Seasonal changes in the forces that pull and push ice play a major role in when meltwater runs through glaciers and into the ocean.
glaciers & ice sheets
Posted inResearch & Developments
Sea Level Rise is Accelerating, Scientists Confirm
New research closes the sea level budget gap and takes account of the drivers of sea level change.
Posted inNews
Changes in Sea Ice Microstructure Could Affect Climate Models
Granular sea ice needs to be twice as porous as columnar ice to allow water to flow through it—up to 10% brine by volume.
Posted inScience Updates
New Directions in Mapping Ice Sheet Fabrics and Flow
Polarimetric radar advances enable scientists to measure orientations of crystals, bubbles, and other properties that affect the flow of glaciers and ice sheets—and their contributions to sea level.
Posted inNews
The Forensics of a Skyscraper-Sized Tsunami
A landslide in Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska created the second-largest tsunami on record. A new analysis links this abrupt event to the retreat of a glacier and, ultimately, to climate change.
Posted inNews
Widening Channels and Westerly Winds Together Formed Earth’s Strongest Current
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current could only develop once wind patterns aligned with new ocean passages 34 million years ago, a new study suggests.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Choice of Glen’s n Leads to Differing Projections of Ice Sheet Mass Loss
Glen’s Law describes the simple physics of ice flow that underpins ice sheet models, but parameter choices substantially influence the outcome of model projections.
Posted inScience Updates
Melting Glaciers Make the Coastal Ocean More Sensitive
Fresh water from retreating ice does more than raise sea levels. It affects how the ocean responds to acidification and other environmental changes.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Glaciers May Flow into the Ocean More Quickly Than We Think
New research found that adjusting a key model variable may give more accurate predictions of glacial retreat.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
An Ancient Landscape Beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Geophysical observations of the subglacial topography of Coats Land reveal a landscape formed by tectonics and fluvial erosion that influenced the formation of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.