Global Warming - So What?
A Library about Climate Change
Ice
Below are articles about ice, arranged in 7 major groups: Ice Dynamics, Antarctica, Greenland, Other Glaciers, Combined Regions, Sea Ice, and Snow. The many articles on permafrost and seabed methane hydrates are found on the Carbon + & - page.
Month and year follow each article's name. PDF files are so marked, after month and date, some with authors noted. Within sections, more recent files appear above older files.
Diagrams are generally immediately below the summary articles from which they were taken.
Ice Dynamics
Several of the articles below point to faster changes observed in glaciers and ice sheets than models allow for. That is, ice models need to be improved to account better for the processes identified. The upshot is that ice loss generally occurs faster that models project. This implies that sea level, during this century, will rise faster than some projections.
Accelerating Melt Rate Makes Greenland Ice Sheet World’s Largest ‘Dam’ 0222
Soot Is Accelerating Snow Melt in Popular Parts of Antarctica 0222
Serious, Salty Trouble Is Brewing under Antarctic Glaciers 0222
Eerie ‘Blood Snow’ Is Likely Synced Up with Climate Change 0222
Sun-Loving Bacteria May Be Accelerating Glacial Melting 0121
Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet Are Producing Massive Waterfalls 1219
What’s Driving Antarctica's Meltdown? 1119
How Antarctica Is Melting from Above and Below 1019
Algae Blooms to Make Glaciers Melt Faster than Thought 1019
A New Risk Grows - Ice Slabs Worsen Runoff in Greenland's Extreme Melting 0919
Oceans Are Melting Glaciers from Below Much Faster than Predicted 0719
Tall Ice Cliffs Are Slumping, May Trigger Rapid Sea-Level Rise 0419
Dust from Melting Glaciers Could Create Clouds 0319
Wildfire Soot Darkening Glaciers Could Speed Up Melt Rate 0119
Global Warming Is Destabilizing Mountain Slopes, Creating Landslide Risks 0918
Global Warming Is Melting Antarctic Ice from Below 0518
Record Greenland Melting Caused by Surprising Feedback Loop 0616 - Growing Arctic sea ice LOSS warms ice more.
These Elephant Seals Taught Scientists Why Antarctica Is Melting So Fast 0616
Our sensors on them measure sea warming to melt ice shelves and glaciers from below.
Better Models of Antarctic Ice Collapse Show Much Faster Sea Level Rise 0416
Bacteria Could Be Speeding Up the Darkening of Greenland's Ice 0316
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316 - take 2 on study below
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong about Earth’s Future 0316 - take 1 on study below
Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2°C Global Warming is Dangerous - Hansen et al. 0316 - PDF, 20 pp. - abridgement of the peer-reviewed publication
Cold icemelt from Antarctica spreads out along the ocean surface. That prevents the vertical mixing (warmer water to the top) there that has driven the great ocean circulation. In Antarctica, the warmer water below the ice eats away at placiers from underneath. Cold icemelt from Greenland leads to shutdown of the Atlantic overturning circulation.
Ice losses from Greenland and Antartica grow, modelled as exponentially, with doubling times of 10, 20, or 40 years. Sea level rises non-linearly, 5-9 meters over 50 to 150 years. This is simlar to what happened 120,000 years ago, when sea levels rose from 3-4 meters higher than today to about 9 meters higher, including 2-3 meters within several decades. (For perspective, the sea level range (maximum - minimum) over the recent ice ages was about 125 meters.)
Greenland’s Melting Is ‘Feeding on Itself’ 0316
Greenland Ice Sheet Melts up to 1/3 Faster under Cloudy Skies 0116
New Discovery Shows Greenland Could Be Making Sea-Level Rise Even Worse 0116
Greenland Melt Prompts NASA Fears of Coastal Flooding 0815
Scientists Can Finally Explain Why Huge Lakes atop Greenland Are Vanishing 0615
Ice Cores Show 200-Year N-S Poles Climate Lag 0515
Antarctic Ice Shelves Melting 70% Faster 0315
Models of Greenland Ice Melting Could Be Way Off. Florida Beware! 1214
Chain Reaction Shattered Huge Antarctic Ice Shelf 0813
Like Butter - Study Explains Surprising Acceleration of Greenland’s Inland Ice 0713
New Iceberg Theory Points to Risk of Rapid Disintegration, Fast Sea Level Rise 0713
Jury Still Out on Cause of Melting Ice Sheets 0713
Antarctic Ice Shelves Melting Mostly from Below 0613
Ice Sheets Can Change Fast 0912
Greenland Ice Melts in Spurts 0812
Warm Ocean Drives Antarctic Ice Loss 0412
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Greenland. .Mountain Glaciers. .Combined Regions. .Sea Ice. .Snow.
Antarctica
Antarctica holds about 90% of the ice on Earth, almost 10% in West Antarctica (including 1% in the Antarctic Peninsula) and some 80% in East Antarctica (in right half of circle below). West Antarctica's ice, if melted, would raise sea level almost 6 meters (20 feet). If all of East Antarctica's ice melted, it would raise sea level almost 60 meters (200 feet). Until 40 million years ago, Antarctica had no ice and sea levels were far higher than now.
Antarctica Bedrock Topograhic Map
Glaciation in Antarctica began 39 million years (MY) ago. It was largely complete by 34 MY ago. Antarctic ice has waxed and waned some since then, but has been generally similar to the amount today.
In recent years, ice shelf breakup has concentrated on the Antarctic Peninsula (upper left). But ice loss from retreating glaciers in West Antarctica (in left half of circle) has begun.
Roughly 2/3 of West Antarctica's ice is grounded below sea level. But so is some 1/3 of East Antarctica’s, more than half in the Wilkes and Aurora Basins (“southeast” quadrant), toward Australia and New Zealand. That’s more square miles in the East than the West.
Map by Paul V. Heinrich, data from BEDMAP Consortium (European Ice Sheet Modelling Initiative, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research)
Here is an spectacular 4-minute VIDEO of a calving event for ice the area of Manhattan, but taller.
Unavoidable Rapid West Antarctica Melting Portends Disastrous Sea Level Rise 1023
Scientists Found the Most Intense Heat Wave Ever Recorded — in Antarctica 0923
Antarctica Warming Much Faster than Predicted Is Deeply Worrying for Sea Level 0923
What Happens in Antarctica, Doesn’t Stay in Antarctica 0823 - Sea level rise from melting Antarctic ice is concentrated toward the other end of the Earth. Meanders in the south polar jet streaming over and around Antarctica, mean longer hot-dry and cold-wet weather in Australia, southern Africa and southern South America.
