antarctica

Record-breaking temperatures during the heatwave on 6 February 2020. Credit: González-Herrero et al. (2022) In recent years, Antarctica has experienced a series of unprecedented heat waves. On 6 February 2020, temperatures of 18.3°C were recorded, the highest ever seen on the continent, beating the previous record of 17.5°C which had only been set a few years earlier. …

Research indicates that the growing areas of open water in Antarctica’s sea ice could enable the future establishment of coastal plants and animals, altering native ecosystems as the climate changes. Credit: Ceridwen FraserResearch led by the University of Otago suggests that the expansion of open water areas within Antarctica’s sea ice, known as polynyas, could potentially enable coastal plants and animals to establish themselves on the continent in the future.The research, published in the prestigious international…

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, undergoing significant ice loss since the 1940s due to climate changes and El Niño events, contributes to 4% of global sea-level rise. Researchers emphasize the ongoing retreat initiated by external factors like ocean and atmosphere circulation changes, highlighting the importance of understanding these dynamics for future sea-level rise projections. Credit: Robert LarterNestled within the immense wilderness of Antarctica, the Thwaites Glacier stretches impressively across approximately…

Recent research highlights significant changes at Earth’s poles, including shifts in ocean-sea ice dynamics and temperature extremes, with 2023’s record-low Southern Ocean ice potentially tied more to long-term warming than previously thought. Studies suggest the Antarctic is undergoing a “regime shift” in sea ice behavior, and differences in energy absorption between the poles could have far-reaching impacts on the climate.New research published in journals of the American Meteorological Society indicate changes in…

In this illustration, seawater flows deep below the surface into an actively opening ice shelf rift in Antarctica. New research shows that such rifts can open very quickly, and that the seawater rushing in helps control the speed of ice shelf breakage. Credit: Rob SotoThere’s enough water frozen in Greenland and Antarctic glaciers that if they melted, global seas would rise by many feet. What will happen to these glaciers over the coming decades is the biggest unknown in the future of rising seas, partly because glacier…

Satellite image of Pine Island Glacier captured on January 24, 1973, by the Multispectral Scanner on Landsat 1.Satellite image of Pine Island Glacier captured on December 15, 2001, by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on Landsat 7.New research shows that while some Antarctic ice shelves have been thinning since at least the 1970s, widespread thinning accelerated in the 1990s.For many ice shelves around Antarctica, the 1970s was a bumpy decade. Fast forward, and satellite images show that many of the bumps once prominently…

Calculating the economic value of the environment can be a useful tool in garnering support for its protection. Credit: Frederique Oliver/Australian Antarctic Division All humanity benefits from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that surrounds it. To some, these benefits may seem priceless. But in our market-driven world, calculating the economic value of the environment can be a useful tool in garnering support for its…

Thwaites Glacier, western Antarctica, 2019. Credit: Robert Larter Among the vast expanse of Antarctica lies the Thwaites Glacier, the world's widest glacier measuring about 80 miles on the western edge of the continent. Despite its size, the massive landform is losing about 50 billion tons of ice more than it is receiving in snowfall, which places it in a precarious position in respect to its stability.…

Credit: NORCE Ice loss from Antarctica has increased over the recent decades. The ice sheet in this remote continent covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. Even small changes in ocean conditions in the future could lead to long-lasting or even irreversible changes—with important implications for global sea-level rise. In this video,…

Stanford researchers have revealed that the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, holding enough ice to raise global sea levels by over 10 feet, is nearing a tipping point towards irreversible melting, challenging previous beliefs of stability. By developing a new technique to analyze radar data, they discovered areas close to thawing, suggesting potential glacial retreat and a significant, previously underappreciated contribution to sea level rise.In a changing climate, the increasing meltwater from Antarctica is…