Science Daily

Analyses of ancient DNA from prehistoric humans paint a picture of dramatic population change in Europe from 45,000 to 7,000 years ago, according to a new study. The new genetic data reveal two big changes in prehistoric human populations that are closely linked to the end of the last Ice Age around 19,000 years ago.

Although the coastal regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet are experiencing rapid melting, a significant portion of the interior of that ice sheet has remained stable -- but a new study suggests that stability may not continue. Researchers found that very little of the snow and ice on the vast interior of the ice sheet is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation because of a strong thermal 'lid' that essentially traps the moisture and returns it to the surface where it refreezes.

New research provides the first look into the biogeochemistry, geophysics and geology of Subglacial Lake Whillans, which lies 800 meters (2,600 feet) beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Surface meltwater draining through and underneath Greenland's tidewater glaciers is accelerating their loss of ice mass, according to a new study that sheds light on the relationship between meltwater and subglacial discharge.

Just as parts of South Florida are bracing for potential risks of flooding in low-lying areas due to the close proximity of the moon, high tides, sea-level rise and inclement weather, researchers are bringing together professionals from the private and public sectors to help identify solutions and develop adaptation pathways.

To bridge the gap between projections of future sea-level rise and the need to prepare for it, a research team developed a method that consolidates climate models and the range of opinions that leading scientists have about them into a single, consistent set of probabilities.

Greenland is one of the fastest-warming regions of the world, according to climate change experts. The work has identified changes in weather systems over Greenland that have dragged unusually warm air up over the western flank of Greenland's Ice Sheet.

From a quarter to half of Earth's vegetated lands has shown significant greening over the last 35 years largely due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new study.

The modern challenge of nuclear waste storage and disposal has researchers looking back at ancient materials from around the world.

In 1442, Shinto priests in Japan began keeping records of the freeze dates of a nearby lake, while in 1693 Finnish merchants started recording breakup dates on a local river. Together they create the oldest inland water ice records in human history and mark the first inklings of climate change, says new research.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was the major driver behind the global climatic shifts that occurred between 53 and 34 million years ago, according to new research.

A team of researchers has discovered the fate of much of the freshwater that pours into the surrounding oceans as the Greenland ice sheet melts every summer. They were surprised to discover that most of the meltwater found off the west coast of Greenland actually originated from ice on the east coast. Meltwater originating from the west coast of Greenland, on the other hand, is often kept pinned to the coastline by strong winds, which push it northward toward Baffin Bay.

Most stream-resident fish stay throughout winter despite the ice. Researchers have made this discovery by tagging trout and sculpins with transponders to follow fish migration. Fish’s general state of health is the single most important factor for surviving winter, they add.

Synonymous with the Australian landscape, the paperbark tree is most recognized for its distinctive bark, but it is the leaves that have found themselves at the center of research which could provide crucial insights into climate change. The research found Melaleuca leaves preserved in ancient wetlands could be used to reconstruct past rainfall activity.

A new study reveals that volcanic activity associated with the plate-tectonic movement of continents may be responsible for climatic shifts from hot to cold over tens and hundreds of millions of years throughout much of Earth's history.

Sea ice physicists are anticipating that the sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean this summer may shrink to the record low of 2012. The scientists made this projection after evaluating current satellite data about the thickness of the ice cover.

Scientists can read old descriptions of eruptions and analyze ash deposits captured in polar ice, but consistently estimating the climate impact of past eruptions has been difficult. A new technique may change that.

A study undertaken by scientists to understand swimming behavior in polar bears is showing an increase in this behavior related to changes in the amount and location of summer sea ice. The pattern of long-distance swimming by polar bears in the Beaufort Sea shows the fingerprint of climate change. Swims are occurring more often, in association with sea ice melting faster and moving farther from shore in the summer.

Continental shifting may have acted as a natural mechanism for extreme carbon sequestration.

Contemporary chronicles, archaeological studies and physical evidence all point to severe climatic changes and ensuing social crises in the middle of the 6th century. New data from ice cores suggest that these events were caused by two major volcanic eruptions. An international team of scientists has reconstructed the effects using state-of-the-art climate models. As they present now the volcanic double event was likely the strongest volcanic driver of Northern Hemisphere climate over the past one and a half millennia.