‘Virtually Certain’ Extreme Antarctic Events Will Get Worse without Drastic Action 0823
Antarctic Research Sparks Concerns that Ocean Circulation Will Collapse 0423
Norwegian Seafloor Holds Clue to Antarctic Melting 0423
Many Antarctic Glaciers Are Never Snow-Free. This Year Is Remarkably Different. 0323
Why East Antarctica Is a ‘Sleeping Giant' of Sea Level Rise 0323
Acceleration of Global Sea Level Rise Imminent past 1.8°C - 0223
Warming Seas Carving into Massive Antarctic Glacier Could Trigger Rising Seas 0223
This Extraordinary Marine Heat Wave Could Threaten Antarctica’s Ice Shelves 0223
Tagged Seal Led Scientists to Potential 5-15 Foot Sea Level Rise from Antarctica 0123
Iceberg about the Size of London Breaks Off in Antarctica 0123
Glacier That Could Raise Seas Several Feet Is Holding On by Its Fingernails 0922
Antarctica’s ‘Sleeping Giant’ Risks Melting, Threatens Spike in Sea Levels 0822
Climate Change’s Impact Intensifies, Led by Arctic 0822 - In Antarctica, ice shelf collapses, most notably Conger, adjacent to the largest glacier on Earth, in East Antarctica
These 2 Massive West Antarctic Glaciers Have Melted the Most in at Least 5,500 Years 0622
Scientists Solve Antarctic Ice Shelves Collapse Puzzle 0422
Antarctic Ice Shelves Are Shattering. How Fast Will Seas Rise? 0322
Satellite Data Show Collapse of Entire, Small, Conger Ice Shelf in Antarctica 0322
40°C above Normal - What’s Causing Extraordinary Heating in Polar Regions? 0322
It’s 70°F above Normal in Vostok, East Antarctica. Scientists Are Flabbergasted 0322
Soot Is Accelerating Snow Melt in Popular Parts of Antarctica 0222
Serious, Salty Trouble Is Brewing under Antarctic Glaciers 0222
Flourishing Plants Show Warming Antarctica Undergoing ‘Major Change’ 0222
Crucial West Antarctic Ice Shelf Could Fail within 5 Years 1221
Climate Change Has Destabilized Earth’s Poles, Imperiling the Rest of the Planet 1221
Antarctic Lake’s Disappearance Might Offer Clues about Melting Ice Shelves 0721
Antarctic Nearing Climate Disaster despite Landmark Historic Treaty 0621
Antarctica Sheds World’s Largest Iceberg, Nearly 4 X as Big as New York City 0521
Meeting Paris Climate Goal Critical to Prevent Antarctic Ice Shelf Disintegration 0521 - take 4 on a study mostly discussed under sea level rise
1/3 of Antarctic Ice Shelves Will Collapse amid 4°C Global Heating 0421
West Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier Tipping Point Confirmed for 1st Time 0421
Iceberg Bigger than New York City Broke Off near a UK Base in Antarctica 0221
West Antarctica's Getz Glaciers Flowing Faster 0221
Ice Shelves Propping Up West Antarctica’s 2 Largest Glaciers Are Breaking Up 0920
Why Antarctica's Colossal Thwaites Glacier Is Melting Fast 0920 - seabed is deeper than thought, warmer ocean melting ice from beneath
Ancient History of East Antarctic Ice Has Unsettling News for Sea Level Rise 0720
New Warnings over Rapid Melting at Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ 0720
Antarctic Ice Melt Related to Tropical Weather Shifts – a Game Changer? 0420
Canyon in East Antarctic’s Denman Glacier Threatens 5-Foot Sea Level Rise 0320
West Antarctica’s Largest, Most Dangerous Glacier Is Melting from Below 0120 - Thwaites Glacier
Antarctica's Doomsday Glacier Is Melting. Can We Save It in Time? 0120 - Thwaites Glacier
Can We Stop Antarctica's Ice Collapse? 0120 - 120,000 years ago, Antarctica was 6°C warmer and seas wre 6-9 meters higher. Longish analysis.
Antarctic Ice Melt May Have Hit an All-Time High on Christmas Eve 1219
What’s Driving Antarctica's Meltdown? 1119
How Antarctica Is Melting from Above and Below 1019
A Big Crack Grew, till a Huge Iceberg Just Split From Antarctica 1019
Can Trillion-Ton Snow Cannons Save Us from Sea-Level Rise? 0719
Glacial Melting in Antarctica May Become Irreversible 0719
1/4 of West Antarctica’s Ice Now Considered Unstable 0519
Extraordinary Thinning of Ice Sheets Revealed Deep inside Antarctica 0519
World's Largest Ice Shelf Is Melting 10 Times Faster than Expected 0519
Even Antarctica’s Coldest Region Is Starting to Melt 0319
Mysterious Green Antarctic Icebergs Might Be Fertilizing the Southern Ocean 0319
Collapse in Ice Shelf for Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier - Omen of Catastrophe 0319
Studies Shed New Light on Antarctica’s Future Contribution to Sea Level Rise 0219
Cavity 2/3 the Size of Manhattan Discovered under Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier 0219 - hidden loss carved by warming ocean
Ice Loss from Antarctica Increased 6-Fold since the 1970s - 0119 - take 1 on study
Antarctica Ice Melt Has Jumped 530% over 4 Decades, 280% in Last 2 - 0119 - take 2
Ancient Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapse Could Recur, Triggering New Global Flood 1218 - 125K years ago, an ice sheet melted, raising sea levels 30 feet, including up to 8 feet a century.
East Antarctica's Glaciers Are Stirring 1218
Land Rebounding under Antarctic Ice 0618
Antarctic Ice Loss Tripled in a Decade. If That Continues, It’s Serious Trouble. 0618 - 2.3 trillion tonnes in 15 years
Mass Balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017 - Shepherd 0618 - PDF
Mass Balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017 - Shepherd 0618 - Abstract
Global Warming Is Melting Antarctic Ice from Below 0518
'Extreme' Changes Underway in Some of Antarctica’s Biggest Glaciers 0418
An Alarming 10% of Antarctica’s Coastal Glaciers Are Now in Retreat 0418
Major Trend of More Snowfall Seen in Antarctica Could Counter Sea Level Rise 0118
Antarctic Iceberg Portends Big Glacier Retreat 1217
West Antarctica’s 2 Biggest Glaciers Accelerate Toward the Sea 1017
Study Suggests the Ocean Could Rise More, and Faster, than We Thought 1017
Satellites Spy Antarctic ‘Upside-Down Ice Canyon' 1017
Key Antarctic Glacier - Pine Island - Just Lost a Huge Piece of Ice 0917
Giant Iceberg Splits from Antarctic 0717 - a bit larger than Delaware, from Larsen C ice shelf on Antarctic Peninsula
Shells Record West Antarctic Glacier Retreat 0717
Antarctica's Ice-Free Areas to Increase up to 1/4 by 2100 - 0617
Scientists Stunned by Antarctic Rainfall and a Melt Area Bigger than Texas 0617
Thanks to Global Warming, Antarctica Is Beginning to Turn Green 0517
Larsen C Ice Shelf Crack Just Sprouted a New Branch 0517
Antarctica's Troublesome ‘Hairdryer Winds' 0417
Vast Rivers and Waterfalls Discovered across Antarctica 0417
Antarctica Just Shed a Manhattan-Sized Chunk of Ice 0217
Antarctic Past Points to Sea Level Threat 0117
Warm Ocean Water Is Melting the Biggest Glacier in East Antarctica 1216
Odd Rifts in Antarctic Ice Could Mean ‘Sayonara, Glacier’ 1116
What It Means for Sea Level When 2 Huge Antarctic Glaciers Are Unstable 1016
Scientists May Have Solved Key Riddle about Antarctica. It’s Bad News. 0916
Lengthening Crack Threatens to Cause an Antarctic Ice Shelf to Collapse 0816
Dazzling Blue Lakes Are Forming in Antarctica. That Worries Scientists. 0816
These Elephant Seals Taught Scientists Why Antarctica Is Melting So Fast 0616 - Ocean warms ice from below.
Yet Another Part of Antarctica May Be in Trouble 0616 - by Bellinghausen Sea, to Pacific side of the Peninsula
Better Models of Antarctic Ice Collapse Show Much Faster Sea Level Rise 0416 - includes take 5 on DeConto study
Note similarity of the study’s contours (below) to the map of Antarctic bedrock above.
'Dire Prediction' on Melting Antarctic Ice Sheets and Rising Sea Levels 0416 - take 4 on DeConto-Pollard study
if we continue current emissions rate if Paris committments are met & world warms only 2°C
Ice Melt Could Make Seas Rise 6 Feet by 2100 - 0316 - take 1 on DeConto-Pollard study. 40+ feet by 2500 possible
Climate Forecasts Underestimate Sea-Level-Rise Impact of Antarctic Thaw 0316 - take 2. 50+ feet by 2500 possible
Antarctic Model Raises Prospect of Unstoppable Ice Collapse 0316 - take 3. 50+ feet by 2500 possible
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316 - take 2 on study above in Ice Dynamics
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong about Earth’s Future 0316 - take 1 on study above in Ice Dynamics
Antarctica Could Be Much More Vulnerable to Melting than We Thought 0216
Warmer Seas Speed Up Antarctic Ice Melt 0216
What the Earth Will Be Like in 10,000 years, according to Scientists 0216
Weakening Ice Shelves Raise Sea Level Rise Concerns 0216
Big Antarctic Ice Melt Scenarios This Century ‘Not Plausible' 1115
West Antarctic Ice Melt Could Raise Seas by 3 Meters 1115
Experts Dispute NASA Study Showing Antarctic Ice Gain 1115
Net Gains for Antarctic Ice Sheets – NASA 1015
Trouble as Antarctica's Glaciers Are Undermined by Warm Water 1015
Antarctic Ice Shelves Collapse Would Bring 1,000s of Years of Sea-Level Rise 1015
Why Scientists Are So Worried about Antarctica’s Ice Shelves 1015
Worst-Case Scenario for Sea Level Rise- No More New York, Berlin or Shanghai 0915
Climate Change and the Fate of Antarctica 0915
Study Predicts All Antarctic Ice to Melt if All Fossil Fuels Are Burned 0915
5 Trillion Tons of Ice Lost Since 2002 - 0915 
Scientists Are Still Trying to Figure Out How Fast We Could Lose West Antarctica 0815
New Antarctic Research Increases Sea Level Rise Estimates 0815
Antarctic Glaciers Are Thinning So Fast, It's Like a Switch Was Flipped 0515
Antarctic Peninsula in ‘Dramatic' Ice Loss 0515
Antarctica's Growing Sea Ice Is Restricting Access to Research Stations 0515
10,000-Year-Old Antarctic Ice Shelf Will Disappear by 2020 - NASA 0515
Larsen C Ice Shelf, the Size of Scotland, Could Be at ‘Imminent Risk’ 0515
Antarctic Ice Shelves Melting 70% Faster 0315
Antarctic Ice Shelf Thinning Speeds Up 0315
East Antarctic Totten Glacier (Ice for 11 Feet SLR) Melts from Warm Seas Beneath
Antarctica's Retreating Ice May Re-Shape Earth 0215
Texas-Sized East Antarctic Glacier Melting with Warmer Oceans 0115
Our Polar Regions Are Simply 'Melting Away.’ It's A Beautiful Disaster. 0115
Scientists Drill through 2,400 Feet of Antarctic Ice for Climate Clues 0115 - Muck & pebbles on seabed at bottom show glacier movement in West Antarctica. The Whillan glacier base rests on 10 meters of ocean, not the ground. This makes it vulnerable to ocean warming beneath it, which melts it from the bottom.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet Is a Sleeping Giant, Beginning to Stir 0115
Rescued Scientists Bring Back a Warning from the Antarctic 1214
Drought, Heat and Ice - 2015 Could Be Tipping Point on Climate 1214
Antarctic Peninsula Glacier Recession 'Unprecedented' 1214
Research Casts Alarming Light on Decline of West Antarctic Glaciers 1214 - This article partly overlaps the next one.
