Science Daily


Read science articles on the ice age, glaciation and climatology. Discover the connection between ice ages and global warming.
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As rising temperatures affect Alaskan rivers, effects ripple through Indigenous communities
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Neolithic ceramics reveal dairy processing from milk of multiple species
A new study has found evidence of cheesemaking, using milk from multiple animals in Late Neolithic Poland.
New study finds early warning signs prior to 2002 Antarctic ice shelf collapse
In 2002, an area of ice about the size of Rhode Island dramatically broke away from Antarctica as the Larsen B ice shelf collapsed. A new study of the conditions that led to the collapse may reveal warning signs to watch for future Antarctic ice shelf retreat, according to a new scientists.
Arctic climate modelling too conservative
Climate models used by the UN's IPCC and others to project climate change are not accurately reflecting what the Arctic's future will be, experts say.
Life in the smoke of underwater volcanoes
Disconnected from the energy of the sun, the permanently ice-covered Arctic deep sea receives miniscule amounts of organic matter that sustains life. Bacteria which can harvest the energy released from submarine hydrothermal sources could thus have an advantage. Scientists found bacteria uniquely adapted to this geo-energy floating in deep-sea waters. They describe the role of these bacteria for biogeochemical cycling in the ocean.
Elegantly modeling Earth's abrupt glacial transitions
Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized that the timing of glacial transitions has been controlled by the orbital parameters of the Earth, which suggests that there may be some predictability in the climate, a notoriously complex system. Now researchers propose a new paradigm to simplify the verification of the Milankovitch hypothesis. The new 'deterministic excitation paradigm' combines the physics concepts of relaxation oscillation and excitability to link Earth's orbital parameters and the glacial cycles in a more generic way.
Sea level rise poses particular risk for Asian megacities
Sea level rise this century may disproportionately affect certain Asian megacities, according to new research that looks at the effects of natural sea level fluctuations in addition to climate change. The study identified several Asian megacities that may face especially significant risks by 2100, including Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.
Ocean surface tipping point could accelerate climate change
A study has found that intense global warming could shut down the ocean's ability to soak up carbon dioxide, leading to accelerated global warming as the greenhouse gas accumulates in the atmosphere. The decline happens because of a surface layer of low-alkalinity water that emerges during extreme warming that hinders the ability of the oceans to absorb CO2. The study is based on a climate simulation configured to a worst-case emissions scenario that the researchers say must be avoided at all costs.