For billions of people, mountain meltwater is essential for drinking water and sanitation, food and energy security, and the integrity of the environment. But today, as the world warms, glaciers are melting faster than ever, making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme. And because of glacial retreat, floods, droughts, …
It has been widely hypothesized that a warmer climate in Greenland would increase the volume of lubricating surface meltwater reaching the ice-bedrock interface, accelerating ice flow and increasing mass loss. We have assembled a data set that provides a synoptic-scale view, spanning ice-sheet to outlet-glacier flow, with which to evaluate …
Subglacial water can significantly affect the velocity of ice streams and outlet glaciers of ice sheets. Depending on the geometry and capacity of the subglacial hydrologic system, increased surface melting in Greenland over the coming decades may influence the ice sheet's mass balance. Furthermore, subglacial lakes in Antarctica can modulate …
One of the most dramatic perturbations to the Earth system during the past 100 million years was the rapid onset of Antarctic glaciation near the Eocene/Oligocene epoch boundary (34 million years ago). This climate transition was accompanied3 by a deepening of the calcite compensation depth
When people talk about catastrophic climate change, there's a fair chance that Greenland is on their mind. If they use the term 'tipping point', then it is pretty much a sure thing. One-twentieth of the world's ice is locked up atop that island, and if it were to melt completely, …
Glaciers are the coolers of the planet earth and the lifeline of many of the world's major rivers. The interaction between glaciers and climate represents a particularly sensitive approach. 2006
This report presents a wide-ranging review of arctic climate impact science. It spans the width of subject areas, covering impacts on physical and biological systems, as well as on humanity. The report presents the scientific evidence for arctic climate change impacts in review sections, each of which targets a particular …
The growing volumes of fresh water held behind dams in the world's artificial reservoirs have had an appreciable mitigating effect on rising sea levels, according to a surprising study published today in the journal Science. Researchers at Taiwan's National Central University carried out the first comprehensive global assessment of water …
A Vast Lake Trapped Under Ice Sheet Drained Into The Sea, Bringing Down Temperatures Paris: Canadian geologists say they can shed light on how a vast lake, trapped under the ice sheet that once smothered much of North America, drained into the sea, an event that cooled Earth's climate for …
British scientists in Antarctica have found evidence of glaciers the size of Texas surging towards the ocean, BBC reported. If the trend continues, they say, it could lead to a significant rise in global sea level. The new evidence comes from a group of glaciers in a remote and seldom …
When it comes to Antarctica's disintegrating ice shelves, climate change often gets fingered as the cause. But it turns out global warming was not the only culprit behind the continent's biggest ice break-up in recent years.
Antarctica is losing ice much faster than thought, say scientists who have built the most complete picture of Antarctica's glaciers showing exactly how fast the ice sheets are cracking. The mass of ice falling into the ocean has increased by 75 per cent over 10 years, with the biggest losses …
The impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers is becoming apparent. Studies show that most valley glaciers are retreating. Vertical shifts of up to 100m have been recorded during the last fi fty years with retreat rates of 50m per year. There is evidence that glaciers have been melting faster …
This report reviews the terrestrial Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), which are endorsed by the UNFCCC and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Details are provided on why these observations are needed to understand the causes of climate change, analyse the potential impacts, evaluate the adaptation options and enable characterization of …
Disregarding ecological and livelihood concerns, the Parbati hydroelectric project in Himachal Pradesh is moving forward. Experts warn that diverting water from the Parbati and its tributaries for power generation will leave the people in Kullu, where the project is coming up, with nothing to drink and irrigate their fields. The …
India sent its first team to the Arctic recently. Two of its members have returned with a variety of samples, some dating back to millions of years. ARCHITA BHATTA spoke with them "We found round worms wriggling at 300-1,000 feet below sea-level. The temperature there was around 1.5-1.8
The contemporary trend of global warming is aptly highlighted in the IPCC report 2007. There is a strong consensus amongst scientists and planners today that the earth's climate is entering a warm episode, nudged primarily by human activities of fossil fuel burning and land use changes that inject steadily increasing …
