Category: Arctic

Recent research has revealed groundbreaking evidence suggesting that Greenland, currently 98% covered by ice, was virtually ice-free less than a million years ago. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that Greenland has been continuously covered by ice since the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch, around 2.7 million years ago. The new findings, published in the …

Continue reading “Greenland ice sheet once melted: fossil evidence found”

Zombie fires in the peatlands of regions like Alaska, Canada, and Siberia present an ongoing enigma to scientists. These fires vanish from sight during winter, smoldering underground, only to reemerge in the spring. Traditionally thought to be remnants of previous surface fires, new research suggests that zombie fires might actually be ignited by rapid atmospheric …

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In August 2021, an unprecedented event occurred at the Greenland ice cap’s summit, where rain caused significant melting and retreat of the snowline, highlighting the growing frequency and impact of Arctic rain-on-snow events. This event prompted Joel Harper, a glaciologist at the University of Montana, to revisit earlier anomalies in his data from 2008, confirming …

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In the far north of Alaska, the spread of white spruce trees into previously inhospitable tundra is a clear indicator of a changing world, where Arctic warming and trees are intertwined in a complex ecological narrative.

In August 2021, an unusual event occurred at the summit of Greenland’s ice cap: rain fell, causing a significant meltdown and retreat of the snowline. This occurrence highlighted an increasing trend of Arctic rainfall anomalies, a shift from the region’s typical cold, dry conditions that rarely produce precipitation.

Since 2007, the Arctic Ocean has been experiencing a significant change due to Arctic marine heatwaves. These are periods when the sea surface temperature (SST) rises unusually high for a long time. This study investigates how much these heatwaves are linked to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In an era marked by rising sea levels, a recent study by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) presents a contrasting narrative with the discovery of significant Greenland land uplift. Over the past decade, Greenland’s bedrock has risen at an unprecedented pace, showing an increase of up to 20 cm, which translates to an estimated …

Continue reading “Greenland’s rapid land uplift defies sea level rise”

The world’s oceans, which have absorbed 90% of the excess heat caused by human activities, are playing a crucial but complex role in climate change. This heat absorption has had a significant impact on Greenland’s ice sheet and shelves, accelerating their melting and contributing to sea-level rise.

Moulins are near-vertical conduits that capture and funnel meltwater runoff from the ice surface during summer. There are many thousands of them across Greenland, and they grow to substantial sizes because of the thickness of the ice coupled with the exceptionally high surface melt rates experienced. These gaping holes can be as large as tennis …

Continue reading “Meltwater is hydro-fracking Greenland’s ice sheet”

It has long been believed that the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic would lead to runaway greenhouse gas emissions. However, extensive analysis of data from satellites and field sensors has found no sign of this. On the contrary, permafrost areas in the far north have to date actually absorbed more carbon than they have …

Continue reading “Permafrost carbon sinks”