All articles tagged with #ice shelf
Scientists drilled 523 meters through the Crary Ice Rise on the Ross Ice Shelf and recovered 228 meters of sediment, finding evidence that parts of West Antarctica were once open ocean as recently as about 23 million years ago. The findings help decode past ocean temperatures and environmental conditions to improve predictions of future ice loss and sea‑level rise; samples are being analyzed in New Zealand after transport from Antarctica.
A robotic submersible named Ran, part of an international effort to study West Antarctic ice shelves, disappeared under the Dotson Ice Shelf in January 2024 after completing a detailed ~140 sq km survey that uncovered previously undocumented subglacial features, including teardrop-shaped melt formations; no beacon or debris has been found, the incident halts follow-up data collection in the Amundsen Sea, and investigators are weighing equipment failure or collision as possible causes, while the 2022 dataset continues to inform revised models of basal melting driven by warm Circumpolar Deep Water.
A new study finds cracks in Antarctica’s Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf have weakened its structure, with fracturing progressing in two phases over two decades. If the shelf collapses, global sea levels could rise by about 65 centimeters (roughly 2 feet) as the ice retreats at a rapid pace for decades. The Arctic is warming about three times faster than the global average, driving significant ice loss and shrinking sea ice, which NASA and other agencies have monitored for years. The report underscores the need for reducing pollution and changing human behavior to slow Arctic melt and mitigate future sea‑level rise.
Scientists used autonomous underwater vehicles to map the underside of Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing complex terrain and uneven melting patterns driven by warm ocean currents. During a follow-up mission in 2024, the vehicle disappeared, raising concerns about the stability of ice shelves and their role in sea level rise, as melting accelerates in specific areas.
An autonomous submarine exploring Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf discovered complex under-ice structures and warm water channels that influence melting patterns, but the mission ended with the submarine's disappearance, highlighting the challenges and importance of understanding ice-ocean interactions for predicting sea level rise.
A new study reveals that cracks and fractures in the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, part of the rapidly changing 'Doomsday Glacier' in Antarctica, have been progressively weakening the ice shelf over two decades, leading to accelerated destabilization and potential implications for global sea-level rise.
Scientists are studying the rapidly breaking apart Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, which could significantly raise global sea levels if it collapses. Using new satellite data analysis methods, researchers aim to better predict when and how these ice shelves will fracture, with the goal of understanding and potentially mitigating catastrophic sea level rise.
A new study challenges the long-held belief that the Arctic was covered by a massive, permanent ice shelf during ice ages, instead revealing evidence of seasonal sea ice and open water, which allowed marine life to persist and suggests a more dynamic Arctic history. This has implications for understanding past climate behavior and future Arctic changes.
A new study challenges the long-held belief that a thick, permanent ice shelf once covered the Arctic, revealing instead that the region was characterized by seasonal sea ice over the past 750,000 years, allowing for open water and marine life even during cold periods, which has important implications for understanding past and future climate change.
In 2022, a scientific mission using the autonomous underwater vehicle Ran explored beneath Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing new insights into glacier melting processes and ice structures, but the submersible disappeared during a subsequent deployment, leaving some mysteries unsolved.
An autonomous underwater vehicle named 'Ran' explored the underside of the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, revealing complex melting patterns and topography, but was lost during a subsequent mission, highlighting the challenges of deep-sea ice shelf research crucial for understanding climate change impacts.
A submersible named Ran, used to explore the Dotson Ice Shelf in Antarctica, has mysteriously vanished after discovering complex underwater structures and melting patterns. The disappearance poses a setback for Antarctic research, highlighting the challenges of exploring remote regions. Despite this, the data collected in 2022 has provided valuable insights into ice shelf dynamics and climate change, emphasizing the need for continued innovation in underwater exploration technology.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have discovered that the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica is jolted daily by movements of ice streams, affecting its stability. This previously unnoticed phenomenon, which can trigger icequakes and fractures, highlights potential impacts on global sea levels. The study reveals that these slip events, causing the ice shelf to move several centimeters once or twice a day, have likely gone undetected for over a century. The findings underscore the importance of understanding ice shelf dynamics in the context of climate change.
Scientists have discovered that a fracture at the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica opened at a staggering speed of 80 miles per hour, shedding light on the rapid changes occurring in the region's ice shelves and the potential impact on sea level rise. This finding underscores the urgency of studying glacial dynamics and the need for further research to understand the implications for the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet.
Researchers have observed the fastest large-scale ice shelf breakage event on the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica, with a 6.5-mile crack forming in about 5 and a half minutes, opening at about 80 miles per hour. This study sheds light on the physics of glacier fracture and the role of seawater in controlling the speed of ice shelf breakage, providing crucial insights for understanding future sea-level rise due to melting glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica.