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Articles by Maria-José Viñas
2019 Arctic sea ice minimum tied for second lowest on record
An opening in the sea ice cover north of Greenland is partially filled in by much smaller sea ice rubble and floes, as seen during an Operation IceBridge flight on Sept. 9, 2019. Credit: NASA/Linette Boisvert The extent of Arctic sea ice at the end of this summer was effectively tied with 2007 and 2016 for second lowest since modern record keeping began in the late 1970s.
2019 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Tied for Second Lowest on Record – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team The extent of Arctic sea ice at the end of this summer was effectively tied with 2007 and 2016 for second lowest since modern record keeping began in the late 1970s. An analysis of satellite data by NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder shows that the 2019 minimum extent, which was likely reached on Sept. 18, measured 1.60 million square miles (4.15 million square kilometers).
NASA Studies How Arctic Wildfires Change the World – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team Wildfires in the Arctic often burn far away from populated areas, but their impacts are felt around the globe. From field and laboratory work to airborne campaigns and satellites, NASA is studying why boreal forest and tundra fires have become more frequent and powerful and what that means for climate forecasting, ecosystems and human health.
When Drought Threatens Crops: NASA's Role in Famine Warnings – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team This article is part of a series that explores NASA research into Earth's fresh water and surveys how those advances help people solve real world problems. Learn more. NASA’s satellite imagery and model forecasts regularly help agricultural and aid agencies to monitor the performance of crops worldwide and prepare for food shortages.
When drought threatens crops: NASA's role in famine warnings
In southern Africa, a severe drought that started in 2018 caused decreased crop output across the region and put millions at risk of famine. NASA computer models based on satellite data forecasted this drought and are monitoring as it continues. Credit: Trent L. Schindler/NASA NASA's satellite imagery and model forecasts regularly help agricultural and aid agencies to monitor the performance of crops worldwide and prepare for food shortages.
NASA begins final year of airborne polar ice mission
Glacier margin abutting a polar mesa, photographed during Operation IceBridge's inaugural flight of its 2019 Arctic springtime field campaign. Credit: Eugenia De Marco / NASA This is the last year for Operation IceBridge, NASA's most comprehensive airborne survey of ice change.
NASA Finds Possible Second Impact Crater Under Greenland Ice
A NASA glaciologist has discovered a possible second impact crater buried under more than a mile of ice in northwest Greenland. This follows the finding, announced in November 2018, of a 19-mile-wide crater beneath Hiawatha Glacier -- the first meteorite impact crater ever discovered under Earth's ice sheets. Though the newly found impact sites in northwest Greenland are only 114 miles apart, at present they do not appear to have formed at the same time.
NASA finds possible second impact crater under Greenland ice
A NASA glaciologist has discovered a possible second impact crater buried under more than a mile of ice in northwest Greenland. his follows the finding, announced in November 2018, of a 19-mile-wide crater beneath Hiawatha Glacier – the first meteorite impact crater ever discovered under Earth’s ice sheets. Though the newly found impact sites in northwest Greenland are only 114 miles apart, at present they do not appear to have formed at the same time.
NASA finds possible second impact crater under Greenland ice
Home Earth Earth Sciences February 11, 2019 February 11, 2019 by Maria-José Viñas, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center A NASA glaciologist has discovered a possible second impact crater buried under more than a mile of ice in northwest Greenland. Credit: NASA Goddard A NASA glaciologist has discovered a possible second impact crater buried under more than a mile of ice in northwest Greenland.
Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise was mitigated by snowfall – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team A new NASA-led study has determined that an increase in snowfall accumulation over Antarctica during the 20th century mitigated sea level rise by 0.4 inches. However, Antarctica’s additional ice mass gained from snowfall makes up for just about a third of its current ice loss.
More glaciers in East Antarctica are waking up – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team East Antarctica has the potential to reshape coastlines around the world through sea level rise, but scientists have long considered it more stable than its neighbor, West Antarctica. Now, new detailed NASA maps of ice velocity and elevation show that a group of glaciers spanning one-eighth of East Antarctica’s coast have begun to lose ice over the past decade, hinting at widespread changes in the ocean.
More glaciers in East Antarctica are waking up
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science News Team East Antarctica has the potential to reshape coastlines around the world through sea level rise, but scientists have long considered it more stable than its neighbor, West Antarctica. Now, new detailed NASA maps of ice velocity and elevation show that a group of glaciers spanning one-eighth of East Antarctica’s coast have begun to lose ice over the past decade, hinting at widespread changes in the ocean.
