Antarctic

Scientists explain melting of Antarctic ice sheet dating back 9,000 years

Scientists have found evidence that between 9,000 and 5,000 years ago, in a period termed mid-Holocene, the East Antarctic ice sheet in Queen Maud Land melted rapidly during the time when the world experienced warmer-than-present summers. They said that this ice sheet sector in East Antarctica was thinner following the end of the last ice age, when massive ice sheets previously covered North America, northern Europe and southern South America. When these ice sheets melted, they raised the sea level by more than 100 metres. For context, if absolutely all of Antarctica's present day ice melted, the seas would rise by 58 metres on average. Sixty per cent of the world's fresh water is bound up in Antarctic ice sheets. "The ice sheet in East Antarctica stores enormous amounts of water. This means that this is the biggest possible source of future sea level rise - up to 53 metres if all of the East Antarctic ice melts - and is seen as the largest source of uncertainties in the future sea

Antarctic glaciers flow faster in summers, show seasonal behaviour: Study

Glaciers along Antarctica's coastline are flowing faster in the summer because of a combination of melting snow and warmer ocean waters, said researchers in a new study. On average, the glaciers, or giant blocks of moving ice, travel at around one kilometre a year. But the study has found a seasonal variation to the speed of the ice flow, which speeded up by up to 22 per cent in summer when temperatures are warmer. This gives an insight into the way climate change could affect the behaviour of glaciers and the role they could play in raising sea levels, the study said. The paper is published in the journal Nature Geosciences. Up to now, study of the rugged Antarctic peninsula has been limited because of the difficulties scientists face getting on to the glaciers to conduct fieldwork. But from space, advances in satellite technology are revealing new insights into the speed at which the glaciers are moving and draining water into the surrounding ocean. The Antarctic Peninsula is

Russia, China block plans for Antarctic marine protections supported by EU

Russia and China have again blocked plans supported by the European Union, the United States and 23 other nations to protect three vast stretches of ocean around Antarctica from most fishing. But conservationists said there were some positives from a two-week international meeting on the future of Antarctica's pristine waters that concluded in Australia late Friday. Those included an agreement on new protections for krill fishing and a commitment to meet in Chile next year to further discuss the proposal for the new marine protected areas, which combined would cover a swath of ocean larger than India. Many nations have become frustrated at the ability of Russia and, to a lesser extent, China to effectively veto proposals, as the rules of the group require it reach consensus before taking action. The U.S., which has been trying to find common ground with China, laid the blame for this year's disagreements squarely on Russia, which the U.S. said was undermining the group. Russia's

Russia may again block Antarctic marine protections during Australia meet

Call it a cold war. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are among those meeting in Australia this week to decide the future of Antarctica's pristine waters. Conservationists say new marine protected areas and rules to prevent overfishing are desperately needed, but that Russia could use its veto-like powers to once again block progress. Achieving the required consensus for action among this diverse group of 27, which also includes China, the United States and the European Union, has always been an immense challenge. And when two of the members are at war and relations between China and many Western nations have deteriorated consensus looms as an even bigger obstacle. Just this month, Russian bombing in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, partially destroyed Ukraine's Antarctic research center. Yet despite the enormous political hurdles, some remain hopeful that scientific arguments will win through. The U.S. is paying more attention to the region under President Joe Biden, and this year ha

Monsoon session: Domestic laws extended to Indian centres in Antarctica

The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022, piloted in the Upper House by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh, was passed with a voice vote after a brief discussion

Explained: What is Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 and why is it important

The Indian Antarctic Bill provides a regulatory framework for India's Antarctic activities through legal mechanisms

Russia launches first Arctic-monitoring satellite to track climate changes

Russia has successfully launched its first satellite to monitor the Arctic's climate and environment, the country's space corporation Roscosmos said in a statement

A crack in an Antarctic ice shelf is creating an iceberg size of Delaware

The crack in Larsen C is more than 120 miles long, and some parts of it are as wide as two miles