The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report noted that due to emissions to-date, summer loss of Arctic sea ice will now inevitably occur at least once, even under very low emissions scenarios; and likely before 2050. Although the crossing of this summer Arctic sea ice threshold can no longer be prevented, urgent emission reductions consistent with the […]

Nature, 18 January 2023 Rising emissions are warming and increasing meltwater runoff in northern Greenland, one of the most remote regions of the ice sheet. Air temperatures in this region are now 1.5°C warmer than in the mid-20th century. In this study, researchers drilled deep into the ice sheet to analyze layers of trapped gas […]

Nature Communications, 10 December 2022 Warm Atlantic waters have been filling fjords and coastal areas along northeast Greenland for the past two decades, eroding the base of glaciers. This study consolidates one hundred years of oceanographic data to reveal that this region is shifting into an “Atlantification” hotspot. Within the past few decades, an influx […]

The two polar ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice, with both increasingly contributing to sea level rise. Greenland’s ice sheet may already be the largest single contributor to global sea level rise. At the other end of the planet, portions of Antarctica are becoming increasingly vulnerable to collapse. If temperatures overshoot 2°C, […]

PLOS Biology, 22 December 2022 In this study, scientists, conservation experts and policymakers from a dozen countries came together to propose ten key “threat management strategies” that can be implemented to benefit more than 80% of Antarctic organisms. This is the first comprehensive assessment of Antarctic conservation strategies that accounts for both benefit and overall […]

Nature Climate Change, 12 January 2022 Researchers in the European Alps can use juniper shrubs to reconstruct snow conditions from hundreds of years ago, providing centuries of data in a scientific field where direct snowpack measurements have only been carried out for a few decades. Juniper shrubs live close to the ground and their growth […]

News Briefing: 27 December 2022 The Government of Nunavut released an assessment in late December in partnership with Arctic scientists, which found that polar bear populations in Hudson Bay have decreased by 27% over the past five years, much faster than projected. The town of Churchill, located in Western Hudson Bay, is a high-activity region […]

Antarctic marine species and ecosystems face an uncertain future, especially those that live in close association with ice. This event was organized by WWF-UK and illuminated the plight of emperor penguins, a species that is gravely threatened by the climate-driven disappearance of Antarctic sea ice. The abundance of these penguins may decline by 99% under […]

Science, 6 January 2023 Improved glacier-specific projections that incorporate more detailed satellite measurements and ice dynamics forecast greater glacier loss already by 2100 with continued high emissions of today (resulting in 4°C by 2100), versus rapid emissions reduction this decade which keep global mean temperatures close to 1.5°C. The difference is especially stark for the […]

This COP26 video with IPCC scientist Dr. Regine Hock, University of Oslo/University of Alaska and one of the above paper’s co-authors, explains some of the dynamics and research behind the above study released this week. Her presentation notes that glaciers are now receding and losing ice worldwide, even in regions where they seemed stable before. […]

To the widespread Cryosphere community, we wish you a fulfilling and inspiring 2023! Thanks to everyone — from researchers in the field, those developing and implementing policies, and communities on the local level — for your hard work in protecting the cryosphere, and thus both human and ecosystem well-being for future generations. This email marks […]

Dear Cryosphere Capsule Readers 30 December 2022 ICCI is looking to fill two positions early in 2023: our Outreach Director, and an Antarctica Director, which can be structured as a one- or two-year science-policy Post-doctoral Fellowship for early career researchers, similar to AAAS positions in the U.S. Capsule position descriptions are below: please forward these […]

Nature Communications, 17 December 2022 Rising temperatures in the Arctic are overwhelming the ability of sea ice to regrow in winter, which suggests that ice production is currently passing a peak and will dramatically decrease under further climate warming. The Kara and Laptev seas are sometimes referred to as Arctic “ice factories” due to their […]

Nature Communications, 21 December 2022 Small ocean currents known as “gyres” can trap heat along the edges of West Antarctica, sending warm meltwater from one ice shelf into cavities along the base of other downstream shelves, especially during the summer months. This intrusion of freshwater triggers additional melting, making these downstream ice shelves more vulnerable […]

The Arctic is currently warming three to four times faster than the rest of the world. Melting sea ice, thawing permafrost, rapidly retreating land ice and intensifying wildfires are already impacting Arctic ecosystems. These changes have devastating consequences on local and indigenous populations and will impact the lives and livelihoods of billions of people beyond […]