Latest news with #seaice
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scientist issue warning about concerning phenomenon ahead of upcoming winter season: 'Keeps the surface cooler'
Experts have projected record low levels of Arctic sea ice for the coming winter, which counterintuitively could mean frigid conditions for the United States, Canada, and Europe, Severe Weather Europe reported. What's happening? The Arctic ice melting season typically runs from March to September, and already scientists have observed record low levels of ice for the time of year, per Severe Weather Europe. Unlike the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland, Arctic sea ice does not sit atop a land mass. Instead, it floats in the ocean, meaning that when it melts, it does not contribute to sea-level rise in the same manner as melting land ice. However, Arctic sea ice, or a lack thereof, still has a dramatic impact on the world's oceans and climate. Why is Arctic sea ice important? Arctic sea ice is much more reflective than ocean water, which means that it absorbs much less heat from the sun, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. "The ocean reflects only 6% of the incoming solar radiation and absorbs the rest, while sea ice reflects 50 to 70% of the incoming energy," the NSIDC explained. "The sea ice absorbs less solar energy and keeps the surface cooler." Thus, less sea ice results in warmer oceans, and warmer oceans threaten vital ecosystems, alter currents, and change weather patterns. They also contribute to sea-level rise because water expands as it warms, according to NOAA. Less Arctic sea ice during the winter months also means higher temperatures in the atmosphere, which can weaken or even collapse the polar vortex, according to Severe Weather Europe. The condition of the polar vortex influences everyday weather around the globe. "A strong/stable polar vortex usually means strong polar circulation and jet stream," Severe Weather Europe explained. "This locks the colder air into the Arctic Circle, creating milder conditions for most of the United States and warmer-than-normal conditions over southern Canada." Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. A weaker and more unstable polar vortex, on the other hand, weakens the jet stream, which allows cold air to escape from the Arctic region and descend upon the U.S. and Canada. What's being done about the loss of Arctic sea ice? The loss of Arctic ice is just one of the many ways in which rising global temperatures are transforming the world, with complicated and unpredictable results. In order to reduce the rate of Arctic sea ice loss and avoid the most severe impacts of rising global temperatures, it is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere. While the problem may seem so huge as to be insurmountable, there are things large and small that everyone can do to help make a difference. From making your voice heard and pushing for political action to taking public transit, driving an electric vehicle, and installing solar panels on your home, there are plenty of ways for anyone to contribute. Pairing solar panels with a home battery system can drop your energy bills to practically nothing while also making your home more resilient in the event of power outages. It also can help you maximize the environmental benefits and cost savings of driving an EV. EnergySage offers a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers, saving customers up to $10,000. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
‘Record-low': Fears as Antarctica melts at rapid pace
Antarctica has lost an alarming amount of sea ice in the last decade, estimated to be around 2 million square kilometres, enough to cover the entire area of Greenland. This ice has not returned, marking one of the most significant environmental changes of the past decade. The National Snow and Ice Data Center published an article titled The Great Unfreezing, documenting the 47-year satellite record-low in Antarctic sea ice reached earlier this year. On March 1, 2025, sea ice extent measured approximately 1.98 million square kilometres. This marks the fourth consecutive year that sea ice has dropped below 2 million square kilometres. Since 2002, Antarctica has been losing ice at an average rate of 136 gigatons per year. As Antarctic ice melts, it releases large volumes of freshwater into the ocean. This disrupts the balance of salinity and temperature, slowing down the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world's strongest ocean current. The slowing of the ACC can have serious global consequences, impacting climate systems, altering weather patterns, and threatening marine ecosystems. To break it down, the ocean begins to release more heat into the atmosphere, intensifying storms, accelerating global warming, triggering extreme heatwaves, and driving sea level rise worldwide. The ACC also works as a barrier to invasive species reaching the continent. Warmer waters could allow mussels, barnacles, and certain predatory crabs to move in, organisms not native to Antarctic ecosystems. These invaders could disrupt the delicate food system by changing the availability of key food sources for penguins and other polar wildlife, pushing vulnerable species closer to extinction. Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Norway's NORCE Research Centre warn that, under a high-emissions scenario, the ACC could slow by up to 20 per cent by 2050. 'The ocean is extremely complex and finely balanced. If this current 'engine' breaks down, there could be severe consequences, it's feared. 'These could include more climate variability, with greater extremes in certain regions, and accelerated global warming due to a reduction in the ocean's capacity to act as a carbon sink,' Associate Professor Gayen warns. Last month, climate lawyers sued the New Zealand government for its lack of climate plan. Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson issued a press release on July 7 criticising their withdrawal from climate commitments. She stressed the unprecedented rate Antarctica is melting at, labelling it 'a clear and urgent signal that a critical tipping point may have already been passed. 'It's not a distant threat to think about somewhere down the line, it's here. The government is failing us all in the name of short-term profit.' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January, initiating the process to withdraw from the Paris Agreement for the second time, an international accord that aimed to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees celsius. In addition to this, several countries, including the UK and some EU member states, have also rolled back domestic environmental regulations, cut funding for renewable energy and climate research, and expanded fossil fuel production. While Australia has committed to the Antarctic Treaty System, with a 20 year action plan, expert Professor Matt King from the Australia Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science expresses concerns related to funding and infrastructure. He warns that Australia may be underprepared. Earth's rotation slows down and speeds up slightly over time, so scientists occasionally add or subtract leap seconds to keep our clocks synchronised with the planet's actual rotation. But a study published in Nature reveals that melting polar ice may slow Earth's rotation enough to delay this critical timekeeping event. 'As the polar ice melts and the water shifts toward the equator, it redistributes Earth's mass in a way that slows rotation,' Professor Duncan Agnew, the study's lead author, explained. This is, by extension, affecting the precision of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) system used worldwide, and making the day longer. According to CNN, scientists are calling this a striking example of how the climate crisis is disrupting the world. 'Part of figuring out what is going to happen in global timekeeping is dependent on understanding what is happening with the global warming effect,' Prof Agnew said. 'Nobody really anticipated that the Earth would speed up to the point where we might have to remove a leap second. 'Being able to say so much ice has melted that it's actually changed the rotation of the Earth by a measurable amount, I think gives you the sense, OK, this is a big deal.' This damning update comes just a couple months after social media erupted into debate after findings revealed that the Antarctic Ice Sheet had gone through record-breaking growth after decades of loss. However, a study published in Science China Earth Sciences found that between 2021 and 2023 the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) grew by an unprecedented amount. The report says that between 2021 and 2023, the ice sheet grew by almost 108 gigatons (or 108 billion metric tons) of ice per year. The reason for the rise was reportedly due to an unusual increase in precipitation, particularly in East Antarctica, leading to an accumulation of snow and ice. But reports clearly show that recent failures to address climate change is directly accelerating the factors causing our precious icy continent to disappear.
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Southern Ocean getting warmer and saltier, will 'change the way the planet works'
Iceberg and large fragments of drifting ice floating in front of the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: AFP / Claudius Thiriet Warmer, saltier water from deep in the Southern Ocean has started rising to the surface, bringing up more carbon dioxide, and causing Antarctic sea ice to melt. Earth Sciences New Zealand, formerly the [National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research principal scientist of marine physics Dr Craig Stevens told Morning Report that the data - from a satellite, and a robot beneath the surface - had only been released a couple of days ago, and that "lots of the bigger picture stuff" still had to be analysed. If it was confirmed that the warmer, saltier water had made it harder for more sea ice to form, "that's a very big story, and it will sort of confirm the trend that we're seeing around Antarctica with significant reductions in sea ice," he said. It is in contrast with earlier data that showed the Southern Ocean was actually getting progressively less salty since the 1980s. But Stevens said that was before a satellite had been used. "For decades our measurements were just sort of little pinpoints from a particular vessel [that] would go here or there, and we would get a single sample. "So that was showing a freshening through to about a decade ago - near the seabed or the seafloor - and since around 2015 that has reversed. "What this new analyses of satellite data of salinity is confirming that happening at the surface." Stevens added that being able to detect salinity - the salt in the water - from satellite was the most interesting thing about the research. It will mean that we will be able to gather better data on salinity over time, and how that might be impacting sea ice. "Ultimately it is about the conditions that allow that sea ice to form, and if those conditions are changing and making it harder, that will flow through into sort of changed ecosystems. "So it'll change sort of the biology around Antarctica, but it'll also change weather patterns, and it'll change heat content in the ocean, so it'll change the way the planet works." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US military cuts climate scientists off from vital satellite sea-ice data
