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. […]
Nature Communications, 7 February 2023 Fifteen million people around the world are at risk from flooding caused by glacial lakes, with more than half of these people living in just four countries: Pakistan, China, India, and Peru. This study provides the first global assessment of the most vulnerable regions to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs); […]
Nature Climate Change, 6 February 2023 Warm air currents from the tropics have caused more than one-third of the sea ice decline over the past four decades in the Barents-Kara Seas and central Arctic. “Atmospheric rivers” carry dense clouds of warm water vapor from low-latitude climates into polar regions. When they flow over newly formed […]
News Briefing: 6 February 2023 In January 2023, Arctic sea ice reached its second lowest extent for this time of year in the satellite record; while Antarctic sea ice extent remained at record-breaking lows throughout the month. It is almost unprecedented to have both polar regions simultaneously experiencing record- or near-record lows of sea ice […]
The Cryosphere Pavilion traditionally has five displays, one for each of the main cryosphere dynamics: ice sheets, mountain glaciers and snow, permafrost, polar oceans, and sea ice. During COP27, the fifth totem was almost toppled over on its side, with the remaining four standing tall. Based on the conclusions of the IPCC Sixth Assessment and […]
Geology, 20 January 2023 Researchers in the northern Antarctic Peninsula can use frozen moss samples to measure the growth and retreat of glaciers thousands of years ago, providing rare historical data in regions where other ice records have been lost. When a glacier advances, it covers the ground near its base in a layer of […]
News Briefing: 2 February 2023 For the first time in at least seven thousand years, the Hinman Glacier’s ice and snowpack has fully melted, forming a large body of water now unofficially known as the “Hinman Lake.” Hinman was the largest glacier between Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak in Washington state, U.S. Smaller glaciers in […]
This event summarized the key messages from the five-day conference “Cryosphere 2022: International Symposium on Ice, Snow, and Water in a Warming World,” that took place in Reykjavík last August. Members of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, WMO, Icelandic Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate as well as participants from the symposium emphasized the importance […]