All articles tagged with #ice melt
A major study using NASA/ESA satellite data finds Greenland and Antarctica have lost about 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, enough to raise global sea levels by roughly one inch. Most melt comes from warmer ocean waters and dynamic ice processes, not just warmer air, signaling continued sea‑level rise for decades even if warming slows.
A GNSS-based study (1997–2015) finds the poles rising while the equator sinks due to ice melt and mass redistribution, so the solid Earth is becoming less flattened even as the geoid grows more flattened.
An international study using 45 independent surveys and 27 satellites finds Greenland and Antarctica have melted about 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, raising global sea levels by roughly 1 inch; most melt comes from warmer ocean waters attacking the ice from below and at the edges, with dynamic glacier loss accelerating even as a short pause occurred around 2020–2023. Greenland’s Jakobshavn glacier is retreating as much as 50 meters per day, and Antarctic mass loss is rising, underscoring long‑term coastal risks driven by a warming ocean.
The 2025 State of the Climate report from the American Meteorological Society and NOAA warns that global warming is intensifying: oceans reached record-high temperatures for a third straight year, marine heatwaves covered about 87% of the world’s oceans, the Greenland Ice Sheet shed roughly 129 gigatons, surface albedo declined as land surfaces darkened and cloudiness fell, oceans absorbed about 90% of the excess heat and continued to acidify and lose oxygen. Fossil-fuel emissions remain the primary driver of warming and extreme weather, underscoring the need for resilience and stronger climate policies.
Three new studies and accessible explainers suggest Thwaites Glacier is melting faster than previously thought: an under-ice collapse could begin within a year, with the glacier potentially speeding toward the sea over decades to a century; visuals explain tides, warming waters, and feedbacks, with Marine Ice Sheet Instability favored, underscoring scientists’ call for drastic carbon reductions to mitigate future impacts.
An autonomous submarine named Ran mapped the underside of West Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing terraces, channels and teardrop pits carved by basal melt, before losing contact and disappearing after traveling roughly ten miles beneath the ice for about 24 hours; the data improve understanding of how warm deep water melts ice from below and influence future sea-level predictions, but the cause of Ran's disappearance remains unknown.
An autonomous submarine named Ran vanished under Antarctica’s Dotson Ice Shelf in January 2024 after 14 successful missions mapping about 130 square kilometers; though lost, the data it collected revealed unexpected ice–ocean features and erosion patterns that challenge current melt models, with the western part melting faster due to turbulent waters. Researchers at ITGC plan to replace Ran with Ran II to continue the mission, and the findings were published in Science Advances, potentially reshaping predictions of sea‑level rise.
HiRISE images of Mars’ northern ice cap at Chasma Boreale show springtime ice melt and crescent dunes that reveal wind patterns across the Martian surface, highlighting seasonal changes on the red planet.
A PNAS study using satellite laser ranging shows that ocean mass increase from melting land ice—especially Greenland and mountain glaciers—now dominates global sea-level rise, contributing about 60% of the ~90 mm rise from 1993–2022, and aligning with satellite altimeter measurements to improve climate projections.
As melting ice from last month’s storm collapses along the Upper West Side, four weeks of curbside detritus— wrappers, bottles, takeout, and even dog mess—are revealed, turning once-majestic mounds into a grimy map of urban life. The piece also meanders through Central Park’s glacial past, highlighting rock scars and park features shaped by the Wisconsin glaciation, from Belvedere Castle to Summit Rock, and closes with a meditation on what winter hides about us and what we might shed as spring returns.
A major winter storm is forecast to slam the Philadelphia region this weekend, with 6–10 inches of snow likely and a nonzero chance of more than 10 inches. Snow is expected to arrive late Saturday night and peak Sunday, potentially impacting travel as airlines waive rebooking fees. Shoppers are already seeing shortages of ice-melt products and shovels at local hardware stores as preparations intensify.
A seismic study using data from hundreds of stations finds thick, soft sediments beneath Greenland’s ice bed, enabling faster glacier movement than hard rock; the bed’s patchy distribution could speed ice loss and alter sea‑level forecasts, highlighting the need for denser bed mapping and integrated meltwater–flow models.
Advances in imaging technology have revealed Antarctica's rugged land beneath its ice, showing that if all ice melted, sea levels could rise by 58 meters. The Bedmap2 map, created in 2013, provides detailed insights into the continent's subglacial landscape, which influences ice flow and melting. Current climate change is causing Antarctica's ice sheets to thaw at a rapid rate, contributing to global sea level rise, with scientists now developing an even more detailed Bedmap3.
Greenland is gradually shifting northwest and changing shape due to ice accumulation, melting, and geological forces, which could impact navigation and understanding of climate change effects. Researchers used 20 years of GPS data to analyze these movements, revealing complex interactions between tectonics, glacial rebound, and ice melt, with implications for future modeling and navigation in the region.
Greenland has been shifting northwest by about two centimeters annually over the past 20 years due to ice melt caused by climate change, affecting its size and shape, with implications for geoscience and navigation; this movement underscores the accelerating impact of global warming on the Arctic, prompting increased awareness and conservation efforts worldwide.