Nature Climate Change, 30 March 2026 Rising temperatures increase the frequency of retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) – landslide-like ground failures driven by permafrost thaw – which rapidly strip vegetation, destabilize terrain, and release previously stored soil carbon into the atmosphere across northern tundra regions. This study shows that vegetation recovery following these events varies widely, […]
Nature Communications, 30 March 2026 Surface melting in Antarctica is projected to increase this century, with the area experiencing surface melt expanding by more than 10% by 2100 under high emissions. Only low emissions scenarios will keep the spread of surface melting from increasing beyond present levels. Surface melting alters how much solar heat the […]
Permafrost is a critical component of the global climate system because its thaw releases vast stores of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, amplifying global warming and destabilizing the ground in Arctic and mountain regions. This side event summarized the state of knowledge on permafrost thaw; the potential carbon emissions anticipated under present warming […]
Communications Earth & Environment, 27 March 2026 The potential collapse of the major system of global ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could cause release of large amounts of carbon from the Southern Ocean, increasing atmospheric CO2 and adding roughly 0.2°C of additional global warming. The AMOC transports warm surface water […]
Nature Climate Change, 18 March 2026 Sea ice extent around Antarctica was fairly stable or very slightly (1-2%) expanding for several decades until reaching record-breaking lows in 2017, when strong winds churned up warm water from the deep ocean, breaking through the “winter water” layer that previously protected the ice from melting. Antarctic winter water […]
Nature Communications, 19 March 2026 A reduction in western Eurasian snow cover played a pivotal role in the record-breaking January 2025 wildfires in Southern California. These proved the costliest in recorded history, claiming at least 31 lives and destroying more than 16,000 buildings, obliterating nearly all structures across nearly 80 square miles. Its unusual timing […]
Nature Scientific Reports, 17 March 2026 Nine North American glaciers surveyed in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year as long-term benchmarks have experienced substantial losses in both volume and area due to global warming. Using satellite technology, researchers closely documented the evolution of these glaciers over the past seven decades and found that all have […]
Solar cooking can deliver meaningful benefits for the cryosphere by reducing emissions that accelerate snow and ice melt. Around 2.1 billion people rely on fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene for daily cooking. These fuels emit carbon dioxide as well as black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants that travel through the atmosphere and […]
NSIDC and NASA’s Earth Observatory, 27 March 2026 Arctic sea ice has spread to its greatest area or “maximum extent” for 2026, as occurs each year around the spring equinox (March 20-21), when the sun has returned to the entire Arctic Ocean and sea ice stop its winter growth and begins the melt season; reaching […]
Atmospheric Science Letters, 5 March 2026 Melting polar sea ice will weaken the frequency and intensity of winter storm systems known as Western Disturbances this century under high emissions, reducing winter precipitation and snow accumulation in the Himalayas, which support major river systems across South Asia. Western Disturbances are extratropical storms that originate in the […]
Nature Communications, 13 March 2026 Rough ridges in Arctic sea ice create habitats that sustain exceptionally diverse microbial communities, which face increasing risk with rising temperatures. These ridges store frozen organic material in the winter, and transform into hotspots of algal productivity in summer, holding up to eight times more algae than nearby smooth ice […]
National Snow and Ice Data Center, March 2026 As of March 2026, satellite observations indicate that this year’s Arctic sea ice maximum extent is on track to place lowest on record, following very closely with the record-breaking low set in 2025. Sea ice grows throughout the winter as temperatures freeze before reaching its annual maximum […]
The Arctic Ocean is under increasing pressure from climate change, with sea ice loss as well as ocean acidification, warming, and freshening occurring more rapidly in the Arctic compared to the rest of the global ocean. This event brought together a range of voices to discuss what is needed to protect this vulnerable ecosystem. They […]
PNAS Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2 March 2026 Satellite radar observations from 1992-2025 show concentrated areas of rapid retreat of the “grounding line,” where where this massive ice sheet meets the ocean floor. These regions include Wilkes and George V Lands in East Antarctica; the Bellingshausen Sea, Amundsen Sea, and Getz Ice Shelf sectors […]
Nature, 4 March 2026 A review of 385 coastal hazard studies published between 2009 and 2025 found that more than 99% of them inadequately integrate sea levels with land elevation data, often underrepresenting coastal risk. About 90% of studies relied on “zero elevation geoid models” rather than measured sea-level data, which led to systematic errors. […]