Extent of Arctic Sea ice is third lowest on recordOctober 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The extent of the Arctic Sea ice this year or the area covered by floating ice was the third lowest since satellite measurements were first made in 1979. The ice area at minimum was an increase from the past two years, but still well below the average for the past 30 years.
Arctic ice to last until 2030 to 2040September 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - New findings by scientists indicate that that Arctic ice would last decades longer than thought, and the region won't experience ice-free summers until 2030 or 2040. Some models had previously predicted that the Arctic could be ice free in summer by as soon as 2013, due to rising temperatures from global warming.
Arctic sea ice cover reaches minimum extent for 2009September 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has found that the Arctic sea ice cover appears to have reached its minimum extent for this year, the third-lowest recorded since satellites began measuring sea ice extent in 1979. The study was carried out by researchers from to the University of Colorado at Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Sea ice melting in Arctic remains far worse than normal, but only ranks No. 3 in record booksSeptember 17th, 2009 Arctic sea ice melt still heavy, but no recordWASHINGTON — The summer melt of Arctic sea ice wasn't quite as bad this year as the last two years. But it still ranked as the third biggest melt on record.
Global warming may make the Arctic of today a thing of the pastSeptember 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - If a new research is anything to go by, then the Arctic as we know it may soon be a thing of the past, with global warming causing dramatic biological responses in the region. The research was led by Eric Post, associate professor of biology at Penn State University, along with a large, international team that carried out ecosystem-wide studies of the biological response to Arctic warming during the fourth International Polar Year, which ended in 2008.
From Maine to the Mediterranean, summer seas seem on boil as global oceans smash heat recordsAugust 20th, 2009 In hot water: World's ocean temps warmest recordedWASHINGTON — The world's oceans this summer are the warmest on record. The National Climatic Data Center, the government agency that keeps weather records, says the average global ocean temperature in July was 62.6 degrees.
NASA spacecraft reveals dramatic thinning of Arctic sea iceJuly 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Data from a NASA Earth-orbiting spacecraft has revealed a dramatic thinning of Arctic sea ice between the winters of 2004 and 2008, with thin seasonal ice replacing thick older ice as the dominant type for the first time on record. The new results provide further evidence for the rapid, ongoing transformation of the Arctic's ice cover.
The Arctic was an enclosed freshwater lake until about 38 million years agoJuly 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An analysis by scientists has suggested that the Arctic was an enclosed freshwater lake until about 38 million years ago, when tectonic activity caused it to undergo a transition to an ocean. Recent studies have suggested that beginning about 44 million years ago the Arctic underwent a transition from lake to ocean conditions.
Scientists see dramatic increase in amount of fresh water in Arctic OceanJuly 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by scientists has shown a dramatic increase in the amount of fresh water in the Arctic Ocean. Fresh water flowing into or out of the Arctic Ocean plays an important role in ocean circulation and may be a factor in the response of the world ocean to climate change.
Mercury in Canadian River delta dramatically higher than previously believedJune 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers from the University of Alberta (U of A) in Canada have found a dramatically higher delivery of mercury from the Mackenzie River Delta to the Arctic Ocean than determined in previous studies. Researcher Jennifer Graydon analyzed water in the Mackenzie River as it flowed north into the Beaufort Sea.
Sediments deposited in oceans by major Arctic rivers hold clues to future global climateMay 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that sediments deposited in the ocean by major Arctic rivers may hold clues to understand how Earth's climate will change in the next few decades. The study was carried out by geoscientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A and M University, US.
Mercury levels in Arctic seals may be linked to global warmingMay 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, researchers in Canada are reporting for the first time that high mercury levels in certain Arctic seals appear to be linked to vanishing sea ice caused by global warming. The study, by scientist Gary Stern and his colleagues, provides a new insight into the impact of climate change on Arctic marine life.
Latest satellite imagery shows Arctic teetering on thin iceApril 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Latest satellite imagery shows that the Arctic is virtually teetering on a layer of thin ice, not to speak of its shrinking ice area over the decade. Researchers from NASA and University of Colorado-Boulder (CUB), who have been tracking Arctic sea ice cover with satellites since 1979, found that the winter of 2008-09 was the fifth lowest maximum ice extent on record.
Arctic literally on thin ice, points out new evidenceApril 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - New evidence from NASA and satellite observations has shown that the decade-long trend of shrinking sea ice cover in the Arctic is continuing, with the ice cap thinning as well. In recent years, Arctic sea ice has been declining at a surprising rate.
Summers in Arctic may be ice-free in as few as 30 yearsApril 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new analysis of computer models has forecasted that summers in the Arctic may be ice-free in as few as 30 years. "The Arctic is changing faster than anticipated," said James Overland, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and co-author of the study.