Nature Geoscience, 19 June 2023 Meltwater flows into millions of hairline cracks across the surface of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, transferring heat deep into the ice and rendering them more vulnerable to climate warming than previously estimated. These centimeter-wide fractures are too small to be detected by satellites, but they allow streams of […]

Svalbard is one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth, and these high temperatures have driven unprecedented rates of glacier ice loss as well as “surges” – glaciers that suddenly speed up, moving up to tens of meters/day for short periods. This session from COP27 explains the consequences of Arctic amplification on snow and ice loss, […]

Scientific Reports, 6 June 2023 Diminishing stocks of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean have decreased the average weight of southern right whales by 23% in the past three decades, reducing their ability to produce healthy offspring. This is the first study to measure the long-term bodily harm of decreasing Southern Ocean productivity on capital […]

Nature Climate Change, 25 May 2023 In a major basin south of Australia, increased meltwater runoff from Antarctica has decreased deep ocean oxygen levels and slowed overturning circulation by one-third over the past three decades. This region serves as an early-warning signal for global deep ocean changes due to its downstream position from the Antarctic […]

Southern Ocean ecosystems are critically important to regional biodiversity, global food security and ocean health. These ecosystems are under severe threat from climate change and other direct human impacts. This side event at COP27 brought together key scientific and policy organizations working in the Southern Ocean to discuss the major priorities for understanding and protecting […]

Nature, 28 June 2023 Rising temperatures turn snowfall into rainfall, increasing the susceptibility of mountain regions to extreme rain and hazards such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion. This study provides the first assessment of high-altitude “hotspots” across the Northern Hemisphere, which face compounding hazards as atmospheric warming increases the fraction of water that precipitates […]

This session from COP27 brought together a wide range of speakers to share insights on the importance of urgent policy action to reduce global emissions and help mountain communities adapt to the rapid and devastating consequences of glacier and snow loss in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. This side event was organized by the International Centre […]

20 June 2023 Building on the 2019 Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) assessment report, a major study from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) provides the most complete assessment of snow, ice, and permafrost in the Himalayas to date. The report draws on recent scientific advances to map the extensive links between cryosphere, water, […]

Copernicus Climate Change Service, 20 June 2023 The sixth annual European State of the Climate (ESOTC) Report for 2022 was released June 20 by the European Commission, providing a detailed analysis of the climate this past year and the latest observations on major cryosphere dynamics, with a special focus on the Arctic. The first section […]

Mountain, polar and low-lying nations came together in a side event at the SB58 meetings on June 8, 2023 to discuss the latest cryosphere science and its key implications for UNFCCC adaptation, loss and damage, and mitigation processes. Negotiators from a wide range of countries raised their concern about the global impacts of snow and […]

Nature Communications, 6 June 2023 This study, calibrating latest models from the IPCC with actual observations, found greenhouse gases as the main driver of Arctic sea ice loss over the past four decades; and in a new finding, also the leading cause of the ice loss now occurring during all seasons/every month of the year. […]

Dr. Dirk Notz co-authored the above paper and spoke at the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP25 in Madrid, offering insight on historical trends in Arctic sea ice, its far-reaching significance for ecosystems and weather patterns, and how its rapid decline amplifies Arctic warming today. “The disappearance of Arctic sea ice, in addition to everything that it […]

Antarctica: ATCM XLV – CEP XXV in Helsinki, Finland Released by ICCI on June 14, 2023 The 45th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) began on May 29 in Helsinki, Finland; along with the associated advisory body, the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) meeting in its 25th session. The Antarctic Treaty includes primarily those nations engaged […]

Nature Communications Earth & Environment, 22 May 2023 The ability of mountain snowpack to store water has significantly decreased across 25% of the Cascades, Rockies, Sierra Nevada and Columbia Mountains over the past seven decades. In coming summers, the Western U.S. and Canada will experience increased risk of wildfires and water shortages, with some regions […]

The IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report made it clear that glaciers are losing ice worldwide, even in high altitude regions where they were previously stable. Most glacier regions have even passed “peak water,” where melt was at its highest; and snowpack also is decreasing in important watersheds, such as the North American West. This session from […]