polar science Archives - State of the Planet

In Sediments Below Antarctic Ice, Scientists Discover a Giant Groundwater System

For the first time, scientists have mapped in detail water locked in a deep basin far under the Antarctic ice. The discovery could have implications for how the continent reacts to, or even contributes to, climate change.

by |May 5, 2022

Solar Energy Explains Fast Yearly Retreat of Southern Ocean Sea Ice

Sea ice in the Southern Ocean retreats each year much faster than it develops. This has puzzled scientists, but the explanation turns out to be simple.

by |March 28, 2022

Scientists Have Discovered an Ancient Lake Bed Deep Beneath the Greenland Ice

Using radar and other techniques, researchers have mapped out the sediments left by a lake that apparently existed before Greenland was glaciated. Next step: drilling through the ice to see what they contain.

by |November 10, 2020

Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

To measure algal blooms across large regions of the Greenland ice, and understand their effects on melting over time, scientists are turning to space.

by |October 15, 2020

Stability Check on Antarctica Reveals High Risk for Long-Term Sea Level Rise

The warmer it gets, the faster Antarctica will lose ice, and at some point the losses will become irreversible. That is what researchers say in a new cover story in the leading journal Nature, in which they calculate how much warming the Antarctic Ice Sheet can survive.

by |September 23, 2020

Warmer Temperatures Drive Arctic Greening

Using satellite images spanning decades, a new study has found that the northern tundra is becoming greener, as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.

by |September 22, 2020

Deep Channels Linking Antarctic Glacier’s Underside to Ocean Could Hasten Melting

Newly discovered seabed channels beneath the Thwaites Glacier may be pathways for warm ocean water to melt the ice’s undersides and contribute to sea level rise.

by |September 9, 2020

Antarctic Ice Shelves Vulnerable to Sudden Meltwater-Driven Fracturing, Says Study

A new study says that many of the ice shelves ringing Antarctica could be vulnerable to quick destruction if rising temperatures drive melt water into the numerous fractures that currently penetrate their surfaces.

by |August 26, 2020

Greenland Ice Sheet Saw Record Loss in 2019

An international team of polar researchers says that the Greenland ice sheet experienced record loss in 2019.

by |August 20, 2020

Treading on Shrinking Ice

In a new book, glaciologist Marco Tedesco takes the reader on a personal journey through his sometimes dangerous work.

by |August 11, 2020