West Antarctic Region Sheds Mount Everest-Sized Amount of Ice Every 2 Years 1214
Underwater ‘Storms' May Hold Key to Melting Antarctic Ice 1114
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record High, While the Arctic's Keeps Melting 1014
Gravity Changes Show Antarctica Meltdown 1014
Melting Glaciers Make Antarctic Coastal Waters Rise 2 mm per Year Faster 0914
Antarctic Melt Could Raise Sea Levels Faster 0814
ESA's Cryosat Mission Sees Antarctic Ice Losses Double in 4 Years 0514
Ice Melt in Part of Antarctica ‘Appears Unstoppable,' NASA Says 0514
East Antarctica More at Risk Than Thought to Long-Term Thaw 0514
Pine Island Glacier's Retreat Irreversible 0114
Spy Satellite Data Reveal Antarctic Ice Vulnerability 0813
New Antarctic Ice Core Reveals Secrets of Climate Change 0813
East Antarctic Ice Sheet 'Vulnerable' to Temperature Changes 0813
Frozen Ice Sheet in East Antarctica Melted, 5.3-2.6 Million Years Ago 0713
Antarctic Flood Produces Ice Crater 0713
Melting in Antarctica Worst in 1,000 Year Record 0413
West Antarctic Ice Sheet Warming Rate Is Twice Earlier Estimate 1212
Sea Level to Rise Despite More Snow in East Antarctica 1212
Less Ice Melt in Antarctica 1012
Antarctica Warmth Unusual, Not Unprecedented 0812
Valley Size of Grand Canyon Accelerates W Antarctic Ice Melt 0712
East Antarctica May Be Losing Ice Mass 1109
Large Antarctic Glacier Thinning Fast 0809
W Antarctic Ice Collapse History 0509
How Antarctic Ice Shelves Disintegrate - Wikipedia 0409
Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Disintegrating 0409
W Antarctic Ice Sheet to Collapse Again 0309
New Rifts in Antarctic Ice Shelf 1108
West Antarctic Glaciers Surge 0208
West Antarctic Ice Melt Accelerates 0108
Antarctic Ice Ebb & Flow Over Last 10 Million Years 0105 - PDF
Rapid CO2 Decline Glaciated Antarctica 34 Mya 0103 - PDF
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Mountain Glaciers. .Combined Regions. .Sea Ice. .Snow.
Greenland
Greenland holds about 10% of the world's ice. If it all melts, sea level would rise 6-7 meters (20+ feet).
Greenland Bedrock Topographic Map Created using ETOPO1 Global Relief Model bedrock version
www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/global/global.html .
Greenland ice growth began almost 10 million years ago and reached roughly current levels more than 2 million years ago.
Over the past 2 million years, ice sheets repeatedly grew and shrank across Canada, the northern US, most of Siberia, and most of northern Europe. We call these periods Ice Ages. At their peak, these ice sheets held twice as much ice as Antarctica does today. (See Hansen 0913 on Overviews page for a geologically recent history of sea level.) From 20 to 8 thousand years ago (KYa), those ice sheets vanished, raising sea levels by 1 meter per century, including 1.5 meter per century from 15 to 8 KYa.
Some researchers (Robinson, Koenig) have made the case that current CO2 levels are incompatible with continued existence of the Greenland ice cap or sheet, especially once temperatures increase to those associated with past CO2 levels this high (~ 400 ppm).
Perhaps 20% of Greenland's ice is grounded below sea level. But most of that is inland sea, not connected to the ocean. Maybe 5% to the ocean.
What Arctic Ice Tells Us about Climate Change 0823 - Greenland ice sheet in its entirety is threatened. The Arctic is warming 4 X as fast as the rest of Earth's surface. This impacts sea level rise and ocean currents. Etc.
Long-Lost Greenland Ice Core Suggests Potential Disastrous Sea Level Rise 0723 - See a different summary on the Heat page, Paleo section.
Acceleration of Global Sea Level Rise Imminent past 1.8°C - 0223
North America Heat Waves Led to Unprecedented Ice Melt in Greenland 1022
‘Fingerprint’ Discovery Confirms Alarming Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Predictions 0922
For 1st Time on Record, Greenland Saw Extensive Melting in September 0922
Greenland Ice Sheet Set to Raise Sea Levels by Nearly 1 Foot 0822
Greenland’s ice Loss Last Weekend Could Cover West Virginia in a Foot of Water 0722
How Humid Air, Intensified by Climate Change, Is Melting Greenland Ice 0622
Accelerating Melt Rate Makes Greenland Ice Sheet World’s Largest ‘Dam’ 0222
Tipping Points Already Passed? (3) Greenland and the Arctic - Abrupt Change 0122
Greenland Could Melt for Millennia if Warming Stopped Today 0122 - lags and slow melting
Climate Change Has Destabilized Earth’s Poles, Imperiling the Rest of the Planet 1221
2021 Arctic Report Card Reveals Cascading Disruptions, Extreme Events, Global Connections 1221
Record Greenland Glacier Calving Ice Loss, Ocean Melt in Last 12 Months 1121
Rain Fell at the Normally Snowy Summit of Greenland, for the 1st Time on Record 0821
Greenland Ice That Melted Tuesday Could Cover Florida in 2 Inches of Water 0721
Greenland Ice Sheet on Brink of Major Tipping Point 0521
Greenland Ice Sheet Melted Entirely 1 Million Years Ago. It Could Again. 0321
Surface of Greenland’s Ice Sheet Could Lose More Mass than It Gains by 2055 - 0221
Climate-Driven Arctic Changes Are Interconnected, Says 2020 Report Card 1220
Greenland Ice Sheet on Course to Lose Ice at Fastest Rate in 12,000 Years 0920
Loss of Greenland Ice Sheet Reached a Record Last Year 0820 - 530 billion tons, twice the 2003-2019 average
Warming Greenland Ice Sheet Passes Point of No Return 0820
Blue Skies Pushed Greenland ‘into the Red’ 0420
Greenland Lost a Near-Record 600 Billion Tons of Ice Last Summer 0320
Global Warming’s Duration Will Decide Greenland’s Ice Tipping Point Timing 1219
Greenland’s Ice Loss Has Risen 7-Fold, in Line with Highest Sea-Level Scenario 1219
Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet Are Producing Massive Waterfalls 1219
Warmer Subsurface Ocean Melting Greenland Ice 1019
A New Risk Grows - Ice Slabs Worsen Runoff in Greenland's Extreme Melting 0919
By 2100, Melting from Greenland Alone Could Raise Sea Level 3 or 4 Feet 0819 
At the Bottom of Helheim Glacier in Greenland, Scientists Find Troubling Signs 0819
Greenland Just Lost 11 Billion Tons of Ice – in 1 Day 0819
Greenland Headed for a Record Melt Year, 250 Billion tons of Ice Already Gone 0819
Heat Waves Amplify Near-Record Levels of Ice Melt in Northern Hemisphere 0819
'Climate Emergency’ - Greenland’s Ice Sheet Melting May Break Record 0719
Greenland Is Melting in a Heat Wave 0719
Contribution of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Sea Level over the Next Millennium 0619
5-33 cm by 2100 and 56-720 cm by 3000, depending on emissions scenario and other factors. Panel A is about temperature increase at Greenland and Panel B is about sea level rise as a result for Greenland. RCP 8.5 is the fastest global temperature rise modeled and RCP2 2.6 the slowest.
