Geoengineering proposals to cool the ocean would indeed reduce ice loss from West Antarctica’s glaciers, but not enough to stop sea-level rise or allow the ice sheet to regrow.
A heatwave in 2022 redefined scientific expectations of the Antarctic climate. Now the global community must prepare for what a warmer world may bring.
Did the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse the last time global temperatures were 1.5°C above preindustrial levels? The answer lay in the DNA of an octopus.
Back when there were Arctic alligators and turtles, ‘polar stratospheric clouds’ kept their world warm. Research suggests these clouds contribute to the ‘missing warming’ in climate models.
The first comprehensive assessment of trends in Southern Ocean ecosystems reveals an urgent need to address climate change. The summary for policymakers can guide decision-makers.
More trouble in Antarctica: the extent of frozen seawater fastened to the coast (called landfast ice) hit a record low in March 2022. If this trend persists, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Timothy Naish, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
We are on a trajectory that takes Earth across thresholds humans have never experienced, into a climate where Antarctica’s ice shelves can no longer exist, leading to several metres of sea-level rise.
It was the trip of a lifetime for an Australian research team studying moss in Antarctica. After two months at Casey Station they returned with great videos and loads of data for further analysis.
Scientists have detected a 30% slowdown of the deep ocean currents that form in Antarctica, with profound consequences for Earth’s climate, sea level and marine life.
In a plot reminiscent of the 2004 movie The Day After Tomorrow?, Australian scientists are warning that the Southern Ocean’s deep “overturning” circulation is slowing and headed for collapse.
Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf appears to be splintering, and scientists fear it could give way in the next few years. A polar scientist takes us on a tour under the ice to explain the forces at work.
A high-tech expedition to sample the ocean under Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf confirms what the earliest explorers thought: everywhere we look we find microbes, scavenging any energy source available.
Climate change is making ocean levels rise in two ways. It’s a problem that will endure even after the world stabilizes and slashes greenhouse gas pollution.
A new modelling approach improves projections of Antarctica’s future ice loss. It shows a low-emissions scenario would avoid the collapse of West Antarctica’s ice sheet and limit sea-level rise.
If the world is to adapt to sea level rise with minimal cost, we must address the uncertainty surrounding Antarctica’s melting ice sheet. This requires significant investment in scientific capacity.
When Antarctica’s land-based ice melts, the land bounces up slightly as the weight of the ice lifts. This affects sea levels across the world, but not enough to offset sea-level rise.