ScienceDaily: Avalanche News

Scientists find extensive glacial retreat in Mount Everest region

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:48:48 EDT

Researchers taking a new look at the snow and ice covering Mount Everest and the national park that surrounds it are finding abundant evidence that the world's tallest peak is shedding its frozen cloak. The scientists have also been studying temperature and precipitation trends in the area and found that the Everest region has been warming while snowfall has been declining since the early 1990s.

Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:44:44 EDT

For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge, a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting winds and subzero temperatures.

NASA opens new era in measuring western U.S. snowpack

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:13:13 EDT

A new NASA airborne mission has created the first maps of the entire snowpack of two major mountain watersheds in California and Colorado, producing the most accurate measurements to date of how much water they hold.

Scientists investigate release of bromine in polar regions

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:48:48 EDT

Researchers have employed a novel measurement device for new studies in Alaska.

Sunlit snow triggers atmospheric cleaning, ozone depletion in the Arctic

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:23:23 EDT

Researchers have discovered that sunlit snow is the major source of atmospheric bromine in the Arctic, the key to unique chemical reactions that purge pollutants and destroy ozone.

New insight into accelerating summer ice melt on the Antarctic Peninsula

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:34:34 EDT

A new 1,000-year Antarctic Peninsula climate reconstruction shows that summer ice melting has intensified almost 10-fold, and mostly since the mid-20th century. Summer ice melt affects the stability of Antarctic ice shelves and glaciers.

Snowflakes falling on cameras: What snow looks like in midair

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:20:20 EDT

University of Utah researchers developed a high-speed camera system that spent the past two winters photographing snowflakes in 3-D as they fell – and they don’t look much like those perfect-but-rare snowflakes often seen in photos.

Dramatic retreat of the Andean glaciers over the last 30 years

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:28:28 EDT

The glaciers in the tropical Andes shrunk between 30 and 50% in 30 years, which represents the highest rate observed over the last three centuries. Scientists have recently published a summary which chronicles the history of these glaciers since their maximum extension, reached between 1650 and 1730 of our era, in the middle of the Little Ice Age. The faster melting is due to the rapid climate change which has occurred in the tropics since the 1950s, and in particular since the end of the 1970s, leading to an average temperature rise of 0.7°C in this part of the Andes. At the current pace of their retreat, small glaciers could disappear within the next 10 to 15 years, affecting water supply for the populations.

Thin clouds drove Greenland's record-breaking 2012 ice melt

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

If the sheet of ice covering Greenland were to melt in its entirety tomorrow, global sea levels would rise by 24 feet. Three million cubic kilometers of ice won't wash into the ocean overnight, but researchers have been tracking increasing melt rates since at least 1979. Last summer, however, the melt was so large that similar events show up in ice core records only once every 150 years or so over the last four millennia.

Summer melt season getting longer on Antarctic Peninsula

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:37:37 EDT

New research from the Antarctic Peninsula shows that the summer melt season has been getting longer over the last 60 years. Increased summer melting has been linked to the rapid break-up of ice shelves in the area and rising sea level.

Climate models are not good enough, researcher argues

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:35:35 EDT

Only a few climate models were able to reproduce the observed changes in extreme precipitation in China over the last 50 years.

Canadian Arctic glacier melt accelerating, irreversible, projections suggest

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:49:49 EDT

Ongoing glacier loss in the Canadian high Arctic is accelerating and probably irreversible, new model projections suggest. The Canadian high Arctic is home to the largest clustering of glacier ice outside of Greenland and Antarctica -- 146,000 square kilometers (about 60,000 square miles) of glacier ice spread across 36,000 islands.

Glaciers will melt faster than ever and loss could be irreversible warn scientists

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:54:54 EST

Canada's Arctic Archipelago glaciers will melt faster than ever in the next few centuries. Scientists have shown that 20 percent of the Canadian Arctic glaciers may have disappeared by the end of this century which would amount to an additional sea level rise of 3.5 centimeters.

Clues to climate cycles dug from South Pole snow pit

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 EST

Particles from the upper atmosphere trapped in a deep pile of Antarctic snow hold clear chemical traces of global meteorological events, climate scientists from France have found. Anomalies in oxygen found in sulfate particles coincide with several episodes of the world-wide disruption of weather known as El Nino and can be distinguished from similar signals left by the eruption of huge volcanoes, the team reports.

Forecast is for more snow in polar regions, less for the rest of us

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:32:32 EST

A new climate model predicts an increase in snowfall for Earth's polar regions and highest altitudes, but an overall drop in snowfall for the globe, as carbon dioxide levels rise over the next century.