Below that (top 4) are maps for the year 3000 of ice-freee areas now and under under the scenarios.
Greenland Lost 2 Billion Tons of Ice Yesterday. That’s Very Unusual. 0619
The Glacier That Produced the ‘Titanic’ Iceberg Has Suddenly Stopped Flowing 0519
Greenland Has Been Exceptionally Warm Lately; Ice Is Melting a Month Early 0419
Greenland Is Melting Even Faster than Experts Thought 0419
Unusual Winter Rains Are Driving Sea Level Rise from Greenland 0319 - 70% of ice loss from rain, 30% from glacier calving, etc.
Greenland’s Melting Ice Nears a ‘Tipping Point,’ Scientists Say 0119
Arctic Ice Melting Tripled in 15 Years 1218
What Greenland's 'Unprecedented' Ice Loss Means for Earth 1218
Better Mapping of Greenland Ice Loss 0918
Greenland’s Biggest Fire Is a ‘Warning’ for Its Future 0418
Ice Cores Show Greenland’s Melting Is Unprecedented in at Least 4 Centuries 0318
Algae on Greenland Ice Sheet Significantly Hasten Its Melting 1217
As Greenland Melts, Where’s the Water Going? 1217
These Are the Melting Glaciers That Might Someday Drown Your City 1117 - Peterman, Jacobshavn, Zachariae
Mapping Greenland Has Produced Some Surprising - Worrying – Results 1017
'Unusual' Greenland Wildfires Right Now Are Linked to Peat 0817
Despite Summer Snow, Greenland Is Still Melting 0717
Wildfires Dumped a Huge Amount of Soot atop Greenland’s Ice Sheet 0617
So Much Water Pulsed thru a Melting Glacier, It Warped Earth’s Crust 0517 - 6.7 billion tons in 4 months
Troubling News about Greenland’s Most Enormous Glacier 0417 281 GT of ice loss annually. Fjords extend far, far inland.
Data Are Now Coming In from NASA’s Study of Greenland’s Melting 0217
Greenland Ice Melt Could Push Atlantic Circulation to Collapse 0117
'The Arctic Is Unraveling,' Conclude Scientists after Latest Climate Report 1216
History Reveals Greenland Ice Might Melt Much Faster Than Believed 1216 - It was ice-free 25% of last 1.4 million years.
Greenland Is Melting from Above and Below. Scientists Say They’re Connected. 1016
Greenland May Be Losing Ice Even Faster than We Thought 0916
Greenland Lost a Staggering 1 Trillion Tons of Ice in Just 4 Years 0716 - slight acceleration from the 4 years before
Deep-Blue Ponds and Streams Highlight Melting on Greenland Ice Sheet 0716
Greenland Was Hotter than New York City Last Week 0616
Record Greenland Melting Caused by Surprising Feedback Loop 0616 - Growing Arctic sea ice LOSS warms ice more.
Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Has Started Early 0416
Early Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Has Researchers Concerned 0416
Heat Wave in Greenland Triggers Record Early Start to Ice Melt Season 0416
Why Greenland Could Also Melt Faster than Expected 0416 - several processes, including warming sea water underneath
Bacteria Could Be Speeding Up the Darkening of Greenland's Ice 0316
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316 - take 2 on study above in Ice Dynamics
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong about Earth’s Future 0316 - take 1 on study above in Ice Dynamics
Greenland’s Melting Is ‘Feeding on Itself’ 0316
What the Earth Will Be Like in 10,000 years, according to Scientists 0216
Greenland Ice Sheet Melts up to 1/3 Faster under Cloudy Skies 0116
New Discovery Shows Greenland Could Be Making Sea-Level Rise Even Worse 0116
Greenland Ice Sheet Is Shrinking at High Rate 1215 - take 2 on study
Greenland’s Staggering Amount of ice Loss Is Getting Worse 1215 - take 1 on study
Greenland Just Opened up a Major New Ice Floodgate into the Ocean 1115
5 Trillion Tons of Ice Lost Since 2002 - 0915
Greenland Melt Prompts NASA Fears of Coastal Flooding 0815
World's Fastest-Melting Glacier Loses Massive Chunk in 2 Days 0815
OMG… Greenland’s Ice Sheets Are Melting Fast. Look Underneath. 0815
Medium-Large Earthquakes Are Shaking Greenland, as Icebergs Calve 0615
Scientists Can Finally Explain Why Huge Lakes atop Greenland Are Vanishing 0615
Our Polar Regions Are Simply 'Melting Away.’ It's a Beautiful Disaster. 0115
An Arctic Ice Cap’s Shockingly Rapid Slide into the Sea 0115 - Svalbard / Spitzbergen actually214 
At right is change in Greenland ice surface elevation, from January 2011 to January 2014. from article above
Models of Greenland Ice Melting Could Be Way Off. Florida Beware! 1214
Greenland’s Dark Snow May Start Global Warming Feedback Loop 0914
Greenland Ice Loss Doubles from Late 2000s - 0814
Greenland Glaciers More Susceptible to Melt Than Thought 0514
Greenland Glacier Hits Record Speed 0214
Greenland “Mega Canyon” Sends Water to the Sea 0813
Why Greenland Melting Is Biggest Climate Disaster of All 0113
Arctic Wildfires Speed Melting of Greenland Ice 1212
Greenland Lost 200 Billion Ton of Ice per Year 2003-10 1112
Greenland Ice Sheet Cannot Survive Current CO2 Level 1012
Greenland Melting Breaks Record 4 Weeks Early 0812
Greenland Aug 2012 Ice Summary 0812
Greenland Lost 422 GT of Ice in 2011 0812
Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt Shoots Up to 97% 0712 See 2 maps below.
Iceberg 2 x Manhattan, from Greenland 0712
Data Sheds Light on Speed of Greenland Glaciers 0512
Summary #1 - 1.6°C Warming Makes Greenland Ice Melt Away 0312
Summary #2 - Greenland Ice Sheet Vulnerable to Less Warming Than Previously Thought 0312
Summary #3 - Greenland Ice Melt May Soon Become Irreversible 0312
Greenland Ice Unstable 1.6°C Above Pre-Industrial - Robinson 0312 - PDF
Greenland Shed 100 Billions Tons of Ice in 2010 1211
Second Giant Ice Island Set to Break off Greenland 0911
Accelerating Arctic Melt Raises Sea Level Rise Projections 0511
Speed of Greenland Ice Melt Sets New Record 0111
Greenland Loses Ice Sheet 4 x Size of Manhattan 0810
Greenland Rebound Accelerates 0510
‘Dramatic’ Ice Melt in NW Greenland since 2005 Exceeds Projections 0310
Greenland Losing 273 cu km Ice / Year 1109
Greenland Ice Mass Loss 1958-2007 2008 - WEB
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Greenland. .Combined Regions. .Sea Ice. .Snow.
Other Glaciers
Graph below is from State of the Climate in 2021 - World Meteorlogical Organization, October 2021.
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
The ‘Forever’ Glaciers of America’s West Aren’t Forever Anymore 0923
Alpine Heat Wave Pushes Freezing Level Above Europe’s Glaciers 0823
Chinese Scientists Are Trying to Shield Melting Glaciers From the Sun 0723
Reeling Arctic Glaciers Are Leaving Bubbling Methane in Their Wake 0723
Pandemic Drop in Air Pollution Boosted Himalayan Snowpack 0623
Himalayan Glacier Loss Speeding Up 0623 - 65% faster over 2010-19, vs previous decade. 2022 was record year for ice loss. The region will lose at least 1/3 of its glaciers by 2100.