Wintertime arctic sea ice growth slows long-term decline
he sun setting over the Arctic sea ice pack, as observed during the Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project in October 2014. Credit: NASA/Alek Petty New NASA research has found that increases in the rate at which Arctic sea ice grows in the winter may have partially slowed down the decline of the Arctic sea ice cover.
Wintertime Arctic Sea Ice Growth Slows Long-term Decline: NASA - GeoSpace
By Maria-José Viñas New NASA research has found that increases in the rate at which Arctic sea ice grows in the winter may have partially slowed down the decline of the Arctic sea ice cover. The sun setting over the Arctic sea ice pack, as observed during the Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project in October 2014.
Wintertime Arctic sea ice growth slows long-term decline: NASA – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
By Maria-José Viñas, NASA's Earth Science News Team New NASA research has found that increases in the rate at which Arctic sea ice grows in the winter may have partially slowed down the decline of the Arctic sea ice cover. As temperatures in the Arctic have warmed at double the pace of the rest of the planet, the expanse of frozen seawater that blankets the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas has shrunk and thinned over the past three decades.
Operation IceBridge, ICESat-2 join forces to survey Antarctica – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
NASA’s decade-long airborne survey of polar ice, Operation IceBridge, is once again probing Antarctica. But this year is different: it is the first time that the IceBridge team and instruments survey the frozen continent while NASA’s newest satellite mission, the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), studies it from space. After successfully flying over the Bailey Ice Stream and Slessor Glacier in East Antarctica on Oct.
2018 Arctic summertime sea ice minimum extent tied for sixth lowest on record
Arctic sea ice, the cap of frozen seawater blanketing most of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas in wintertime, follows seasonal patterns of growth and decay. It thickens and spreads during the fall and winter and thins and shrinks during the spring and summer. But in the past decades, increasing temperatures have led to prominent decreases in the Arctic sea ice extents, with particularly rapid decreases in the minimum summertime extent.
2018 Arctic summertime sea ice minimum extent tied for sixth lowest on record – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
Arctic sea ice likely reached its 2018 lowest extent on Sept. 19 and again on Sept. 23, according to NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Analysis of satellite data by NSIDC and NASA showed that, at 1.77 million square miles (4.59 million square kilometers), 2018 effectively tied with 2008 and 2010 for the sixth lowest summertime minimum extent in the satellite record.
NASA completes survey flights to map Arctic ice
Operation IceBridge, NASA’s longest-running airborne mission to monitor polar ice change, concluded this year’s springtime survey of Arctic sea and land ice on May 2. The flights, which began on March 22, covered the western basin of the Arctic Ocean and Greenland’s fastest-changing glaciers. “This campaign achieved most of our primary objectives in surveying the state of Arctic ice," said IceBridge’s acting project scientist Joe MacGregor.
NASA completes survey flights to map Arctic ice
"This campaign achieved most of our primary objectives in surveying the state of Arctic ice," said IceBridge's acting project scientist Joe MacGregor. "We've now flown many of these missions ten years in a row, a period that has included continued rapid change in both Arctic glaciers and sea ice." The image above was taken during a research flight carried on April 21 near Vestfjord Glacier in Scoresby Sund, along the eastern coast of Greenland.
Satellites could further help mitigate river floods - GeoSpace
River floods are one of the most common and devastating of Earth’s natural disasters. In the past decade, deluges from rivers have killed thousands of people every year around the world and caused losses on the order of tens of billions of U.S. dollars annually. Climate change, which is projected to increase precipitation in certain areas of the planet, might make river floods in these places more frequent and severe in the coming decades.
Arctic wintertime sea ice extent is among lowest on record
On March 17, the Arctic sea ice cover peaked at 5.59 million square miles (14.48 million square kilometers), making it the second lowest maximum on record, at about 23,200 square miles (60,000 square kilometers) larger than the record low maximum reached on March 7, 2017. More significantly from a scientific perspective, the last four years reached nearly equally low maximum extents and continued the decades-long trend of diminishing sea ice in the Arctic.
NASA begins latest airborne Arctic ice survey
On March 22, NASA completed the first IceBridge flight of its spring Arctic campaign with a survey of sea ice north of Greenland. This year marks the tenth Arctic spring campaign for IceBridge. The flights continue until April 27 extending the mission's decade-long mapping of the fastest-changing areas of the Greenland Ice Sheet and measuring sea ice thickness across the western Arctic basin. The IceBridge team and instruments are flying on NASA's P-3 Orion.
