All articles tagged with #antarctic ice
NASA scientists detected mysterious radio signals beneath Antarctic ice that challenge current physics, possibly indicating unknown particles or forces, prompting plans for further investigation with advanced experiments like PUEO.
Scientists studying Antarctic ice cores have found a connection between past levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and global pandemics over the past 2,000 years. The Law Dome and West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice cores show discrepancies in their measurements of CO2 levels, with the Law Dome core indicating a rapid decrease around 1610 CE, possibly due to human population decline and reforestation. However, a new study suggests a more gradual decline in CO2 levels, supporting the idea of large-scale land use changes following the New World-Old World contact. This research sheds light on the potential impact of historical pandemics on Earth's atmosphere and climate.
Glass shards from an ancient volcanic eruption in New Zealand's Taupō volcano have been discovered buried beneath 280 meters of Antarctic ice, approximately 3,000 miles away. The shards, along with a seventh shard from an earlier eruption, provide a unique "double fingerprint" of the Taupō volcano as the source. The findings help confirm the timing of the explosive event, which occurred around 230 CE. The discovery validates previous age estimates of tree logs buried by the eruption and offers insights into the volcano's potential global effects on the atmosphere and climate.
The TRIPLE-nanoAUV 2 project aims to develop miniature submarines that can melt their way through ice and explore the subglacial lakes beneath the Antarctic ice shelf, serving as a test for future exploration of icy moons like Europa and Enceladus. The nano-AUVs will be small enough to fit inside an ice-melting probe and will be supported by an underwater docking station for data transmission and battery charging. The project, coordinated by the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, plans to conduct field tests in Antarctica in 2026. The ultimate goal is to use similar technology to study the oceans beneath the icy surfaces of Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Scientists are closely monitoring the rapid movement of a large section of floating Antarctic ice that hosts the UK's Halley research station. The Brunt Ice Shelf, on which the station sits, has experienced an abrupt acceleration in recent months after calving giant icebergs. While there is currently no immediate concern for the base, British Antarctic Survey officials emphasize the need for greater stability before extended operations can resume. The ice shelf's acceleration is not attributed to climate change, and daily monitoring is being conducted to anticipate any unexpected behavior. The hope is that the shelf will eventually re-establish stability by finding a thicker section to anchor on the seafloor.
Researchers from the Stanford Radio Glaciology lab have developed a modified UAV called Peregrine, equipped with a miniaturized ice-penetrating radar system based on a software-defined radio (SDR) and a Raspberry Pi. The lightweight and cost-effective drone aims to provide valuable data on the health of Antarctic ice by gathering information about depth, fractures, fissures, and melt flow beneath the surface. The Peregrine drone, along with future larger designs, could be deployed from existing research stations to monitor the entire coastal region of Antarctica, offering a more efficient and affordable alternative to crewed airborne systems.
The Southern Ocean overturning circulation, a major global deep ocean current, has slowed down by approximately 30% since the 1990s as a result of melting Antarctic ice, which could have critical consequences for Earth’s climate patterns and sea levels, new research suggests. The slowdown could increase sea levels, alter weather patterns, and deprive marine ecosystems of vital nutrients. The overturning circulation plays a key role in influencing the Earth’s climate, including rainfall and warming patterns, and determines how much heat and carbon dioxide the oceans store.
Rapidly melting Antarctic ice could cause a decline of up to 40% in deep ocean water flows by 2050, which could have disastrous effects on global climate, the marine food chain, and even the stability of ice shelves. The “overturning circulation” of the oceans, which helps deliver heat, carbon, oxygen, and vital nutrients around the globe, could be threatened by the decline. The study warns that the effects of the decline could last “for centuries to come” and that the world urgently needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid disaster scenarios.
Antarctic ice melting could slow deep water currents in the world's oceans by more than 40% in the next 30 years, adversely affecting the climate, the spread of fresh water and oxygen, as well as life-sustaining nutrients for centuries, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. The deep ocean current will be "on a trajectory that looks headed towards collapse," said Matthew England, a climate professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), who coordinated the study.