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Climate scientists in the United States are to be cut off from satellite data measuring the amount of sea ice — a sensitive barometer of climate change — as the U.S. Department of Defense announces plans to cancel processing of the data for scientific research. The changes are the latest attacks by the U.S. government on science and the funding of scientific research in an effort to slash the budget to enable tax cuts elsewhere. Already, these attacks have seen the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the National Science Foundation evicted from their offices, references to climate science removed from websites, funding of data for hurricane forecasts cancelled, and dozens of NASA missions under threat and their project teams asked to produce close-down plans as the space agency's budget is slashed. Now, scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), based at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who have been using data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) that is flown on a series of satellites that form the United States Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, have been told they will soon no longer have access to that data. SSMIS is a microwave radiometer that can scan Earth for ice coverage on land and sea. The Department of Defense uses this data for planning deployments of its own ships, but it has always made the processed data available to scientists, too — until now. In an announcement on June 24, the Department of Defense declared that the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center operated by the U.S. Navy would cease the real-time processing and stop supplying scientists with the sea-ice data, although NPR reports that, following an outcry at the suddenness of this decision, it has been put back to the end of July. Politics aside, purely from a scientific point of view, this is madness. The sea-ice index, which charts how much ice is covering the ocean in the Arctic and Antarctic, is strongly dependent upon global warming, with increasing average temperatures both in the ocean and in the atmosphere leading to more sea-ice melting. Sea ice acts as a buffer to slow or even prevent the melting of large glaciers; remove that buffer and catastrophic melting of glaciers moves one big step closer, threatening dangerous sea level rises. Without the ability to track the sea ice, scientists are blinded to one of the most significant measures of climate change and become unable to tell how close we are getting to the brink. But there's even a commercial side to knowing how much sea ice is present on our oceans. The fewer icebergs there are, the closer cargo ships can sail around the north pole, allowing them to take shorter, faster routes. RELATED STORIES — Earth's sea ice hits all-time low, NASA satellites reveal — Climate change: Causes and effects — Trump's 2026 budget would slash NASA funding by 24% and its workforce by nearly one third Of course, the United States is not the only country to operate climate instruments on satellites. For instance, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has a satellite called Shizuku, more formally known as the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W). On board Shizuku is an instrument called the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, or AMSRS-2, which does pretty much the same job as SSMIS. Researchers at NSIDC had already been looking to transfer over to AMSRS-2 data, perhaps having got wind that the Department of Defense's decision was coming down the pipeline. But the switch will take time for the calibration of the instrument and data with NSIDC's systems, leading to a gap in scientists' data — a blind spot in our monitoring of the climate that we can ill afford.
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Canada races to build icebreakers amid melting ice and geopolitical tensions
For millennia, a mass of sea ice in the high Arctic has changed with the seasons, casting off its outer layer in summer and expanding in winter as it spins between Russia, Canada and Alaska. Known as the Beaufort Gyre, this fluke of geography and oceanography was once a proving ground for ice to 'mature' into thick sheets. But no more. A rapidly changing climate has reshaped the region, reducing perennial sea ice. As ocean currents spin what is left of the gyre, chunks of ice now clog many of the channels separating the northern islands. Canada's coast guard has an expression for this confounding phenomenon: less ice means more ice. 'Most people think climate change means that you won't need heavy icebreakers,' said Robert Huebert, an Arctic security expert at the University of Calgary. 'And the experience of the coast guard is: no, you need far more icebreakers.' To address the problem, Canada is building a new fleet of ships to fight through the once-impenetrable sea ice. It is not alone, with the prospect of new shipping routes opening up – and with them access to critical minerals in the Arctic – Russia, China and the United States are also rushing to build new icebreakers. At Seaspan's shipyards in north Vancouver, bound on one side by ocean and the other by mountains, teams have started cutting steel for a 520ft polar-class icebreaker that will operate in temperatures near -50C (-58F). The project is expected to take at least five years to complete and cost C$3.15bn ($2.32bn). When finished, the heavy icebreaker will be the centrepiece of Canada's recently announced national shipbuilding strategy that looks to further entrench its presence in the Arctic – and distance itself from decades of delay, bureaucratic fumbling and broken promises. The challenge of building an icebreaker is that the end result must operate in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth with little risk of failure, experts say. 