In August 2010, the Petermann Glacier along the north-western coast of Greenland calved an ice island roughly four times the size of Manhattan. Nearly a year later, on July 25, 2011, a piece of that ice island—named Petermann Ice Island-A (PII-A) – was still
An international team of researchers has combined data from multiple sources to provide the clearest account yet of how much glacial ice surges into the sea following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves.The work by researchers at the University of Maryland,
This year could be well on its way toward earning a dubious spot in the record books.Arctic sea ice has melted away with astonishing speed in the first half of July, at an average rate of about 46,000 square miles (120,000 square kilometers) per day, according to the Na
Employing new ice-penetrating radar over a key area of Earth’s largest body of ice, scientists are able to see a vast expanse of mountainous terrain and fjords that were carved by flowing glaciers when sea levels were some 200 feet higher than today.The shape of
In the last decade, two of the three largest glaciers in Greenland have lost enough ice that, if melted, could have filled Lake Erie.This startling picture of Greenland’s ice loss comes from a new study that refines measurements of such ice loss and is
A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and the United States has warned that the native fauna and unique ecology of the Southern Ocean, the vast body of water that surrounds the Antarctic continent, is under threat from human activity. Their study is published
The effects of climate change in the Arctic are already here. A much reduced covering of snow, shorter winter season and thawing tundra. And the changes are taking place significantly faster than previously thought. This is what emerges from a new research report on
Layers of frozen sea water, known as sea ice, cap the Arctic Ocean. The ice grows dramatically each winter, and melts just as dramatically each summer. In the past decade, the melting has grown more dramatic, while growth has become less so.The pair of images
In a controversial study, gravity maps of the Antarctic continent have revealed what could be multiple asteroid impact sites. Gravity anomalies in Antarctica might mark spots where hundreds of thousands of years ago the frozen continent was struck by giant…
A record-breaking crowd of humpback whales has been seen in chilly waters near Antarctica, giving researchers a unique opportunity to study the colossal creatures. However, scientists warn the unprecedented whale numbers, drawn to the region for all-night feasting