For Uganda’s Vanishing Glaciers, Time Is Running Out 0423
As Glaciers Melt, Sudden Flood Risks Threaten 15 Million People 0223
Large (Hinman) Glacier near Seattle Has Finally ‘Completely Disappeared’ 0223
Half of Earth’s Glaciers Could Melt, Even if Key 1.5°C Warming Goal Is Met 0123
Satellites Show Climate Change Thinning Rivers, Erasing Glaciers 1122
As the 3rd Pole Melts, Climate Diplomacy Is Hard to Come By 1122
1/3 of Glaciers in World Heritage Sites to Disappear by 2050 - 1122
Battle of the Alps? Water Woes Loom amid Climate Change 1022
As Himalayan Glaciers Melt, a Water Crisis Looms in South Asia 1022
Swiss Glaciers See Worst Melt on Record, in Back-to-Back Heat Waves 0922
Switzerland’s Glaciers Are Becoming a Front-Row Seat to Climate Destruction 0922
Swiss Glaciers Lost an Area the Size of Manhattan Every 10 Years since 1931 - 0822 
Glaciers in Europe Are Experiencing the Most Severe Melting on Record 0822
More Mountain Glacier Collapses Feared as Heat Waves Engulf Northern Hemisphere 0722
2nd Glacier Avalanche in a Week Shows Dangers of a Warming Climate 0722
Italian Alps Glacier Collapse Kills 6, amid Record Temperatures 0722
We Need Glaciers as Western Canada’s Best Friends against Climate Change 0622
Thin Glaciers Suggest Andes Faces ‘Peak Water' Sooner than Thought 0222
Water Supplies from Glaciers May Peak Sooner than Anticipated 0222
Earth’s Highest Glacier, on Mt. Everest, Is Losing Decades of Ice Each Year 0222
Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting at an Extraordinary Rate 1221 - 10 times faster in the past 4 decades than during the previous 7 centuries
Climate Change Making Canadian Rockies Lakes Lose Their Turquoise Color 0921
Glaciers All over the World Are Shrinking Fast 0621
In ‘Glacier Blood,’ Scientists See Possible Influence of Climate Change 0621
Meltwater Pulse 1A - Melting Ice Sheets Caused Sea Levels Rise Up to 18 Meters 0421
As Glaciers Disappear in Alaska, the Rest of the World’s Ice Follows 0521
Melting ice Threatens Glaciers in the Italian Alps 0521
World Will Lose 10% of Glacier Ice, Even if It Hits Climate Targets 0421
Alaska’s Muldrow Glacier on Denali Is Moving 100 Times Faster Than Normal 0421
Moraine Movement Governs Advance and Retreat of Tidewater Glaciers 0221
Rapidly Disappearing Tuni Glacier Raises Concerns for Bolivian Water Scarcity 0121
Melting Glaciers Are Filling Unstable Lakes. And They’re Growing. 0920
3rd Pole Thaw – China’s Glaciers in Retreat 1120
Ellesmere Island Ice Shelf Collapses in Canada 0820
Alpine Glaciers Shrank Nearly 20% Over the Past 2 Decades 0720
New Insights into Rapidly Retreating Andes Glaciers 0120
The World's Supply of Fresh Water Is in Trouble, as Mountain Ice Vanishes 1219
Amazon Fires ‘Quicken Andean Glacier Melt’ 1119 - drifting soot from fires darkens ice, hastening melt
Peruvian Glaciers Have Shrunk by 30% since 2000 - 1019
Mont Blanc Glacier Could Collapse at Any Moment 0919
Annual Assessment of North Cascades Glaciers Finds ‘Shocking Loss’ of Volume 0919
Heat Waves Amplify Near-Record Levels of Ice Melt in Northern Hemisphere 0819
Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting Twice as Fast as Late Last Century 0619
How Dust from Receding Glaciers Is Affecting the Climate 0619
Melting Glaciers Threaten Asia's Drought Buffer 0519
Climate Change May Wipe Out 90% of Glaciers in the Alps by 2100 - 0419
Earth’s Non-Polar Glaciers Melting Much Faster than Previously Thought 0419
Massive Glacier That Formed the Great Lakes Is Disappearing, due to Our CO2 - 0219 - Barnes ice cap on Baffin Island is all that remain of Laurentide glacier that covered Down, Chicago, New York.
1/3 of Himalayan Ice Cap Doomed by 2100 - 0219 if global warming is held to 1.5°C; more melting if warmer
North American Glaciers Melting Much Faster than 10 Years Ago 0119 - in British Columbia, Washington not so much
Then the Ice Melts - the Catastrophe of Vanishing Glaciers 0119
80% of Mountain Glaciers in Alberta, B.C., Yukon Will Disappear within 50 Years 1218
In Mount Everest Region, World's Highest Glaciers Are Melting, Receding 1118
Scientists Warn of Lower Water Supply due to Melting Glaciers after 2060 - 1118
Dry Lakes and Dust Storms at Yukon Glaciers Are Warning for Planet 1018
New Zealand's Melting Glaciers 0818
Climate Change Is Melting the French Alps, Say Mountaineers 0818
100s of Arctic Glaciers Shrinking, Disappearing into ‘City of Icebergs’ 0718
Himalayan Glaciers Are Wasting Away, Threatening Mountain Communities 0518
As Glaciers Melt, Tourism Dries Up in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca 0118
In Peru’s Deserts, Melting Glaciers Are a Godsend (Until They’re Gone) 1117
Ganges under Threat from Climate Change 1017 - retreat of Gangtori glacier, Ganges headwaters
Limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C Could Save 2/3 of Asia’s Glacier Ice 0917
The Rockies' Largest Glaciers Are Melting with Little Fanfare 0917
World's “Highest" Village Runs Dry, as Warming Hits Himalayas 0817
Scientists Rescue Samples of Melting Bolivian Glacier for Posterity 0617
Going, Going ... Glacier National Park's Iconic Glaciers Are Melting Away 0517
To Save Shrinking Glaciers, Cover Them with Snow All Summer 0517
Climate Change Is Taking Big Bite Out of Alpine Glaciers 0417
Climate Change is on Pace to Kill an Ice Age Remnant 0317
La Paz Adapts to a World without Water 0217 - Chacaltaya glacier “breathed its last” in 2009
As Arctic Warms, Canada's Glaciers Play Major Role in Sea Level Rise 0217 - esp. on islands in Arctic
Shrinking Mountain Glaciers Are ‘Categorical Evidence’ of Climate Change 1216
Bolivian Water Crisis as Glaciers Vanish 1116
Melting Glaciers in Bolivia Could Wash Away Towns 1016
How Air Pollution Is Causing the World’s ‘3rd Pole’ to Melt 0816
Retreating Glaciers a Sign of Alaska’s Major Meltdown 0716
As Glaciers Melt in Alaska, Landslides Follow 0716
95% of Glaciers on Tibetan Plateau Receded 0616
Climate Change Is Melting Everest’s Ice 0416
Rapid Melt Making Popular New Zealand Glaciers Too Dangerous to Hike 0316
El Niño Means Glaciers in the Andes Are Melting at Record Rates 0116
Chinese Glacier's Retreat Signals Trouble for Asian Water Supply 1215
Lakes Expanding 'Dangerously' in Everest Glacier 1115
Central Asia's Glaciers Are Quickly Shrinking 0815
Speed of Worldwide Glacier Retreat Is Unprecedented 0815
Alaska’s Glaciers Now Lose 75 Billion Tons of Ice per Year = 1/2 of Antarctic Loss 0615
Climate Change Could Shrink Mount Everest’s Glaciers by 70% - 0515
How Western Canada Glaciers Will Melt Away 0415
On Kilimanjaro - 'We Were Climbing Ice That Isn’t Going to Be There Next Week' 0115
Peru's Melting Glaciers a Deadly Threat, as Temperatures Rise 1214
Melting of Andes Glaciers Threatens Andean Countries 1214
Andes Glaciers, Ailing Giants Hit by Climate Change 1214 - some overlap with article above
Climate Change Threatens to Strip the Identity of Glacier National Park 1114
What Climate Change Means for a Land of Glaciers 1114 - North Cascades
Alaska in 2013 - Kenai’s Icefield Lost 28 Vertical Feet; Exit Glacier Retreated 187 Feet - 1014
Humans Seen as Biggest Force Behind Glacier Meltdown 0814
Nepal Clacier Change Analysis 0514 - PDF, 100 pp
As Mountain Snow Fails and Glaciers Melt, Pakistan Faces Water Threats 0514
Global Warming Fragments Himalayan Glaciers- 29% Ice Loss in 30 Years 0514
Sentinel Satellite Spies Ice Cap Speed-Up 0514
Alaska's ‘Ice-Quake' Record Could Shake Up Climate Science 0514
Snowpack, Ice Cover Shrinking on Rocky Mountains, Everest 0513
Melting Mountain Glaciers Account for 1/3 of Sea Level Rise 0513
Andes Tropical Glaciers Going Fast 0413
1,600 Years of Ice in Andes Melted in 25 Years 0413
Himalayan Glaciers Shrinking, Aided by Black Carbon 0313
Glacier Meltwater Catastrophes Are Forming High in the Andes 0313
Canadian Glaciers Face Big Losses 0313 below: Athabaska Glacier retreat over 86 years 
Massive Melting of Andes Glaciers 0113
Patagonian Glaciers Melt Rate Accelerates 0912
Himalayan Glaciers Grow in West, Shrink Elsewhere 0812
World Glaciers to Shrink 40% More if Warming Stops Now 0412
Some Asian Glaciers Adding Mass 0412
French Glaciers in Retreat 1211
China Glaciers in Drastic Retreat 1011
Soot Outdoes CO2 Melting Himalayan Ice 0311
Glaciers Largely Stable in Karakoram Range of Himalayas 0111
Indonesian Glaciers Dying 0710
Uganda's Rwenzori Ice Cap Splits After Shrinking 0510
US' Glacier National Park Loses 2 More Glaciers 0410
Vanishing Glaciers Plague Bolivia 1209
Are Himalayan Glaciers Retreating? 1109
Kilimanjaro Snows Gone by 2022 1109
Glaciers Melt Fastest in 5,000 Year Record 0308
Baffin Ice Cut 50% in 50 Years 0208
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Greenland. .Mountain Glaciers. .Sea Ice. .Snow.
