Polar regions

Analysis and Comment (19)

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Failing to reach a decision on protecting Antarctic waters doesn’t mean the process is over. Dean Lewins/AAP

Don’t write off Antarctic marine protected areas

By Tony Press, University of Tasmania

The annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) wound up in Hobart on Thursday last week without declaring a system of marine protected areas (MPAs…
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By studying ice cores, researchers can measure the methane emissions from thousands of years earlier. Arabani/Flickr

Humans did affect the atmosphere – even before industrialisation

By Célia Sapart, Utrecht University

The past is the key to the future. When snow falls on polar ice sheets, in Greenland and Antarctica for example, air is trapped between the snowflakes. Year after year, the snow compacts under its own…
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Sea levels are rising globally at record-breaking rates and Antarctica is playing an increasing role. Matt King

Weigh-in reveals Antarctica’s losing 190 million tonnes a day

By Matt King, University of Tasmania

A small slice of Antarctica turns up along your coastline each year. We’re all glad it’s just a small slice, given Antarctica could deliver a total sea-level rise of 59 metres. That’s not going to happen…
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Competing proposals for the Ross Sea could give CCAMLR an excuse to shelve protected areas. Jacques Descloitres/NASA

Conserving Antarctica: which protected area will it be?

By Tony Press, University of Tasmania

This week delegates from around the globe are gathered in Hobart for the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, pronounced “camel-ar” to those…
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Methane locked under the Arctic ice could take climate change to a whole new level. Antonio Delgado Huertas

Methane hydrates: a volatile time bomb in the Arctic

By Carlos Duarte, University of Western Australia and Antonio Delgado Huertas, Spanish Scientific Research Council CSIC

The risk with climate change is not with the direct effect of humans on the greenhouse capacity of Earth’s atmosphere. The major risk is that the relatively modest human perturbation will unleash much…
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Australia’s newly declared continental shelf may be as big as its land mass, but its not a stealth attack on Antarctica. AAP

Explainer: Australia’s extended continental shelf and Antarctica

By Tony Press, University of Tasmania

Despite recent commentary in the media, Australia’s proclamation of its extended continental shelf does not represent new “claims” in Antarctica and does not contravene the Antarctic Treaty. With Australia…
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We need to know more about how ice sheets interact with the warming oceans and warming atmosphere. Greenpeace/ADavies

Improving sea-level projections

By John Church, CSIRO and Joshua Willis, NASA

Satellite and in situ observations show sea level is continuing to rise. In the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, earth system model projections indicated global sea-level rise by…
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Melting Arctic Sea ice should be the warning we need about expanding coal exports. Michael Sonnabend

On Arctic Sea ice melt and coal mine canaries

By Andrew Glikson

Despite peak global temperatures in 2005 and 2010 (unprecedented in the instrumental record), a recent sharp plunge in volume of the Arctic Sea ice and a spate of extreme weather events, coal mining, coal…
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It’s time to pay attention to warnings from the Arctic. NOAA Photo Library

Teetering on a tipping point: dangerous climate change in the Arctic

By Carlos Duarte, University of Western Australia

We are seeing the first signs of dangerous climate change in the Arctic. This is our warning that humanity is facing a dire future. The Arctic region is fast approaching a series of “tipping points” that…
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An ice-free world isn’t impossible – even though it seems the stuff of science fiction. Alistair Knock

As emissions rise, we may be heading for an ice-free planet

By Andrew Glikson

Last December’s meeting of the American Geophysical Union featured three of the world’s leading climate scientists: James Hansen (NASA’s chief climate scientist), Elco Rohling (National Oceanography Centre…
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Polar bears are at the centre of a scientific fracas in the US. AAP

Polar bear scientist on thin ice in Arctic imbroglio

By Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Western Australia

Something does not add up. About two weeks ago, a scientist working for the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Enforcement and Regulation (BOEMRE), Dr Charles Monnett, was placed on administrative…
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The Antarctic Treaty protects the continent from competing interests. AAP

Explainer: Keeping conflict on ice with the Antarctic Treaty

By Tony Press, University of Tasmania

This year marks the 50th year of the Antarctic Treaty, a visionary document that for the first time set out a vision for an entire continent based on peace, science and co-operation. So how does it hold…

Research Briefs (18)

Ancient DNA shows penguin recovery

Griffith University

Ancient penguin DNA shows that Macquarie Island penguins have recovered genetic diversity in the past 80 years. Macquarie…

Satellites map shrinking ice sheets

University of Colorado, Boulder

Ice caps and glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica shed 150 billion tons of ice annually from 2003 to 2010 according to the…

On again, off again for Arctic ice

University Corporation for Academic Research

New research indicates that although Arctic sea ice will melt away as the climate continues to warm, it may temporarily stabilise…

Tsunami breaks off icebergs

NASA

For the first time scientists have observed the power of a tsunami to break off large icebergs in Antarctica. The tsunami…

Penguins keep warm with Mexican waves

University of Erlangen-Nüremberg

Emperor penguins send small waves of movement through their huddles to ensure all members stay warm. Every 30–60 seconds…

A clearer picture of glacial ice loss

Ohio State University

A new study aimed at refining the way scientists measure ice loss in Greenland is providing a “high-definition picture” of…

Participants (59)