Meltwater flowing beneath Antarctic glaciers may be accelerating their retreat
A new Antarctic ice sheet modeling study from scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggests that meltwater flowing out to sea from beneath Antarctic glaciers is making them lose ice faster......»»
Arabia"s alluvial fans grow and decay with Earth"s orbital cycles
Erosion of Earth's topography entrains sediment in rivers flowing across mountains, canyons and other naturally steep landscapes within the catchment. This silt, sand and gravel is transported variably by suspension in the water column, bouncing alon.....»»
Avian influenza has killed millions of seabirds around the world: Antarctica could be next
Antarctica is often imagined as the last untouched wilderness. Unfortunately, avian influenza ("bird flu") is encroaching on the icy continent. The virus has already reached the sub-Antarctic islands between the Antarctic Peninsula and South America......»»
What octopus DNA tells us about Antarctic ice sheet collapse
If we want to understand the future, it's often useful to look at the past. And even more useful if you use octopus DNA to peer into worlds long gone......»»
How to give your animal friends a stress-free holiday season
The holiday season can be hectic. Visitors flowing through our homes, the manic rush of food and gift preparations, finding the perfect party outfit and music playlist, and heading off to your local New Year's Eve firework display. It's enough to mak.....»»
Antarctic octopus DNA reveals ice sheet collapse closer than thought
Scientists investigating how Antarctica's ice sheets retreated in the deep past have turned to an innovative approach: studying the genes of octopuses that live in its chilly waters......»»
Permafrost: A ticking time bomb beneath our feet
Nearly a quarter of the Earth's land surface is permanently frozen. These areas, known as permafrost, are found in northern polar regions and at high altitudes. But the permafrost is now starting to thaw—with potentially disastrous consequences for.....»»
Air pollution reductions during pandemic lockdown open up a way to preserve the Himalayan glaciers, says study
Reducing air pollution to levels similar to those during the coronavirus pandemic could protect the glaciers in the Himalayas and prevent them from disappearing by the end of the century. This is the conclusion reached by an international research te.....»»
NSF director: US Antarctic research has national impact
The NSF Director and a US Representative agree: Science's benefits are widespread. Enlarge (credit: Jean Varner, National Science Foundation) The US National Science Foundation is one of the US’s primary means of su.....»»
China pulls punches to keep more expensive EVs flowing to Europe
China has arrived at a point where it needs to start selling more vehicles outside of its border, one analyst says. Despite trade threats from the EU, China is already challenging Japan for the global lead in automotive exports......»»
Antarctic krill head south: Scientists fear the movement will have a negative impact on predators
Some populations of Antarctic krill are shifting south, closer to Antarctica, as ocean warming and sea-ice changes alter their habitat. Scientists fear the movement of krill will have a negative impact on predators like whales, seals and penguins, an.....»»
Morocco earthquake had unusual deep slip, according to new modeling
In their rapid characterization of the magnitude 6.8 Al Haouz earthquake in Morocco, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) suggest that the earthquake ruptured roughly 25 kilometers deep beneath t.....»»
China"s space program: Five things to know
When Chang'e-3 became the first Chinese craft to land on the moon 10 years ago, it kicked off nationwide celebrations—and a decade of major successes for a rapidly accelerating space program......»»
New salmon habitat created by melting glaciers could be threatened by mining claims, study finds
Thousands of salmon on the West Coast of North America are finding their way into new streams left behind as glaciers retreat. But a new study suggests mining companies are too keen on the newly exposed mineral deposits beneath the shrinking glaciers.....»»
Some icy exoplanets may have habitable oceans and geysers
A NASA study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could.....»»
Natural gas is actually migrating under permafrost, and could see methane emissions skyrocket if it escapes
Beneath Svalbard's permafrost, millions of cubic meters of methane are trapped—and scientists have now learned that it can migrate beneath the cold seal of the permafrost and escape. A large-scale escape could create a cycle of warming that would s.....»»
Warmest Arctic summer caused by accelerating climate change
Summer surface air temperatures in 2023 were the warmest ever observed in the Arctic as a result of accelerating human-caused climate change, an official report card published Tuesday said......»»
The hidden impacts of climate change on a freshwater ecosystem
From melting glaciers to rising sea levels, from raging wildfires to devastating floods, society has grown increasingly aware of the increasingly frequent climate crises. But what about its subterranean flow? A research group led by Li Dongfeng at th.....»»
Researchers: Frozen methane under the seabed is thawing as oceans warm, and things are worse than we thought
Buried beneath the oceans surrounding continents is a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. Sometimes dubbed "fire-ice" as you can literally set light to it, marine methane hydrate can melt as the climate warms, uncontrollably releasi.....»»
The mysterious "speeding up" glaciers of Svalbard
Spectacular Svalbard sits halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole and is one of the fastest warming places in the Arctic......»»
Seafloor shapes on the flanks of mid-ocean ridges linked to magma supply
At nearly 65,000 kilometers long, the mid-ocean ridge system is the longest mountain range in the world. Running beneath the ocean's surface, mid-ocean ridges are formed at divergent plate boundaries, where tectonic plates stretch apart and magma ris.....»»