Combined Regions
from IPCC 5 Science Assessment
Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets Are Melting Rapidly, Driving Sea Level Rise 0423
Study Shows Just How Quickly the World’s Cryosphere Is Shrinking 0721
Meltwater Pulse 1A - Melting Ice Sheets Caused Sea Levels Rise Up to 18 Meters 0421
Earth Is Now Losing 1.2 Trillion Tons of Ice a Year. It’s Going to Get Worse. 0121 - take 1
Global Ice Melt Matches Worst-Case Climate Scenario 0121 - take 2 on study
Earth Has Lost 28 Trillion Tonnes of Ice in Less than 30 Years 0820
Polar Ice Caps Melting 6 x Faster than in 1990s 0320
Arctic Report Card Tracks Region’s Warming, Other Environmental Changes 1218
The Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets under 1.5°C Global Warming 1118
Geo-Engineer Polar Glaciers to Slow Sea-Level Rise 0318
A Radical New Scheme to Prevent Catastrophic Sea-Level Rise 0118
Seas May Rise 8 Feet by 2100, Inundating Land That's Home to 236 Million 1217
Ice Apocalypse 1117 - summary by a leading ice scientist
These Are the Melting Glaciers That Might Someday Drown Your City 1117 - Peterman, Jacobshavn, Zachariae in Greenland. Gravitational effect of ice removal yields differential sea level rise around the world.
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316 - take 2 on study below
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong about Earth’s Future 0316 - take 1 on study below
Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2°C Global Warming is Dangerous - Hansen et al. 0316 - PDF, 20 pp. - abridgement of the peer-reviewed publication
Cold icemelt from Antarctica spreads out along the ocean surface. That prevents the vertical mixing (warmer water to the top) there that has driven the great ocean circulation. In Antarctica, the warmer water below the ice eats away at placiers from underneath. Cold icemelt from Greenland leads to shutdown of the Atlantic overturning circulation.
Ice losses from Greenland and Antartica grow, modelled as exponentially, with doubling times of 10, 20, or 40 years. Sea level rises non-linearly, 5-9 meters over 50 to 150 years. This is simlar to what happened 120,000 years ago, when sea levels rose from 3-4 meters higher than today to about 9 meters higher, including 2-3 meters within several decades. (For perspective, the sea level range (maximum - minimum) over the recent ice ages was about 125 meters.)
Melting Glaciers Blamed for Subtle Slowing of Earth's Rotation 1215
5 Trillion Tons of Ice Lost Since 2002 - 0915
Sea-Level Rise Accelerating, as Earth's Ice Sheets Melt 0515
Where Has All the Ice Gone? 0313
Polar Ice Mass Loss Reconciled - Shepherd, Ivins 1112 - PDF - excerpts below
Annual Contributions
2013 Arctic Report Card 1213 - Summary includes several topical maps. The full report is available below.
Climate Downgrade - Arctic Warming 1112
NASA Satellites Reveal Extent of Global Ice Melt 0812
Drastic Changes in Arctic 1009
Ice Sheet Meltdown Accelerates 0909
2+ Trillion Tons of Ice Melted Since 2003 1208
Arctic & Greenland Ice Melt Fast 1207
Polar Glaciers Accelerate 0306
Ice Mass Balance Change - Antarctica + Greenland 0306
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Greenland. .Mountain Glaciers. .Combined Regions. .Snow.
Sea Ice
from U of Washington, by Wipneus, using PIOMAS model - area plus thickness soundings by submarines
Sea ice loss has been much more pronounced in the Arctic than the Antarctic (till 2017), which has actually gained a little in area (but probably not in volume).
Antarctica’s Shrinking Sea Ice Hits a Record Low, Alarming Scientists 0923
Southern Ocean’s Shrunken Sea Ice Has Entered ‘New State’ 0923
What Happens in Antarctica, Doesn’t Stay in Antarctica 0823 - Among other things, declining sea ice amplifies warming - locally and even globally - by increasing how much sunlight the Earth absorbs, for further warming. This albedo effect, an albedo feedback, amplifies how much Earth warms and how fast sea ice melts (shrinks). See top diagram on the Heat webpage.
A Look at How Much Less Antarctic Sea Ice There Is This Year 0823
Scientists Try to Learn Why Antarctica Is Missing Argentina-Sized Sea Ice 0723
Last Week Was Record Hot, Led by Sea Surface, Record Antarctic Sea Ice Loss 0723
June Extremes Suggest Parts of the Climate System Are Reaching Tipping Points 0723
The Arctic May Be Sea Ice-Free in Summer by the 2030s 0623
World Sees 2nd-Hottest May in 30 Years, as Antarctic Ice Reaches New Low 0623
Southern Atmospheric Rivers Are Melting Arctic Sea Ice, So It May Never Recover 0323
Arctic Sea Ice Has Seen an ‘Irreversible’ Thinning since 2007 - 0323
Arctic Climate Modeling Too Conservative, Says New Research 0323
Atmospheric Rivers Aren't a Problem Just for California, but the Arctic, Too 0223
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low for 2nd Year Running 0223
Climate Change’s Impact Intensifies, Led by Arctic 0822
Plastic Pollution Accelerating the Effects of Climate Change in Canada’s Arctic 0522
Arctic Sea Ice Reached Its Maximum Extent at a Near-Record Early Date 0322
Antarctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Smallest Surface Area on Record 0222
Climate Change Has Destabilized Earth’s Poles, Imperiling the Rest of the Planet 1221
2021 Arctic Report Card Reveals Cascading Disruptions, Extreme Events, Global Connections 1221
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Annual Low, but It’s Not as Low as Recent Years 0921
As Arctic Melt Sets Early July Record, Hard Times Lie Ahead for Ice 0721
Disappearing Sea Ice Means Stronger Arctic Tides, Raising Warmer Water & Its Nutrients 0921
Global Warming May Have Already Passed Irreversible Tipping Point in Arctic 0621
The Alarming Power of Melting Arctic Ice 0621
Sea Ice Kept Oxygen from Reaching Deep Ocean during Last Ice Age 0221
Relatively Low Maximum Arctic Sea Ice Extent Is Part of the ‘New Normal’ 0321
Northern Labrador Sea Ice Is Thinning, Fast. The Inuit Are Worried. 0321
Cloud-Making Aerosol Could Devastate Polar Sea Ice 0221
The Arctic Is Now Open for Business Year-Round 0221
The World’s Largest Iceberg Is Headed for South Georgia Island—and Its Wildlife 1220
Climate-Driven Arctic Changes Are Interconnected, Says 2020 Report Card 1220
This Year's Arctic Sea Ice Is Failing to Form, Raising a Huge ‘Red Flag’ 1020
Arctic Sea Ice Reaches a Low, Just Missing Record 0920
The Arctic Is Shifting to a New Climate Because of Global Warming 0920
Arctic Could Be Free of Sea Ice by 2035, Latest Climate Model Predicts 0820
Ships Moving In as Arctic Sea Ice Level Reaches Record Low 0720
Arctic Sea Ice Is in a Downward Spiral, and May Break a Record in 2020 - 0720
Siberia’s Heat Wave Triggered an Arctic Sea Ice Melt 0720
Sea Ice Levels in Eastern Canadian Arctic Remain below Average 0720
Tanker Crosses Russian Arctic Route without Icebreaker Assistance 0520
Unusual Warmth around the North Pole May Jump-Start Arctic Ice Melt Season 0520
Ice-Free Arctic Summers Now Very Likely, Even with Climate Action 0420
Arctic May See 'Ice-Free' Summers in as Few as 15 Years 0320
Arctic Sea Ice Loss Cannot Be Rapidly Reversed, Experts Say 0120
Melting Sea Ice Is 'Atlantifying' the Arctic 1019
Shrinking Southern Sea Ice Could Be Worse than Shrinking Northern Sea Ice 0819
Loss of Arctic’s Reflective Sea Ice Will Advance Global Warming by 25 Years 0819
Arctic Summer 2019 - Record Heat, Dramatic Ice Loss, Raging Wildfires 0719
'Precipitous' Fall in Antarctic Sea Ice since 2014 Revealed 0719 But 2017-19 plunge reversed somewhat in 2020-21.
