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Melting Ice Caps

All articles tagged with #melting ice caps

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"UT's Experimental Mission Reveals Secrets of Gravity Holes and Ice Cap Melt"

Researchers have used the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission to study changes in mass on Earth, including the discovery of "gravity holes" - spots on the planet's surface with less gravity than others. GRACE, launched in 2002, mapped the planet's mass by measuring the distance between two satellites as they orbited the Earth. The mission not only revealed changes in gravity but also provided evidence of melting ice caps. The data collected by GRACE was so significant that NASA launched a follow-up mission, GRACE-FO, in 2018.

via KXAN.com|

#grace #gravity-holes #mass-changes

environment2 years ago•2 min saved

Frozen in Time: Ancient Landscape Unearthed Under Antarctic Ice

A hidden landscape larger than Belgium, discovered under layers of thick ice in East Antarctica, could potentially be exposed if the ice caps continue to melt. Recent research has found that the Denman and Scott Glaciers in East Antarctica are experiencing an acceleration of ice melting, which could contribute up to five feet to rising sea levels. The study also revealed the presence of long rivers of freshwater flowing from inside the ice sheets towards the coast due to geothermal heat. This freshwater, when thrown into the ocean, could draw warm ocean water closer to the ice, accelerating the melting process. Scientists warn that the potential melting of this hidden landscape could have dangerous consequences and may lead to underestimating Antarctica's contribution to global sea level rise.

via UNILAD|

#antarctica #environment #geothermal-heat