Lake-effect snow sometimes needs mountains

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:05:05 EST

Researchers ran computer simulations to show that the snow-producing “lake effect” isn’t always enough to cause heavy snowfall, but that mountains or other surrounding topography sometimes are necessary too.

Loss of Arctic sea ice speeds domino effect of warming temperatures at high latitudes

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:40:40 EST

Melting Arctic sea ice is no longer just evidence of a rapidly warming planet —- it’s also part of the problem.

Greenland ice cores reveal warm climate of the past

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:36:36 EST

Between 130,000 and 115,000 years ago, Earth's climate was warmer than today. But how much warmer and what did it mean for the sea levels? As we face global warming, the answer to these questions is becoming very important. New research from the NEEM icecore drilling project in Greenland shows that the period was warmer than previously thought.

Climate change could cause massive losses in Pyrenees ski resorts

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:42:42 EST

An increase in temperatures due to climate change could mean that the Andorran ski resorts have a shorter season in the future, especially in lower areas. An increase of 4 ºC would stop the artificial snow machines from maintaining the ski season in the lowest areas.

Melt ponds cause Artic sea ice to melt more rapidly

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

The Arctic sea ice has not only declined over the past decade but has also become distinctly thinner and younger. Researchers are now observing mainly thin, first-year ice floes which are extensively covered with melt ponds in the summer months where once meter-thick, multi-year ice used to float.

Climate events drive High-Arctic vertebrate community into synchrony: Extreme weather potent force for Arctic overwintering populations

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:24:24 EST

Climate change is known to affect the population dynamics of single species, such as reindeer or caribou, but the effect of climate at the community level has been much more difficult to document. Now, a group of Norwegian scientists has found that extreme climate events cause synchronized population fluctuations among all vertebrate species in a relatively simple high arctic community.

New Antarctic geological timeline aids future sea-level predictions

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

Radiocarbon dates of tiny fossilized marine animals found in Antarctica's seabed sediments offer new clues about the recent rapid ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and help scientists make better predictions about future sea-level rise. This region of the icy continent is thought to be vulnerable to regional climate warming and changes in ocean circulation.

Novel approach to track migration of arctic-breeding avian species

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:02:02 EST

A group of scientists have tried to determine how snow bunting populations are linked in space and time. Considering that the snow bunting poses an extra challenge to monitor due to its inaccessible breeding locations, nomadic lifestyle and small body size, they argue, combining multiple sources of data is the most appropriate approach to track patterns of the birds' migratory connectivity.

NOAA lists ringed and bearded ice seal populations under the Endangered Species Act

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:08:08 EST

NOAA Fisheries has announced its final listing decision for four subspecies of ringed seals and two distinct population segments (DPSs) of bearded seals under the Endangered Species Act. Specifically, in line with the proposal, NOAA will list as threatened the Beringia and Okhotsk DPSs of bearded seals and the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic subspecies of ringed seals. The Ladoga subspecies of ringed seals will be listed as endangered. The species that exist in U.S. waters (Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia DPS of bearded seals) are already protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Here's your chances for a white Christmas and a dry New Year's Eve in the U.S.

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:29:29 EST

Climatologists have examined 50 years of weather data and calculated the chances for a white Christmas and a dry New Year’s Eve for various cities throughout the United States.

Nanoscale impulse radar measures depth of snow and ice for alpine ski slopes

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:13:13 EST

Snow is the be-all and end-all for alpine ski resorts. Now a tiny sensor has been developed to determine how much cold gold there is on the slopes and how much more should be produced. The sensor is based on Norwegian radar technology and is no larger than a match head.

More ice loss through snowfall on Antarctica

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:40:40 EST

Stronger snowfall increases future ice discharge from Antarctica. Global warming leads to more precipitation as warmer air holds more moisture -- hence earlier research suggested the Antarctic ice sheet might grow under climate change. Now a new study shows that a lot of the ice gain due to increased snowfall is countered by an acceleration of ice-flow to the ocean.

Arctic continues to break records in 2012: Becoming warmer, greener region with record losses of summer sea ice and late spring snow

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:39:39 EST

The Arctic region continued to break records in 2012 -- among them the loss of summer sea ice, spring snow cover, and melting of the Greenland ice sheet. This was true even though air temperatures in the Arctic were unremarkable relative to the last decade, according to a new report.

Maple syrup, moose, and the impacts of climate change in the north

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

In the northern hardwood forest, climate change is poised to reduce the viability of the maple syrup industry, spread wildlife diseases and tree pests, and change timber resources. And, according to a new article, without long-term studies at the local scale -- we will be ill-prepared to predict and manage these effects.

