ScienceDaily: Tundra News

Is a sleeping climate giant stirring in the Arctic?

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:43:43 EDT

Permafrost zones occupy nearly a quarter of the exposed land area of the Northern Hemisphere. NASA's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment is probing deep into the frozen lands above the Arctic Circle in Alaska to measure emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane from thawing permafrost -- signals that may hold a key to Earth's climate future.

Potentially 'catastrophic' changes underway in Canada's northern Mackenzie River Basin

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:43:43 EDT

Canada's Mackenzie River basin -- among the world's most important major ecosystems -- is poorly studied, inadequately monitored, and at serious risk due to climate change and resource exploitation, a panel of international scientists warn. Largest single threat to the Basin: a potential breach in the tailings ponds at one of the large oil sands sites mining surface bitumen. A breach in winter sending tailings liquid under the ice "would be virtually impossible to remediate or clean-up."

Arctic current flowed under deep freeze of last ice age, study says

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:34:34 EDT

During the last ice age, when thick ice covered the Arctic, many scientists assumed that the deep currents below that feed the North Atlantic Ocean and help drive global ocean currents slowed or even stopped. But in a researchers have now shown that the deep Arctic Ocean has been churning briskly for the last 35,000 years, through the chill of the last ice age and warmth of modern times.

Study explores atmospheric impact of declining Arctic sea ice

Tue, 28 May 2013 10:58:58 EDT

New research explores the impact of ice free seas on the planet's atmospheric circulation.

Bacterium from Canadian high Arctic offers clues to possible life on Mars

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:38:38 EDT

The recent discovery of a bacterium that is able to thrive at minus 15 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever reported for bacterial growth, is exciting because it offers clues about some of the necessary preconditions for microbial life on Mars.

Changing Arctic: What should be done?

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:57 EDT

In two critical reports released at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden on May 15th, scientists helped inform an international body of senior government officials about changing conditions in the Arctic, and potential responses to those changes.

Research into carbon storage in Arctic tundra reveals unexpected insight into ecosystem resiliency

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:27:27 EDT

When a doctoral student and her advisor went north not long ago to study how long-term warming in the Arctic affects carbon storage, they had made certain assumptions.

As Canada takes Arctic Council helm, experts stress north's vulnerability to spills, emergencies

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:33:33 EDT

It is crucial that northern nations strengthen response capabilities to shipping-related accidents foreseen in newly-opened northern waters, as well as to more-common local emergencies such as floods, forest fires and rescue situations, experts say.

Ice-free Arctic may be in our future, international researchers say

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Analyses of the longest continental sediment core ever collected in the Arctic provide "absolutely new knowledge" of Arctic climate from 2.2 to 3.6 million years ago. The research has major implications for understanding how the Arctic transitioned from a forested landscape without ice sheets to the ice- and snow-covered land we know today.

Dietary flexibility may have helped some large predators survive after last ice age

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:14:14 EDT

During the late Pleistocene, a diverse assemblage of large-bodied mammals inhabited the "mammoth steppe" of northern Eurasia and Beringia. Of the large predators -- wolves, bears, and big cats -- only the wolves and bears were able to maintain their ranges well after the end of the last ice age. A new study suggests that dietary flexibility may have been an important factor giving wolves and bears an edge over saber-toothed cats and cave lions.

You are what (and where) you eat: Mercury pollution threatens Arctic foxes

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:10:10 EDT

New scientific results show that arctic foxes accumulate dangerous levels of mercury if they live in coastal habitats and feed on prey which lives in the ocean.

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.

Mammal and bug food co-op in the High Arctic

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:11:11 EDT

Who would have thought that two very different species, a small insect and a furry alpine mammal, would develop a shared food arrangement in the far North?

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.

Remote-sensing study quantifies permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaskan wetlands

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:44:44 EDT

Geoscientists has achieved unprecedented detail in quantifying subtle, long-period changes in the water levels of shallow lakes and ponds in hard-to-reach Arctic wetlands.

Bear baiting may put hunting dogs at risk from wolves

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:55:55 EDT

Wisconsin permits bear baiting for much longer than Michigan does. Wisconsin also pays reparations for wolf attacks on hunting dog, but Michigan doesn't. These factors make Wisconsin's risk of wolf attacks up to 7 times higher.

Scientists discover new materials to capture methane

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:28:28 EDT

Scientists have discovered new materials to capture methane, the second highest concentration greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere.

Arctic nearly free of summer sea ice during first half of 21st century, experts predict

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:28:28 EDT

For scientists studying summer sea ice in the Arctic, it's not a question of "if" there will be nearly ice-free summers, but "when." And two scientists say that "when" is sooner than many thought -- before 2050 and possibly within the next decade or two.

Dramatically greener Arctic in the coming decades

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:20:20 EDT

Rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening" of the Arctic by mid-century, as a result of marked increases in plant cover, according to new research.

