Sea ice in the Arctic has likely hit its maximum extent for the year, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on 26 March. That maximum extent is one of the lowest ever recorded, tying last year’s record for the least sea ice coverage in the 48-year observational record.
sea ice
Posted inResearch & Developments
Antarctic Ice Sheet Has Lost a Connecticut-Sized Amount of Ice Over the Past 30 Years
A new study of Antarctica has found that since 1996, its ice sheet has lost 12,820 square kilometers (nearly 5,000 square miles) of ice—nearly enough to cover the state of Connecticut, or 10 cities the size of Greater Los Angeles.
Posted inNews
Amid the Arctic’s Hottest Year, Arctic Science Faces a Data Deficiency
The 20th annual Arctic Report Card reveals new highs in temperature and new lows in sea ice, as well as an uncertain outlook for the availability of federal data.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A New Way for Coastal Planners to Explore the Costs of Rising Seas
A framework featuring a range of plausible future sea level rise scenarios could help coastal planners prepare critical infrastructure for the worst-case scenario.
Posted inNews
La salinidad del Océano Austral podría estar desencadenando la pérdida de hielo marino
Nuevas tecnologías satelitales han revelado que el Océano Austral se está volviendo más salino, un giro inesperado de los eventos que podría representar un gran problema para la Antártida.
Posted inNews
Ice Diatoms Glide at Record-Low Temperatures
New observations reveal how microscopic organisms move through polar ice and illustrate how they may have evolved to thrive in extreme environments.
Posted inNews
Arctic Ice Shelf Theory Challenged by Ancient Algae
Chemical signatures of marine organisms reveal that seasonal sea ice, not a massive ice shelf, persisted in the southern Arctic Ocean for 750,000 years.
Posted inNews
Southern Ocean Salinity May Be Triggering Sea Ice Loss
New satellite technology has revealed that the Southern Ocean is getting saltier, an unexpected turn of events that could spell big trouble for Antarctica.
Posted inNews
Whaling Records Can Help Improve Estimates of Sea Ice Extent
The locations of humpback whale catches in the early 20th century indicate that most climate models overestimate the historic extent of sea ice in the Southern Ocean.
Posted inScience Updates
Finding Consensus on Arctic Ocean Climate History
Understanding the effects of a “blue” Arctic Ocean on future climate requires a coordinated effort to study Earth’s past warm periods using a variety of classical and cutting-edge methods.