellite surveys of Antarctica and Greenland taken between 1992 and 2020, funded by NASA and the European Space Agency.

A once-stable glacier in Greenland is now rapidly disappearing

Wed, 04/19/2023 - 11:51
As climate change causes ocean temperatures to rise, one of Greenland's previously most stable glaciers is now retreating at an unprecedented rate, according to a new study.

The diversity of present tree species is shaped by climate change in the last 21,000 years

Tue, 04/18/2023 - 13:24
A new global survey of 1000 forest areas shows how climate change since the peak of the last ice age has had a major impact on the diversity and distribution of tree species we see today. The results can help us predict how ecosystems will react to future changes, thus having an impact on conservation management around the globe.

Nullarbor rocks reveal Australia's transformation from lush to dust

Tue, 04/18/2023 - 09:14
Researchers have discovered how long ago the Australian Nullarbor plain dried out, with a new approach shedding light on how ancient climate change altered some of the driest regions of our planet.

Less ice, fewer calling seals

Mon, 04/17/2023 - 13:25
For several years, a team of researchers used underwater microphones to listen for seals at the edge of the Antarctic. Their initial findings indicate that sea-ice retreat has had significant effects on the animals' behavior: when the ice disappears, areas normally full of vocalizations become very quiet.

As rising temperatures affect Alaskan rivers, effects ripple through Indigenous communities

Tue, 04/11/2023 - 18:59
Six decades of river gage data gathered from nine rivers in Alaska highlight the cumulative and consequential impacts of climate change for local communities and ecosystems in the Arctic.

Researchers correlate Arctic warming to extreme winter weather in midlatitude and its future

Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:21
A warmer Arctic has been linked to extreme winter weather in the midlatitude regions. But, it is not clear how global warming affects this link. In a new study, researchers show, using weather data and climate models, that while the 'Warm Arctic-Cold Continent' pattern will continue as the climate continues to warm, Arctic warming will become a less reliable predictor of extreme winter weather in the future.

Ice sheets can collapse faster than previously thought possible

Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:21
Ice sheets can retreat up to 600 meters a day during periods of climate warming, 20 times faster than the highest rate of retreat previously measured. An international team of researchers used high-resolution imagery of the seafloor to reveal just how quickly a former ice sheet that extended from Norway retreated at the end of the last Ice Age, about 20,000 years ago.

The unexpected contribution of medieval monks to volcanology

Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:21
By observing the night sky, medieval monks unwittingly recorded some of history's largest volcanic eruptions. An international team of researchers drew on readings of 12th and 13th century European and Middle Eastern chronicles, along with ice core and tree ring data, to accurately date some of the biggest volcanic eruptions the world has ever seen. Their results uncover new information about one of the most volcanically active periods in Earth's history, which some think helped to trigger the Little Ice Age, a long interval of cooling that saw the advance of European glaciers.

Warming Arctic draws marine predators northwards

Tue, 04/04/2023 - 10:41
Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.

Deep ocean currents around Antarctica headed for collapse, study finds

Thu, 03/30/2023 - 09:23
Antarctic circulation could slow by more than 40 per cent over the next three decades, with significant implications for the oceans and the climate.

A reconstruction of prehistoric temperatures for some of the oldest archaeological sites in North America

Thu, 03/30/2023 - 09:21
Scientists often look to the past for clues about how Earth's landscapes might shift under a changing climate, and for insight into the migrations of human communities through time. A new study offers both by providing, for the first time, a reconstruction of prehistoric temperatures for some of the first known North American settlements.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is close to a melting point of no return

Mon, 03/27/2023 - 15:32
A new study using simulations identified two tipping points for the Greenland Ice Sheet: releasing 1000 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere will cause the southern portion of the ice sheet to melt; about 2500 gigatons of carbon means permanent loss of nearly the entire ice sheet. Having emitted about 500 gigatons of carbon, we're about halfway to the first tipping point.

Ancient genomes reveal immunity adaptation in early farmers

Thu, 03/23/2023 - 12:55
Research has revealed that diversity in genes coding for immunity may have facilitated adaptation to farming lifestyles in prehistoric periods.

Sea ice will soon disappear from the Arctic during the summer months -- and it has happened before

Wed, 03/22/2023 - 09:45
In a new study, an international team of researchers warn that the Arctic Sea ice may soon be a thing of the past in the summer months. This may have consequences for both the climate and ecosystems. Ten thousand years ago, the ice melted at temperatures similar to those we have today.

3000+ billion tons of ice lost from Antarctic Ice Sheet over 25 years

Tue, 03/21/2023 - 10:26
Scientists have calculated that the fastest changing Antarctic region?-?the Amundsen Sea Embayment?-?has lost more than 3,000 billion tonnes of ice over a 25-year?period.??

Genome research: Origin and evolution of vine

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 13:37
Cultivation and growth of grapevines have strongly influenced European civilizations, but where the grapevine comes from and how it has spread across the globe has been highly disputed so far. In an extensive genome project, researchers have determined its origin and evolution from the wild vine to today's cultivar by analyzing thousands of vine genomes collected along the Silk Road from China to Western Europe.

3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier

Fri, 03/17/2023 - 17:49
Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.

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