Pioneering study calculates Arctic Ocean nutrient budget

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

The first study of its kind to calculate the amount of nutrients entering and leaving the Arctic Ocean has been carried out.

2013 wintertime Arctic sea ice maximum fifth lowest on record

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:14 EDT

During the cold and dark of Arctic winter, sea ice refreezes and achieves its maximum extent, usually in late Feb. or early Mar. According to a NASA analysis, this year the annual maximum extent was reached on Feb. 28 and it was the fifth lowest sea ice winter extent in the past 35 years.

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.

Breeding birds vulnerable to climate change in arctic alaska: A story of winners and losers

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:25:25 EDT

A new report looked at the vulnerability of 54 breeding bird species to climate change impacts occurring by the year 2050 in Arctic Alaska. The assessment found that two species, the gyrfalcon and common eider are likely to be “highly” vulnerable, while seven other species would be “moderately” vulnerable to anticipated impacts. Five species are likely to increase in number and benefit from a warming climate.

New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:56:56 EDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Black bears on the rebound in Nevada

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:43:43 EDT

A new study has pieced together the last 150 years of history for one of the Nevada's most interesting denizens: the black bear.

New bone survey method could aid long-term survival of Arctic caribou

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:33:33 EDT

A study adds critical new data for understanding caribou calving grounds in an area under consideration for oil exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

New fossil species from a fish-eat-fish world when limbed animals evolved

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Scientists who famously discovered the lobe-finned fish fossil Tiktaalik roseae, a species with some of the clearest evidence of the evolutionary transition from fish to limbed animals, have described another new species of predatory fossil lobe-finned fish fish from the same time and place. By describing more Devonian species, they're gaining a greater understanding of the "fish-eat-fish world" that drove the evolution of limbed vertebrates.

For polar bears, it's survival of the fattest

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:20:20 EDT

One of the most southerly populations of polar bears in the world – and the best studied – is struggling to cope with climate-induced changes to sea ice, new research reveals. Based on over 10 years' data the study sheds new light on how sea ice conditions drive polar bears' annual migration on and off the ice.

Chemicals pollutants threaten health in the Arctic

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:45:45 EDT

People living in Arctic areas can be more sensitive to pollutants due to their genetics. This is unfortunate since the northernmost areas of Europe are receiving more harmful chemicals. Scientists believe climate change may be a culprit as air and water mass movements push some of these undesirable chemicals towards the Arctic.

Polar bears' family secrets revealed with DNA sequencing

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:01:01 EDT

Brown bears on an Alaskan archipelago are the descendants of an ancient polar bear population rather than being the ancestors of modern polar bears, new research shows.

DNA study clarifies how polar bears and brown bears are related

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:56:56 EDT

A new genetic study of polar bears and brown bears upends prevailing ideas about the evolutionary history of the two species.

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.

Antarctic and Arctic insects use different genetic mechanisms to cope with lack of water

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:18:18 EDT

Although they live in similarly extreme ecosystems at opposite ends of the world, Antarctic insects appear to employ entirely different methods at the genetic level to cope with extremely dry conditions than their counterparts that live north of the Arctic Circle, according to a new study.

Causes of 2011 Arctic ozone hole determined

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:39:39 EDT

A combination of extreme cold temperatures, human-made chemicals and a stagnant atmosphere were behind what became known as the Arctic ozone hole of 2011, a new study finds.

Ozone layer above North Pole expected to recover by end of century

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:13:13 EDT

Good news for the ozone layer above the Arctic. The Montreal Protocol is showing effects: according to recent measurements, the ozone layer over the North Pole should recover by the end of the century.

Amplified greenhouse effect shifts north's growing seasons

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:03:03 EDT

Vegetation growth at Earth's northern latitudes increasingly resembles lusher latitudes to the south, according to a new study based on a 30-year record of land surface and newly improved satellite data sets.

Amplified greenhouse effect shaping North into South

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:37:37 EDT

As the cover of snow and ice in the northern latitudes has diminished in recent years, the temperature over the northern land mass has increased at different rates during the four seasons, causing a reduction in temperature and vegetation seasonality in this area. In other words, the temperature and vegetation at northern latitudes increasingly resembles those found several degrees of latitude farther south as recently as 30 years ago, new research shows.

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.

More storms like Sandy? Arctic ice loss amplified Superstorm Sandy violence

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:51:51 EST

Researchers have shown that the severe loss of summertime Arctic sea ice – attributed to greenhouse warming – appears to increase the frequency of atmospheric blocking events like the one that steered Hurricane Sandy into the US Northeast.

Remains of extinct giant camel discovered in High Arctic

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:10:10 EST

Remains of an extinct giant camel have been discovered on Ellesmere Island in Canada's High Arctic. The evidence collected is from 30 fragments of a leg bone, dating to about three-and-a-half million years ago from the mid-Pliocene Epoch, when the planet was undergoing a global warm phase.

