Nature Reviews: Earth and Environment, 11 February 2025 A recent review article explains the history of atmospheric rivers in Antarctica, highlighting that the rivers have led to 50-70% of extreme snowfalls, but have also triggered major surface melting events. The review warns that atmospheric rivers will likely grow more frequent and intense with rising global […]

The Cryosphere, 23 January 2025 Improved ice sheet modeling techniques in this study indicate that current rates of ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet show a strong possibility of future collapse in the region, even with no further warming. If ocean temperatures simply remain at present-day levels for several centuries, the models project […]

AGU Earth’s Future, 16 December 2024 This interdisciplinary risk assessment of coastal threats consolidated data on erosion, sea-level rise, and permafrost thaw across the Arctic to produce the first comprehensive map illustrating the vulnerability of coastal communities and infrastructure to climate change. Results show that by 2100, 45% of coastal settlements will be impacted by […]

Permafrost plays a critical role when calculating current and future carbon emissions. Senior researchers explain recent trends in permafrost thaw, and outline future carbon dioxide and methane emissions from this thaw under multiple emissions scenarios, including our current climate trajectory. They go into depth about the state of monitoring, measuring, and accounting for these emissions. […]

Nature Communications, 3 February 2025 An analysis of climate change alongside population growth finds that a greater number of people than previously estimated will live on the frontlines of extreme flooding in coming decades, with an additional 300,000 people in high-risk flood areas by the end of the century. High-resolution models also reveal that lower-income […]

Communications Earth and Environment, 23 January 2025 The Arctic’s “Last Ice Area” (LIA) – the area north of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago long seen as the region where year-round sea ice would survive the longest, providing a potential refuge for ice-dependent species – could disappear less than a decade after the central Arctic […]

Sea ice is a unique, fundamental, and fragile habitat in the Arctic and Antarctic. Rising temperatures decrease its thickness and extent, pushing delicate marine environments out of balance with global consequences. Science and policy experts discussed ongoing and future changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, their effects on polar ocean ecosystems, and current preparedness […]

Nature Geoscience, 03 February 2025 New satellite mapping models have revealed increases in both the size and depth of large cracks on the Greenland ice sheet from 2016 to 2021. These cracks progressively weaken and reduce the stability of the ice sheet. This study documented how rising ocean temperatures have sped up the flow of […]

Nature Climate Change, 21 January 2025 Arctic tundra, forests, wetlands and permafrost store large quantities of carbon emissions, but new data indicates that at least 30% of this “boreal” zone is now releasing more carbon than it takes up during the growing season. Rising temperatures have transformed this frozen landscape into a net source of […]

Lead author Dr. Eric Wolff from Cambridge University summarized a recent Nature paper on the stability of West Antarctica during the Last Inter-Glacial 125,000 years ago. Temperatures were about 3°C warmer in the region than pre-industrial during this time, and global sea levels at least 5 and up to 10 meters higher; yet the key […]

Nature, 29 January 2025 The largest source of uncertainty in the rate and extent of sea-level rise with high emissions is the fate and stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Understanding how this region reacts to higher temperatures is critical for predicting future sea-level rise. In this study, researchers used ice core records to […]

Communications Earth & Environment, 22 January 2025 Late summer Arctic sea ice extent has decreased by more than 40% since 1979. In light of this trend, a new study investigated how Arctic cyclones impact sea ice loss over short, two-week time scales. Researchers found that increasingly warm summer temperatures and thinning sea ice have increased […]

Nature Climate Change, 6 January 2025 Rising temperatures have increased the frequency of extreme ocean warming events around the world, and the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice in recent decades makes these waters particularly vulnerable to sudden and extreme temperature fluctuations. Sea ice historically protected the Arctic Ocean from such warming events by serving […]

Dr. Robert Kopp, Rutgers University, summarizes his recent Nature Climate Change paper, which takes issue with the utility of the term “tipping points” as a way to communicate urgency for climate ambition. The paper asserts that this term can confuse policy makers and the public, and even distract from or discourage urgently needed climate action. […]

WMO Headquarters in Geneva, 21 January 2025 A high-level launch event at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva on Tuesday marked the official start of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP), to highlight the need for immediate and deep emissions reductions to “preserve” the critical role of glaciers; and address the equally-urgent challenges […]