An enormous iceberg — comprising more than 5,000 square kilometers of mass — is now on the verge of breaking off from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica, following the rapid expansion of a rift there last month.
Going on a mix of climate modeling, satellite observation, and on-site measurement, new research has indicated that East Antarctica’s ice sheet may be more vulnerable to melting “than expected.”
One of the key glaciers in West Antarctica, as far as the stability of the ice sheet there, Pine Island Glacier, was the site of an enormous 225-square mile iceberg calving in 2015. New research from Ohio State University has determined that this event was even more notable than first thought, as it was the result of a deep, subsurface crack that had formed approximately 20 miles inland — nowhere directly near the calving event.
2016 is very likely to be the hottest year on record when it’s over, according to a new assessment from the World Meteorological Organization. As it stands, preliminary data are showing that global temperatures in 2016 are roughly 1.2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels — not far below the supposed “safe” limit of 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In order to better explain to children and laypeople the complex mechanisms related to global warming and the Antarctic Ice Sheet, researchers have partnered with game developers to create a new game that illustrates the way that the Antarctic Ice Sheet will be affected by anthropogenic climate change, according to an … [continued]
By Fang Guo The use of autonomous robots for polar exploration is not an unheard of subject, but what about a research vehicle that is powered completely with renewable energy? Now that would be something to brag about! Turns out researchers have already started to utilize this impressive combination of technologies. … [continued]
New research has revealed that West Antarctica is actually warming nearly two times faster than was previously thought. This finding suggests, therefore, that sea levels may rise much faster than was previously predicted. The average annual temperatures in West Antarctica, at the Byrd research station, have increased an incredible … [continued]
Antarctica seems more like a dead zone than a haven for renewable energy, but solar and wind power are slowly taking hold on Antarctic research bases. The Rothera base already has a $58,000 set of solar thermal panels that generate 15 kW of energy, and soon it will receive $11,000 … [continued]