Arctic Sea Ice Extent Just Hit Record Low for Early June; Worse May Come 0619
The Arctic Ocean Has Lost 95% of Its Oldest Ice, a Sign of What’s to Come 1218
With Thick Ice Gone, Arctic Sea Ice Changes More Slowly 1018
Warm Water under Arctic Ice Is a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ 0818
Climate Change Cuts Shipping Route from China to Europe by 5,000 Miles 0818
Arctic’s Strongest Sea Ice Breaks Up for 1st Time on Record 0818
Ice-Free Arctic Projections under the Paris Agreement 0618
In the Arctic, the Old Ice Is Disappearing 0518
Western Alaska Sea Ice at Far the Lowest Extent since 1850 - 0418
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Lows off Alaska 1117
Return of ‘Ocean Chimney' the Size of Tasmania Puzzles Antarctic Scientists 1017
'Attacked from 2 Sides'- Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Another Record Low 0917
At 2017 Minimum, Scientists Ask - Is Arctic Entering the Thin Ice Age? 0917
1st Tanker Crosses Arctic Ocean without Ice Breaker 0817
Arctic Voyage Finds Global Warming Impact on Ice, Animals 0817
Speedier Sea Ice in Warming Arctic Could Spread Pollution Farther 0717
Alaska's Sea Ice Is Melting Unusually Early, 'Another Sign Arctic Is Unraveling' 0517
The Arctic as It Is Known Today Is Almost Certainly Gone 0417
The Arctic Is Warm Again Because of Course It Is 0317 Multi-year ice is down from 20% to 4% since 1985.
Ice at Both Poles Shrinks to Record Lows 0317
‘Airpocalypse’ Smog Events in China Linked to Melting Ice Cap 0317
Arctic Ice Loss Driven by Natural Swings, Not Just Humans 0317
Arctic Sea ice May Vanish, Even if World Achieves Climate Goal 0317
Why Has Antarctic Ice Set an Unexpected Record Low? 0317
1979 Arctic Model Predicted Current Sea Ice Demise, Holds Lessons for Future 0217 - ice-free in summer by mid-century
Antarctic Sea Ice Is No Longer the Darling of Climate Doubters 0217
Sea Ice around Antarctica Hits Record Low 0217
New Studies Show Rex Tillerson Is Wrong about Climate Risks 0117
Incredibly Thin Arctic Sea Ice Shocks Researchers 1216
'The Arctic Is Unraveling,' Conclude Scientists after Latest Climate Report 1216
This Is Not Normal, People - Arctic and Antarctic Hit Record Low Sea Ice 1216
Arctic Sea Ice Struggles to Build Volume 1116 fairly thick, but extent is lowest for date - for several weeks now
Arctic Sea Ice Melt Could Trigger Uncontrollable Climate Change Globally 1116
Amid Higher Global Temperatures, Sea Ice at Record Lows at Both Poles 1116
Irregular Arctic Climate Reduces Sea Ice to Another Record Low 1016
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to 2nd Lowest Level Ever Recorded 0916
For the Melting Arctic, Fuzzy Forecasts Are the Best We Can Do 0916
Open Water near North Pole Is a Sign of a Rapidly Warming Arctic 0916
Despite Major Melt, Arctic Sea Ice Will Miss Record Low 0816
Southern Ocean Is Getting Less Salty. What That Means for the Rest of Earth 0816
‘Next Year or the Year After, the Arctic Will Be Free of Ice’ 0816 - clear sailing across the North Pole, some ice clings to north shore of Greenland
Cruel Summer - Floods, Fires and Heat 0816 - summary of Arctic sea ice in summer 2016. In late August 2016, Artic sea ice was 2nd lowest area on record.
Historical Data Shows Arctic Melt of Last 2 Decades Is 'Unprecedented' 0816
2015 Set Frenzy of Climate Records 0816
Arctic Sea Ice Crashes to Record Low for June 0716
Amid Melting Arctic Ice, Kerry Sees Looming Climate Catastrophe 0616
Melt Ponds Suggest No Arctic Sea-Ice Record This Year 0616
Arctic Sea Ice Breaks May Record ... by a Lot 0616
Fractures Seen in Rapidly Melting Arctic Sea Ice, and It's Only May 0516
Arctic Sea Ice Growth Stunted Again 0416
Arctic Sea Ice Extent Breaks Record Low for Winter 0316
Northwest Passage Foiled Centuries of Explorers, but Now Open to Cruise Liners 0316
The Arctic Just Set an Ominous New Record 0316
Arctic Warming Is Possibly Catastrophic for Planet, Climate Scientist Warns 0216
Scientists Are Floored by What’s Happening in the Arctic Right Now 0216
Unusually Warm Arctic Winter Yields Record Low Ice Extent for January 0216
As “Blue Arctic’ Expands with Warming, an Icebreaker Finds No Ice to Break 0116
Antarctic Icebergs Have Surprise Role in Slowing Warming 0116
Record High Arctic Temperatures in 2015 Having ‘Profound Effects' on Region 1215
Ice, Earth's Climate Moderator, Will Change the Arctic and Earth, When It Leaves 1115
Heat Rising from the Depths of the Arctic ‘Could Accelerate Ice Melt' 0915
Summer Sea Ice Likely to Drop to 3rd, Even 2nd, Lowest on Record 0915
Arctic Ice Grew by 1/3 after Cool Summer in 2013 - 0715
Rapid Arctic Ice Loss Linked to Extreme Weather Changes in Europe and US 0615
Young Arctic Ice Creates New Climate-Driven Era 0515
Arctic Sea Ice Extent Hits Record Low for Winter 0315
Arctic Sea Ice Dwindling Toward Record Winter Low 0315
World’s Sea Ice Still Declining, Despite Antarctica’s Gains 0215
Perennial Arctic Sea Ice Continues to Shrink 0115
Ice-Free Arctic Could Be Just 6 Years Away 1214
Why is Antarctic Ice Growing? Scientist Has an Answer 1214
Antarctic Autonomous Sub Gauges Sea Ice Thickness 1114
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record High, While the Arctic's Keeps Melting 1014
Melting Arctic Ice Link to Extreme Weather Explored 1014
Reflecting on the Arctic Sea Ice Meeting at the Royal Society 0914
Melt Ponds Successfully Forecast Arctic Sea-Ice Extent 0914
Arctic Sea Ice Melts to 6th-Lowest Level on Record 0914
Antarctic Ice Should Set Record, but Arctic Sea Ice Dwindles 0914
Does Antarctic Sea Ice Growth Negate Climate Change? Scientists Say No 0814
Snowpack Atop Arctic Sea Ice Has Dwindled Since 1950s - 0814
Satellite Record Error May Have Overestimated Antarctic Sea Ice Expansion 0814
Ocean Waves Influence Polar Ice Extent 0514
Climate Change Not Fully to Blame for Melting Sea Ice 0514
Warming from Arctic Sea Ice Melting Is More Dramatic than Thought 0214
Arctic Report Card - NOAA 1213 - PDF
Vegetation Change (-25% to +25%), 2012 vs 1982 Sea Surface Change (-11° to +11°F), 2013 vs 1982-2006 Mean
Ice extent includes any areas (satellite photo pixel style) that are at least 15% ice covered on that date. In contrast, area translates 15% ice covered to 15% area. Area is less than extent.
