Polynya near Ross Island, off the Antarctic Coast

Polynya near Ross Island, off the Antarctic Coast

In some places in Arctic and Antarctic where sea ice should occur, open water appears instead and those persistent areas of open water amidst sea ice are known as polynyas. They can happen as a result of the upwelling of warm ocean water and also from winds.Recent

Record early winter season cold in Alaska

Record early winter season cold in Alaska

Much of interior Alaska experienced record-setting early winter season cold temperatures during the middle of November 2011. Frigid temperatures are not uncommon in Alaska this time of year, but the brutal cold currently gripping Fairbanks has reached a historical

Russian scientist predicts 100 years of cooling

Russian scientist predicts 100 years of cooling

In a study of cyclic behavior of the Sun, Russian scientists now predict 100 years of cooling. IceAgeNow reports that these are not just any scientists. This forecast comes from astrophysicist Dr Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the Russian segment of the

More than 1,5 million lose power during rare October storm

More than 1,5 million lose power during rare October storm

A rare October snowstorm bore down on the heavily populated U.S. Northeast on Saturday, knocking out power to 1.7 million customers, delaying airline flights and threatening some areas with up to a foot of snow.A storm set to dump heavy, wet snow on millions of

Winter 2011: Forecast for Europe

Winter 2011: Forecast for Europe

The United KingdomLast year in the U.K., winter started quickly, with snow reaching as far south as London in November. This was a dramatic contrast to typical winters; Londoners typically don’t see much snow. However last year, many locations had close to 300 mm (a

Arctic sea ice hits record low

Arctic sea ice hits record low

The extent of the Arctic sea ice — has passed a new threshold. German researchers announced on Sept. 8 that the sea-ice cover had shrunk below its record minimum, set in 2007. Elsewhere, researchers said the race remained too close to call.The NSIDC proclaimed the

Arctic shipping routes open

Arctic shipping routes open

Satellite measurements show we are heading for another year of below-average ice cover in the Arctic. As sea ice melts during the summer months, two major shipping routes have opened in the Arctic Ocean.In 2008 satellites saw that the Northwest Passage and the Northern

Iceberg PII-A splits in two off Newfoundland

Iceberg PII-A splits in two off Newfoundland

Over a year ago, on August 5, 2010, the Petermann Glacier on the northwestern coast of Greenland calved a very large ice island. About a month later, the ice island, estimated at that time as about four times the size of Manhattan, collided with an island and broke

Satellites  mapping ice flows in the Antarctic

Satellites mapping ice flows in the Antarctic

High above the earth, satellites are now mapping ice flows in the Antarctic, providing vital information on the progress of climate change for the first time.NASA funded the researchers, who published their results this week in Science Express. The map they have