Himalayan glaciers will shrink by almost 10 percent, even if temperatures hold steady

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:46:46 EST

If Bhutan's climate did not warm, glaciers in the monsoonal Himalayas would still shrink by almost 10 percent within the next few decades. What's more, the amount of melt water coming off these glaciers could drop by 30 percent.

Warming temperatures will change Greenland's face, experts predict

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:48:48 EST

Global climate models abound. What is harder to pin down, is how a warmer global temperature might affect any specific region on Earth. Researchers have now made the global local. Using a combination of climate models, they predict how different greenhouse gas scenarios would change the face of Greenland and impact sea level rise.

Climate change affecting overall weather patterns, may affect water availability, in California

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:20:20 EDT

Climate change is affecting overall weather patterns, scientists say, and could affect water availability in California.

Asteroid belts of just the right size are friendly to life

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:12:12 EDT

Solar systems with life-bearing planets may be rare if they are dependent on the presence of asteroid belts of just the right mass, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that the size and location of an asteroid belt, shaped by the evolution of the Sun's protoplanetary disk and by the gravitational influence of a nearby giant Jupiter-like planet, may determine whether complex life will evolve on an Earth-like planet.

Let it snow! Solar panels can take it

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:52:52 EDT

Even if the weather outside is frightful, solar cells can still generate a delightful amount of electricity.

NASA'S Operation Icebridge resumes flights over Antarctica

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:20:20 EDT

Scientists and flight crew members with Operation IceBridge, NASA's airborne mission to study Earth's changing polar ice, are beginning another campaign over Antarctica. Now in its fourth year, IceBridge's return to the Antarctic comes almost a year after the discovery of a large rift in the continent's Pine Island Glacier.

Deforestation in snowy regions causes more floods

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:23:23 EDT

New research suggests that cutting down swaths of forest in snowy regions at least doubles -- and potentially quadruples -- the number of large floods that occur along the rivers and streams passing through those forests.

Arctic sea ice at lowest level ever: Losses accelerating over last decade

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:25:25 EDT

The extent of sea ice has been decreasing for decades, but its melting has accelerated within the last ten years. The shrinking is in line with global warming, researchers say.

Species richness and genetic diversity do not go hand in hand in alpine plants

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:32:32 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that a high level of species diversity in alpine plants does not necessarily go hand in hand with a high level of genetic diversity. This finding suggests that new future strategies are needed to protect biodiversity in the Alpine region.

Shrinking snow depth on Arctic sea ice threatens ringed seal habitat

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:23:23 EDT

University of Washington scientists found that the habitat required for ringed seals -- animals under consideration for the threatened species list -- to rear their young will drastically shrink this century.

Himalayan glaciers retreating at accelerated rate in some regions: Consequences for water supply remain unclear

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:58:58 EDT

Glaciers in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas appear to be retreating at accelerating rates, similar to those in other areas of the world.

NASA Observations Point to 'Dry Ice' Snowfall on Mars

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:08:08 EDT

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data have given scientists the clearest evidence yet of carbon-dioxide snowfalls on Mars. This reveals the only known example of carbon-dioxide snow falling anywhere in our solar system. Frozen carbon dioxide, better known as "dry ice," requires temperatures of about minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 Celsius), which is much colder than needed for freezing water. Carbon-dioxide snow reminds scientists that although some parts of Mars may look quite Earth-like, the Red Planet is very different.

Study ties forest 'greenness' in western US to snowpack extent

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:35:35 EDT

Scientists have used satellite images and ground measurements to identify the threshold at which mid-level forests sustained by moisture change to higher-elevation forests sustained by sunlight.

Mountain forest study shows vulnerability to climate change

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:04:04 EDT

A new study that ties forest "greenness" in the western United States to fluctuating year-to-year snowpack indicates mid-elevation mountain ecosystems are most sensitive to rising temperatures and changes in precipitation and snowmelt.

No-till farming helps capture snow and soil water

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:04:04 EDT

A smooth blanket of snow in the winter can help boost dryland crop productivity in the summer, and no-till management is one way to ensure that blanket coverage, according to new research.

NASA's IceBridge seeking new view of changing sea ice

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:35:35 EDT

This year scientists working on NASA's Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne science mission to study changing ice conditions at both poles, debuted a new data product with the potential to improve Arctic sea ice forecasts.

Scientist sees Arctic ice loss firsthand

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:59:59 EDT

A University of Delaware marine scientist can confirm firsthand some of the ice loss reported by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. In a short video he filmed this month, Andreas Muenchow, aboard an icebreaker ship, shows the ice-free sea off Petermann Fjord.

Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:10:10 EDT

Algae are high on the genetic engineering agenda as a potential source for biofuel, and they should be subjected to independent studies of any environmental risks that could be linked to cultivating algae for this purpose, two prominent researchers say.

Greenland melting breaks record four weeks before season's end

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:13:13 EDT

Melting over the Greenland ice sheet shattered the seasonal record on Aug. 8 -- a full four weeks before the close of the melting season, researchers report.

Researchers analyze melting glaciers and water resources in Central Asia

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:23:23 EDT

Scientists have analyzed climate changes and glaciation in the Tien Shan Mountains (Central Asia), and explained their consequences.

Why is Earth so dry? Planet formed from rocky debris in hotter region, inside of solar system's 'snow line'

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:12:12 EDT

A new analysis of the common accretion-disk model explaining how planets form in a debris disk around our Sun uncovered a possible reason for Earth's comparative dryness. The study found that our planet formed from rocky debris in a dry, hotter region, inside of the so-called "snow line." The snow line in our solar system currently lies in the middle of the asteroid belt, a reservoir of rubble between Mars and Jupiter; beyond this point, the Sun's light is too weak to melt the icy debris left over from the protoplanetary disk. Previous accretion-disk models suggested that the snow line was much closer to the Sun 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth formed.

Two elusive and endangered snow leopards are fitted with satellite collars for the first time in Afghanistan

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:17:17 EDT

Two snow leopards were captured, fitted with satellite collars, and released for the first time in Afghanistan by a team of Wildlife Conservation Society conservationists and Afghan veterinarians conducting research during a recent expedition.

First ever videos of snow leopard mother and cubs in dens recorded in Mongolia

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:27:27 EDT

For the first time, the den sites of two female snow leopards and their cubs have been located in Mongolia's Tost Mountains, with the first known videos taken of a mother and cubs, located and recorded.

Study: Wolverines need refrigerators

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:15:15 EDT

The distribution of wolverines in the wild relates to the species’ ability to store and “refrigerate” their food supply through tough times. The cold caches play a particularly important role in wolverine reproductive success, as they provide a source of nutrition for lactating females while they are nursing young.

Greenland's loss of ice mass during the last 10 years is unusually high compared to last 50 years

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:36:36 EDT

Loss through melting and iceberg calving during the last 10 years is unusually high compared to the last 50 years. The Greenland ice sheet continues to lose mass and thus contributes at about 0.7 millimeters per year to the currently observed sea level change of about 3 mm per year. This trend increases each year by a further 0.07 millimeters per year. The pattern and temporal nature of loss is complex. The mass loss is largest in southwest and northwest Greenland; the respective contributions of melting, iceberg calving and fluctuations in snow accumulation differing considerably.

Warm ocean currents cause majority of ice loss from Antarctica

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:03:03 EDT

Warm ocean currents are the dominant cause of recent ice loss from Antarctica, new research shows. New techniques have been used to differentiate, for the first time, between the two known causes of melting ice shelves - warm ocean currents attacking the underside, and warm air melting from above. This finding brings scientists a step closer to providing reliable projections of future sea-level rise.

Long-term studies detect effects of disappearing snow and ice

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:28:28 EDT

Regions of the earth where water is frozen for at least a month each year are shrinking as a result of global warming. Some of the effects on ecosystems are now being revealed through research conducted at affected sites over decades. They include dislocations of the relationships between predators and their prey, as well as changes in the movement through ecosystems of carbon and nutrients. The changes interact in complex ways that are not currently well understood, but effects on human populations are becoming apparent.

Vegetation cover affects the speed of snowmelt in tundra regions

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:22:22 EDT

Climate change has increased vegetation in Arctic tundra regions. According to a recent study, the increase in vegetation in tundra regions may further accelerate global warming.

Forest-destroying avalanches on the rise due to clear-cut logging

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:47:47 EDT

Scientists have been studying the impact of clear-cut logging on avalanche terrain in British Columbia. Understanding avalanche behavior and its destructive potential is an important factor in assessing risk of clear-cut logging of mature forest timber. A new article presents data collected from locations where avalanches have been released due to clear-cut logging; These data demonstrate the adverse effects of poor logging practices.

California's snow not disappearing despite drought

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:14:14 EDT

During some winters a significant amount of snow falls on parts of California. During other winters — like this one (so far) — there is much less snow. But more than 130 years of snow data show that over time snowfall in California is neither increasing nor decreasing.

Unusual weather: Arctic sea ice decline may be driving snowy winters seen in recent years in N. Hemisphere

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:10:10 EST

A new study provides further evidence of a relationship between melting ice in the Arctic regions and widespread cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere. The study’s findings could improve seasonal forecasting of snow and temperature anomalies across northern continents.