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
As Sea Ice Shrinks, Arctic Shipping Options Expand 1213
ESA's Cryosat Sees Arctic Sea-Ice Volume Bounce Back 1213
ESA's Cryosat Mission Observes Continuing Arctic Winter Ice Decline 0913
Arctic May Be Ice-Free by 2058 0713
Large Fractures Spotted in Vulnerable Arctic Sea Ice 0313
Cryosat Spots Big Arctic Sea Ice Decline 0213
Arctic Icepack Minimum Volume, by Year 0113
Arctic Ice Melt So Far Like 20 Years of CO2 Emissions 0912
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Smallest Area on Record 0812
Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Record Low 0812
Arctic Ice Area 2nd Lowest, Volume Lowest 0911
Arctic Ice Levels Hit Historic Low 0911
Albedo Effect of Retreating Arctic Sea Ice - Hudson 0811 - PDF Albedo warming effect of complete Arctic Ocean ice loss is ~1/4 of the rise since 1750 from added GHGs. ~15% of that ice albedo warming effect has already occurred.
Cryosat Mission Delivers First Arctic Sea-Ice Thickness Map 0611
Arctic Ocean Ice Thinnest to Date 0610
Ice Volume 1979-2009 0410 - GRAPH
Arctic Sea Ice Far More Fragile 1109
Multi-Year Arctic Ice Gone 1109
Arctic Summer Sea Ice to Vanish in 10-20 Years 1009
Arctic Sea Ice Now More Thin Than Thick 0709
Pacific Air Enters, Warms Arctic 1208
Arctic Sea Ice Volume at Record Low 1008
Thick Old Arctic Ice Melting 0308 
Arctic Sea Ice Thickness Change 0206 - PDF
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Greenland. .Mountain Glaciers. .Combined Regions. .Sea Ice.
Snow & Ice
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
—————————————————————
As shown above, mean annual northern hemisphere snow cover is 9.9 million square miles, or 25.6 million square kilometers The minimum is in August and the maximum in January.
Above, for the northern hemisphere, snow cover fell 7% over 1967-2021.
Below, over 2000-2021, mean annual snow cover shrank 9% for Asia, 2-3% for North America, 10% for Europe, 17% for South America, 0% for Australia-New Zealand, and 17% for Africa.
Projection, from IPCC 5th Climate Assessment, Science Summary
1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
We’re 60 Years Too Late to Stop Global Warming, Sea Level Rises 1120 - Among other things, snow cover around the poles shrinks (especially melts earlier) as the climate warms. This allows Earth to absorb more sunlight, into the darker ground and plants beneath the snow. This increased energy, in part, heats the air above the ground, for still more sensible warming.
Greater Snowfall Speeds the Melting of Arctic Tundra 0823 - It insulates the permafrost underneath it from the very cold air of winter, so that the permafrost thaws earlier or deeper in the warmer seasons.
What the Decline of Mountain Snow Cover Means for Canada 0423
California’s Record Snowpack, Nearly Full Reservoirs after Epic Winter 0323
Is California’s 12 Feet of Snow Enough to Ease the Drought? 0323
Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches Record Low - Be Concerned 0323
Burning Trees in the Amazon Melts Snow in the Himalayas 0123
Snow Pummels Western New York as Metro Buffalo Digs Out from Up to 6.7 Feet 1122
Water Resources to Become Less Predictable with Climate Change 0722
The End of Snow Threatens to Upend 76 Million American Lives 0822
Water Resources to Become Less Predictable with Climate Change 0722 - With warming, more preipitatuion falls as rain ande less as snow. Also, snow melts earlier in the spring, leaving less or none for summer.
As Planet Warms, Less Ice Is Covering North American Lakes 0322
Climate Change May Be Fueling Increase in Major Northeast Snowstorms 0222
Record December Snow in West Brings Major Drought Relief, Hope for 2022 - 1221
Fires, Landslides, Lack of Snow - The Ski Industry Girds for Battle 1221
2021 Arctic Report Card Reveals Cascading Disruptions, Extreme Events, Global Connections 1221
Snow May Vanish for Years at a Time in Mountain West with Climate Warming 1221
Sierra Snowpack Could All but Disappear in 25 Years 1121
Snow Cover in Himachal Down by 18% in a Year 0821
Vast Wildfires in Siberia Linked to Warming Arctic 1220 - less snow, with a much warmer winter, leaves forests more vulnerable to fire
Less Snow Is the New Norm. That’s Trouble for Farmers. 1220
Climate-Driven Arctic Changes Are Interconnected, Says 2020 Report Card 1220
California Will Get So Hot That Mountain Streams Could Kill 0520
Climate Change May Diminish Big Snowstorms in the US 0520
Scientists Show How Much Less Snow We're Getting due to Climate Change 0520
As Yukon Snowpack Hits Near-Historic Low, Yukon Energy Looks beyond Hydro 0420
A Heat Wave in Antarctica Melted 20% of an Island's Snow in 9 Days 0220
Snow and Ice Loss Causing Arctic to Reflect Less Heat 1119
Less Snow & Ice Drive Reduced Arctic Surface Albedo since 1980s - 1119 - PDF
Chile Ski Stations Fight the Ravages of Climate Change with Snow Cannons 0819
'Snow Droughts' Are Coming for the American West 0819
Reduced Snow Pack Could Alter Crystal-Clear Mountain Lakes 1218
When Mountains Fall into the Sea 0518
Mountain Snowpack Shrinks to 66% of Normal, Feds Sound Drought Alarm 0418
Snowpack Has Drastically Declined in the West This Century 0318
It's Not Just High Temps Messing with Snow—It's Dust 0218
Is California's Drought Returning? Snowpack Nears 2015's Historic Lows 0218
Snowpack Near Record Lows Spells Trouble for Western Water Supplies 0118
Major Trend of More Snowfall Seen in Antarctica Could Counter Sea Level Rise 0118
How Climate Change Is Impacting the American West Right Now 1217
Western Water Crunch Has Climate Change Fingerprints 0417
Thick Ice Formations in Arctic Rivers Are Melting Earlier in Summer 0417
The World’s Snowiest Place Is Starting to Melt 0417
As Climate Warms, Sierra Snowpack, CA’s #1 Water Source, Gets Less Reliable 0317
Peculiar Tie between Warm Climate, Slow Snowmelt 0217 - Snowmelt starts earlier in year, when sun angle is lower.
Despite Gloomy California Snowpack Survey, State Water Officials Are Optimistic 0117
In the Polar Bear Capital of the World, the Snow Has Gone 1216
NH Snow Cover, Forcing & Feedbacks, as Function of Temperature - Chen et al. 0716 - PDF
[from abstract] "The anomalies in snow cover resulted in a weakened snow radiative forcing of 0.12 (±0.003) W m−2 and feedback of 0.21 (±0.005) W m−2 K−1, in melting season, over the NH, from 1982 to 2013."
Unabated Global Warming Threatens West's Snowpack, Water Supply 0616
Western U.S. Snowpack Melting At Record Speed 0516
Sierra Nevada Snow Won’t End California’s Thirst 0416
Meltdown - More Rain, Less Snow as the World Warms 0416
US East Coast Snowstorms Linked to Slowdown of Atlantic Current 0116
In Canada's Far North, Warm Weather Threatens Vital Ice Roads 1215
Dry, Warm Winter Leaves Western U.S. Snowpack at Record Low Levels 0415
Sierra Nevada Snowpack Hits Historic Low 0315 - Snows return in December 2015.
As Ice Turns to Slush, Experts Foresee End to Outdoor Hockey in Canada 0315
What a Record-Low Snowpack Means For Summer In The Northwest 0315
Scientists See Shrinking California Snowpack as a Harbinger 0115
Snowiest Decade in 50 Years? Compare Winter Snow Cover to Spring Lack 0115
Global Warming Could Make Blizzards Worse 0115
Great Lakes Ice Breaking All the Rules 1214
There's a Big Leak In America's Water Tower 0814
Water Goes ‘Missing' with Snow Loss 0514
Alaska's Arctic Icy Lakes Lose Thickness 0214
Climate Change Threat to Australia’s $1.8 Billion Snow Industry 1013
Snow and Arctic Sea Ice Extent Plummet Suddenly, as Globe Bakes 0713
Northern Late Snow Cover Down Since 1980 0110
GO TO Top. .Ice Dynamics. .Antarctica. .Greenland. .Mountain Glaciers. .Combined Regions. .Sea Ice. .Snow.
BY GENE FRY 2023