Global warming will open unexpected new shipping routes in Arctic, researchers find

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 EST

Shipping lanes through the Arctic Ocean won't put the Suez and Panama canals out of business anytime soon, but global warming will make these frigid routes much more accessible than ever imagined by melting an unprecedented amount of sea ice during the late summer, new research shows.

3-D printing using old milk jugs

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:36:36 EST

3-D printing lets anyone make almost anything with a simple machine and a roll of plastic filament. Now researchers have found a way to drive costs down even further by recycling empty milk jugs into filament. The process reduces landfill waste, saves on energy compared with traditional recycling, and makes 3-D printing and even better deal.

March of the pathogens: Parasite metabolism can foretell disease ranges under climate change

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 EST

Researchers developed a model that can help determine the future range of nearly any disease-causing parasite under climate change, even if little is known about the organism. Their method calculates how the projected temperature change for an area would alter the creature's metabolism and life cycle.

Caves point to thawing of Siberia: Thaw in Siberia's permafrost may accelerate global warming

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 EST

Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could see permanently frozen ground thaw over a large area of Siberia, threatening release of carbon from soils, and damage to natural and human environments.

Climate change effect on plant communities is buffered by large herbivores, new research suggests

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:16:16 EST

Can existing ecological communities persist intact as temperatures rise? A news study suggests that the answer to this question may have as much to do with the biological interactions that shape communities as with the effects of climate change itself.

Cushion plants help other plants survive

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:25:25 EST

Alpine cushion plants help other plants in harsh mountain environments to survive.

Reduced sea ice disturbs balance of greenhouse gases

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:25:25 EST

The widespread reduction in Arctic sea ice is causing significant changes to the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

New insect: Spectacular forcepfly species discovered for the first time in South America

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:49:49 EST

Austromerope is a genus of forcepflies, whose representatives are rare and mostly restricted in distribution. It belongs to the family Meropeidae (Mecoptera) and was recently unexpectedly discovered in South America. The species found in Brazil was described as new to science and named Austromerope braziliensis.

Rapid changes in the Arctic ecosystem during ice minimum in summer 2012

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:17:17 EST

Huge quantities of algae are growing on the underside of sea ice in the Central Arctic: In 2012 the ice algae Melosira arctica was responsible for almost half the primary production in this area. When the ice melts, as was the case during the ice minimum in 2012, these algae sink rapidly to the bottom of the sea at a depth of several thousands of meters.

New owl species discovered in Indonesia is unique to one island

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:31:31 EST

A new owl is the first endemic bird species discovered on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, according to new research.

Arctic Ocean is on thin ice: European satellite confirms numbers

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:50:50 EST

The September 2012 record low in Arctic sea-ice extent was big news, but a missing piece of the puzzle was lurking below the ocean's surface. What volume of ice floats on Arctic waters? And how does that compare to previous summers? These are difficult but important questions, because how much ice actually remains suggests how vulnerable the ice pack will be to more warming. New satellite observations confirm an analysis that for the past three years has produced widely quoted estimates of Arctic sea-ice volume. Findings based on observations from a European Space Agency satellite show that the Arctic has lost more than a third of summer sea-ice volume since a decade ago, when a U.S. satellite collected similar data.

Sunlight stimulates release of climate-warming gas from melting Arctic permafrost

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:21:21 EST

Ancient carbon trapped in Arctic permafrost is extremely sensitive to sunlight and, if exposed to the surface when long-frozen soils melt and collapse, can release climate-warming carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere much faster than previously thought.

Polar bear researchers urge governments to act now and save the species

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:47:47 EST

Polar bear researchers are urging governments to start planning for rapid Arctic ecosystem change to deal with a climate change catastrophe for the animals.

Cyclone did not cause 2012 record low for Arctic sea ice

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:52:52 EST

It came out of Siberia, swirling winds over an area that covered almost the entire Arctic basin in the normally calm late summer. It came to be known as "The Great Arctic Cyclone of August 2012," and for some observers it suggested that the historic sea ice minimum may have been caused by a freak summer storm, rather than warming temperatures. But new results show that the August cyclone was not responsible for last year's record low for Arctic sea ice.

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.

Mother bear knows best place to call home

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

Mama bear appears to know best when it comes to selecting a place to call home, according to a new study. The research, which may ultimately help protect Alberta's dwindling population of grizzly bears, is among the first of its kind to test the nature-versus-nurture debate on how large, free-ranging wildlife select habitat.

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.

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.

Climate change may benefit most mammals that live in northern Europe’s Arctic and Sub-Arctic land areas in short run

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:15:15 EST

The climate changes depicted by climatologists up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in northern Europe’s Arctic and Sub-Arctic land areas today if they are able to reach their new climatic ranges.