'Shipbuilding is one of the older industries, but it's still it's one of the last industries to perfect, because the reality is, you're building a one-off floating city,' said Eddie Schehr, the company's vice-president of production. Walking through the hangar-like 'shops' where pieces are gradually welded with the aim of eventually crafting a hull, he likens the complex assembly to a costly, often error-ridden form of Lego. 'And so it's often not until the very, very end that you find problems. And you will find them.' Even the supposedly simpler parts require steel that often measures 60mm thick and requires special machinery to stress-test. 'Because of the strength and capabilities the ships needs to have, it's twice the thickness and really, twice the ship,' he said. 'You have to operate and think at a whole different level.' The ship will be a class 2 icebreaker, meaning it can operate year-round and push through ice as tall as 10ft. The last time Canada built a similar vessel domestically was in the 1960s and that ship, the Louis St Laurent, still remains the larger of Canada's only two heavy icebreakers. Canada first announced it would replace Louis St Laurent in 1985, but those plans were scuttled. It wasn't until 2008, when the prime minister, Stephen Harper, announced his government would build another replacement: a heavy icebreaker called the John G Diefenbaker. It too was never built, but Schehr recalls studying plans for the boat in university. 'Time's a big circle. Now I'm here and we're now actually finally building that very ship,' said Schehr. For sceptics, Seaspan can point to the Naalak Nappaaluk, an offshore oceanographic science vessel it recently finished that can operate in ice nearly 4ft thick and is tasked with 'identifying the true impact of climate change' when out at sea, says Schehr. Canada's federal government has also commissioned another company, Quebec's Davie shipyards, to build a second icebreaker, framing the decision as one that reflects the gravity of the moment: large icebreakers, incredibly slow to produce, are needed fast. In 2024, Davie purchased a shipyard in Helsinki. And in mid-June, the company also purchased a shipyard in the US, part of an effort to bring future production down south as a way around restrictive American legislation that prohibits foreign companies from building ships. 'If we were building two icebreakers and two shipyards, that's the surest way to make it inefficiently,' said Huebert. 'The coast guard is going to have to train on two different ships. And for the next 50 years, there will be little commonality in repairs and parts. If you asked me what is the most expensive and inefficient way of building more than one vessel, just look to Canada and its icebreakers.' Internally, Canada's historic inability to marshal the resources to build a new ship has become both a running joke and embarrassment. But the recently signed Ice Pact, a tripartite agreement between the Finland, Canada and the United States, could shift global production as Canada looks to revive its shipbuilding industry. Finland has already built 80% of the world's ice-capable ships operating in frigid waters. But the deal, announced during the Nato summit in Washington, will see as many as 90 icebreaker ships produced in the coming years, by the three countries. Both Seaspan and Davie hope to be a supplier to the US Coast Guard in coming years if they can successfully produce a heavy icebreaker. Russia is believed to have at least 50 icebreakers and more than a dozen can operate in the harshest climates. China probably has four that are suitable for the Arctic ice, though which seasons it can operate in is unclear. Donald Trump has signalled he wants as many as 40 icebreakers, suggesting allied Arctic nations are entering an arms race for the ships. Shipping experts say the president's interest in a fleet of icebreakers reflects a fervour in the multibillion-dollar shipping industry: clearing the North-West Passage of ice for more of the year could year could trim weeks off of shipping times between Europe and Asia. But it's not just about money. In recent months, Canada's federal government has pledged significant investment for the Arctic in a show of military force. 'We see the centrality of the Arctic for the Russians, and as the Russians become a much more aggressive state, the importance of that capability becomes much more clear,' he said. 'But if you're building icebreakers for sovereignty, it starts going beyond the icebreakers. Now you need to invest in satellite, radar and submarines. They're all part of a system. Icebreakers alone aren't enough.' Some are sceptical that the push for new icebreakers reflects a burgeoning arms race. 'We need Canadian government ships that can operate in the Canadian Arctic when there is other shipping there. There is no question about that,' said Michael Byers, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia. 'But politicians and pundits often escalate the concern: 'Oh my God, the Russians are coming,' or 'The Chinese are coming.' I see no evidence of that. The Russians already own half of the Arctic. They don't need any more.' Byers notes that Russia has a different, larger coastline it needs to maintain for year-round shipping, necessitating more ice-worthy vessels. Instead, Byers points to a reality in which more ships clamour for Arctic passage. 'With less ice in the Arctic, it actually becomes more challenging and risky.' When ships moving in open water encounter gale-force conditions and cold air temperatures, ocean spray can freeze on to the vessels and in some cases, accumulate so much it capsizes them. 'We'll always need icebreakers because the Arctic will always remain a dangerous place. And that's why we will always need the Canadian government to make or buy these ships.' This article was amended on 4 July 2025 to remove a reference to the name of the new polar ice-breaker, which has not yet been confirmed.
