Melting Antarctic ice may weaken a major carbon sink
A new study published in Nature Geoscience shows that changes in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) closely followed shifts in marine algae growth in the Southern Ocean during past…
Satellite images reveal the fastest Antarctic glacier retreat ever
A glacier on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula has undergone the quickest ice loss documented in modern times, according to a major international study co-authored by Swansea University. Published in Nature…
Laser satellites expose a secret Antarctic carbon burst
A team of scientists has found that the Southern Ocean emits far more carbon dioxide (CO2) during the lightless Antarctic winter than researchers once believed. According to their new study,…
Melting Antarctic ice sheets will slow Earth’s strongest ocean current
Melting ice sheets are slowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world’s strongest ocean current, researchers have found. This melting has implications for global climate indicators, including sea level rise,…
Measurements from ‘lost’ Seaglider offer new insights into Antarctic ice melting
New research reveals for the first time how a major Antarctic ice shelf has been subjected to increased melting by warming ocean waters over the last four decades. Scientists from…
Antarctic ‘greening’ at dramatic rate
Vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold over the last four decades, new research shows. The Antarctic Peninsula, like many polar regions, is warming faster than…
The dawn of the Antarctic ice sheets
In recent years global warming has left its mark on the Antarctic ice sheets. The “eternal” ice in Antarctica is melting faster than previously assumed, particularly in West Antarctica more…
Warming of Antarctic deep-sea waters contribute to sea level rise in North Atlantic, study finds
Analysis of mooring observations and hydrographic data suggest the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation deep water limb in the North Atlantic has weakened. Two decades of continual observations provide a greater…
Barriers against Antarctic ice melt disappearing at the double
Undersea anchors of ice that help prevent Antarctica’s land ice from slipping into the ocean are shrinking at more than twice the rate compared with 50 years ago, research shows.…
Acidity of Antarctic waters could double by century’s end, threatening biodiversity
The acidity of Antarctica’s coastal waters could double by the end of the century, threatening whales, penguins and hundreds of other species that inhabit the Southern Ocean, according to new…