Much research has been dedicated to studying the effects of climate change and global warming on the Antarctic ice sheet and sea levels; but the same can’t be said about the ice-free parts of the region, which cover less than 1% of the continent. Researchers modelled the potential effect of climate change under two Intergovernmental […]
Tag: sea ice
Antarctic Peninsula ice more stable than previously reported, according to satellite study
A recent assessment of glacier flow in Western Palmer Land on the Antarctic Peninsula reveals that sea-ice loss in the region isn’t as drastic as previously reported. Using five different satellites, researchers tracked changes in the speed of more than 30 glaciers over the past 25 years. Their findings provide evidence that Western Palmer Land […]
As levels of sea-ice decline, so do polar bear populations 
The Arctic sea-ice is vital to polar bears’ hunting and breeding habits. So it comes as no surprise that the decline in sea-ice as a result of anthropogenic climate change has a great effect on the polar bear populations. An international team of researchers further demonstrated this vital relationship by calculating probability in population decrease […]
Retreat of the fastest melting glacier in Antarctica began in 1945
The loss of ice on Pine Island Glacier makes up about a quarter of Antarctica’s melt, and a new study pinpointed the source of its fast retreat to the El Nino event of 1945. Using dating techniques, an international team of researchers studied sediment cores from the glacier’s floating ice shelf. They discovered that the […]
As sea-ice melts, beluga whale migration patterns change
Every year in the summer, belugas swim to a predetermined spot to moult, feed and mate. But the melting and subsequent shifts in sea-ice could get in the way of the whales’ vital trek. A new study analyzes data from a 20-year span to study how shifting ice patterns influence beluga migration. Researchers found that […]
Arctic sea-ice decline has made severe Eurasian winters twice as likely
The decline in Arctic sea ice over the past few decades has doubled the chance of severe winters in Europe and Asia, a new study shows. Researchers performed computer simulations to show that sea-ice decline in the Arctic Barents and Kara seas since 2004 is linked to blocking situations of the jetstream which in turn […]
Shrinking Arctic sea ice | Webinar recording
Shrinking Arctic sea ice – September 12, 2012 Arctic sea ice is melting faster and more extensively than ever recorded in three decades of satellite measurement – and it’s not done yet. Data released from the National Snow and Ice Data Center says that sea ice area is now less than four million square kilometres – about […]
Catlin Arctic Survey | Webinar announcement
Catlin Arctic Survey – Webinar Announcement Meet the team of scientists heading up to the Canadian Arctic to help unravel the mystery of how Arctic Ocean currents help drive weather, wind and precipitation in the North Atlantic. The SMCC held an online news briefing for the Canadian launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey. This […]
