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Ice Sheets

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Mantle Waves Helped Antarctica Freeze Ahead of the Arctic
science7 days ago

Mantle Waves Helped Antarctica Freeze Ahead of the Arctic

A new study argues that deep-Earth mantle waves, triggered during the Gondwana breakup, uplifted East Antarctica around 45 million years ago. This uplift raised elevations high enough for snow to persist, allowing the East Antarctic ice sheet to form by about 34–35 million years ago and contribute to global cooling. The Arctic, lacking similar high terrain, lagged behind by roughly 25 million years, with climate and CO2 declines later driving ice-age conditions. The work suggests geology helped set the stage for ice sheets long before climate alone made the poles cold.

via The Conversation|
#antarctica#geology#ice-sheets
Thin Ice and Light Winds Move Death Valley's Sailing Stones
science18 days ago

Thin Ice and Light Winds Move Death Valley's Sailing Stones

Scientists confirmed how the famous sailing stones at Racetrack Playa move: during a rare winter, a shallow pond freezes into a 3–6 mm ice sheet that cracks into panels; a light breeze pushes these panels, sliding heavy rocks across the mud at a walking pace. The 2013–2014 study installed a weather station, time-lapse cameras, and GPS loggers, capturing major moves (one rock ≈65 m in 16 minutes; total trails up to 224 m) and showing that movement is episodic and dependent on precise conditions, while older theories of hurricane winds or thick ice are unlikely. The finding explains many trails, though not all on the playa, and highlights how subtle forces can shape dramatic landscapes.

via Space Daily|
#death-valley#gps-tracking#ice-sheets
Ocean Warming and Ice Melt Push Global Sea Levels Higher, Study Finds
environment1 month ago

Ocean Warming and Ice Melt Push Global Sea Levels Higher, Study Finds

Global sea levels are rising at an accelerating pace driven mainly by warming oceans expanding water, with glaciers and ice sheets contributing increasingly; improved satellite and tide-gauge measurements close a long-standing discrepancy between observations and known causes, and scientists warn sea levels will keep rising for centuries due to climate inertia.

via ScienceDaily|
#environment#glaciers#ice-sheets
Antarctica’s Hidden Gravity Hole Points to Deep-Earth Roots of Its Ice Sheets
earth-and-climate4 months ago

Antarctica’s Hidden Gravity Hole Points to Deep-Earth Roots of Its Ice Sheets

Scientists mapped a gravity low beneath Antarctica caused by extremely slow deep-Earth rock movements over tens of millions of years. The anomaly strengthened between about 50 and 30 million years ago, coinciding with the emergence of Antarctica’s vast ice sheets, suggesting mantle dynamics may have helped shape surface ice and sea level. Using earthquake data like a planetary CT scan and computer models, researchers reconstructed the gravity hole’s history and plan to explore how these interior processes influence climate.

via ScienceDaily|
#antarctica#earth-and-climate#earthquakes
Antarctic gravity low strengthens as mantle dynamics reshape the geoid
science4 months ago

Antarctic gravity low strengthens as mantle dynamics reshape the geoid

Scientists mapped Earth’s interior with earthquakes to build a 3D mantle model and a map of the Antarctic Geoid Low, finding the depression has persisted for about 70 million years but has intensified over the last 40–50 million years as subducted slabs sank and buoyant mantle material rose. The results, which also align with true polar wander, suggest deep Earth processes can subtly shift sea level and influence the growth of Antarctica’s ice sheet; the work was published in Scientific Reports.

via ScienceAlert|
#antarctic-geoid-low#gravity-field#ice-sheets
Scientists warn of irreversible Antarctic changes and potential catastrophe
science6 months ago

Scientists warn of irreversible Antarctic changes and potential catastrophe

Australian scientists warn that Antarctica is experiencing rapid, irreversible climate changes, including shrinking sea ice, weakening ocean currents, and destabilizing ice sheets, driven by global warming. These changes threaten global sea levels and ecosystems, emphasizing the urgent need for deep emission cuts this decade to prevent irreversible damage.

via Earth.com|
#antarctica#climate-change#global-warming
Satellite Data Confirms Accelerating Sea-Level Rise and Future Risks
science10 months ago

Satellite Data Confirms Accelerating Sea-Level Rise and Future Risks

Satellite data from 1993 to 2023 confirms that sea levels are rising faster than expected, validating early climate models and highlighting the significant role of melting ice sheets and regional differences. Continued monitoring is essential for refining future projections and implementing targeted interventions for vulnerable coastal areas.

via Indian Defence Review|
#climate-change#ice-sheets#regional-variability
Scientists Reveal Hidden 34-Million-Year-Old World Beneath Antarctica's Ice
science1 year ago

Scientists Reveal Hidden 34-Million-Year-Old World Beneath Antarctica's Ice

Scientists have discovered ancient mountain peaks buried beneath Antarctica's ice in the Transantarctic Mountains, revealing a complex geological history involving multiple mountain-building and erosion events linked to tectonic shifts and glaciations, including a major glacial period around 300 million years ago that influenced the development of the continent's ice sheets.

via Indian Defence Review|
#antarctica#geology#ice-sheets