Every increment of warming increases the amount of carbon released by thawing permafrost in the Arctic, and these emissions will continue for centuries even if temperatures lower again. In this session, speakers focus on intergenerational climate justice related to the ever-increasing burden of permafrost emissions on future generations. The event was organized by the Woodwell […]
Link to the Summary for Policy Makers: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/ The IPCC on March 20, 2023 approved the final installment of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the “Synthesis Report,” bringing together the world’s leading scientists to create a comprehensive assessment of current climate change. The Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) is the result of over five days […]
Journal of Climate, 15 March 2023 This study compared projected Arctic ocean temperatures from the most recent IPCC climate models with actual observations from the Arctic Ocean; and found that models consistently underestimated ocean temperatures and the degree of warming. It concluded that future Arctic warming and especially, sea ice loss will proceed much faster […]
Nature, 15 March 2023 An examination of decades of measurements from the Fram Strait concluded that Arctic sea ice crossed an essentially irreversible threshold of loss between 2005-2007, when fully half of the Arctic’s thick multi-year ice disappeared — and has never recovered. Even today, less than one-tenth of Arctic sea ice passing through the […]
For those attending the UN 2023 Water Conference next week, please join us in Conference Room 5 from 14:00-15:15 EDT on March 23 for a side event featuring science-policy discussion on glaciers, snow, and future water availability. Presenters will highlight the crucial importance of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5°C to preserve the global […]
Bringing together a wide range of scientists and government representatives, this side event provided insight on the comprehensive management of climate change at a national level, with an emphasis on tropical glaciers and future water resources in Peru. Presenters shared the latest scientific findings carried out by the Peruvian National Institute for Research on Glaciers […]
Science Advances, 1 March 2023 Freshwater wetlands across the northern US and Canada will likely release three times more methane than today by the end of the century if temperatures exceed 3-4°C, but these emissions could be nearly halved by following a low emissions pathway. Tiny microbes in wetlands release large amounts of methane into […]
Nature Climate Change, 2 March 2023 This study measures natural variations in local sea level and finds that future sea-level rise hotspots will appear in western tropical Pacific Islands, the Western Indian Ocean, and six major Southeast Asian megacities: Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila. Researchers predict that these regions will […]
On our current warming trajectory, permafrost emissions may rival those of major economies in just a few decades. In this session, panelists discuss the Paris Agreement’s goals and the importance of accounting for carbon dioxide and methane emissions from permafrost. Dr. Heather Goldstone of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, moderated the event. Panelists included Dr. […]
Nature Geoscience, 27 February 2023 Researchers have known for decades that ice loss from Greenland increases during the spring and summer, but this study reveals for the first time that Antarctic glaciers are similarly vulnerable to warm seasons. Glaciers on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula speed up the most, flowing one-fifth faster in […]
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is the most vulnerable region of the continent, and has the potential to contribute several meters of sea level rise in coming centuries. When warm waters flow over the continental shelf, they can erode the ice from its base and produce instabilities in the ice sheet. Over time, these […]
Nature, 15 February 2023 Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) now occur at higher altitudes and six weeks earlier than they did a century ago; their declining volume provides a clear message that worldwide glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate. GLOFs release an outpouring of meltwater that can travel hundreds of kilometers, raising local river […]
The world’s mountain regions are all facing similar challenges in terms of accelerated climate change and impacts. Building on the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022 and the Mountains Connect workshop, this event at COP27 emphasized the importance of regional and interregional collaboration for sustainable mountain development. Representatives from the Alps, Andes, Caucasus, Carpathians, […]
Nature Communications, 14 February 2023 This study used a new integrated model that includes the complex interactions between ice sheets, oceans and the atmosphere; importantly, it looked at both ice sheets together, and the interactions between them. The authors found that West Antarctica and Greenland will cross an irreversible threshold if global temperatures reach 1.8°C […]
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is the most vulnerable region of the continent and has the potential to contribute several meters of sea-level rise in just a few centuries at higher temperatures. When warm water flows over the continental shelf, it can erode the ice from its base and produce instabilities in the ice sheet. […]