Arctic wintertime sea ice extent is among lowest on record
Sea ice in the Arctic grew to its annual maximum extent last week, and joined 2015, 2016 and 2017 as the four lowest maximum extents on record, according to scientists at the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and NASA.
Unusually warm winter breaks up sea ice in the Arctic – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
Winter temperatures are soaring in the Arctic for the fourth winter in a row. The heat, accompanied by moist air, is entering the Arctic not only through the sector of the North Atlantic Ocean that lies between Greenland and Europe, as it has done in previous years, but is also coming from the North Pacific through the Bering Strait.
Unusually warm winter breaks up sea ice in the Arctic
Winter temperatures are soaring in the Arctic for the fourth winter in a row. The heat, accompanied by moist air, is entering the Arctic not only through the sector of the North Atlantic Ocean that lies between Greenland and Europe, as it has done in previous years, but is also coming from the North Pacific through the Bering Strait.
NASA's longest running survey of ice shattered records in 2017
"A big highlight for 2017 is how we increased our reach with our new bases of operations and additional campaigns," said Nathan Kurtz, IceBridge's project scientist and a sea ice researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "In the Arctic, we flew out of Svalbard for the first time, expanding our coverage of the Eastern Arctic Ocean.
NASA’s longest running survey of ice shattered records in 2017
Last year was a record-breaking one for Operation IceBridge, NASA’s aerial survey of the state of polar ice. For the first time in its nine-year history, the mission, which aims to close the gap between two NASA satellite campaigns that study changes in the height of polar ice, carried out seven field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic in a single year.
IceBridge launches two sets of antarctic flights
"This is an exciting and ambitious undertaking for IceBridge, as the dual campaigns will allow us to continue our surveys of important areas near the Antarctic Peninsula and greatly expand our coverage into the vast expanse of East Antarctica," said Nathan Kurtz, IceBridge's project scientist and a sea ice researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The first part of the campaign, which will continue through Nov. 26, is based in Ushuaia, Argentina.
End-of-summer Arctic sea ice extent is eighth lowest on record
Arctic sea ice, the layer of frozen seawater covering much of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas, is often referred to as the planet's air conditioner: its white surface bounces solar energy back to space, cooling the globe. The sea ice cap changes with the season, growing in the autumn and winter and shrinking in the spring and summer.
NASA flights map summer melt of Greenland land ice
Operation IceBridge is flying in Greenland to measure how much ice has melted over the course of the summer from the ice sheet. The flights, which began on Aug. 25 and will go on until Sept. 21, repeat paths flown this spring and aim to monitor seasonal changes in the elevation of the ice sheet.
NASA scientists seek to improve sea ice predictions
NASA researchers are working to improve their forecasts of the size of the Arctic sea ice cover at the end of the summer melt season—but the goal is not just to have a better prediction of sea ice coverage. The challenge of making summer sea ice forecasts allows scientists to test their understanding of the processes that control seasonal sea ice growth and retreat, and to fine-tune computer models that represent connections among the ice, atmosphere and ocean.
NASA And Norway To Develop Arctic Laser-Ranging Station
NASA and the Norwegian Mapping Authority are partnering to develop a state-of-the-art satellite laser ranging station 650 miles from the North Pole that will produce high-precision locations of orbiting satellites, help track changes in the ice sheets and improve the efficiency of marine transportation and agriculture.
NASA and Norway to develop Arctic laser-ranging station
The Arctic station will be the latest addition to a global network of space geodetic stations, which measure and monitor the size and shape of Earth, its orientation in space, the exact location of points on its surface and how these locations change over time. Space geodesy has a decades-long history at NASA due to its important role in the positioning and navigation of satellites.
NASA flights gauge summer sea ice melt in the Arctic
Earlier this year, Arctic sea ice sank to a record low wintertime extent for the third straight year. Now NASA is flying a set of instruments north of Greenland to observe the impact of the melt season on the Arctic's oldest and thickest sea ice. Operation IceBridge, NASA’s airborne survey of polar ice, launched a short campaign on July 17 from Thule Air Base, in northwest Greenland.
Massive iceberg breaks off from Antarctica
An iceberg about the size of the state of Delaware split off from Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf sometime between July 10 and July 12. The calving of the massive new iceberg was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite, and confirmed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument on the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite.
Massive iceberg breaks off from Antarctica
By Maria-Jose Viñas, NASA’s Earth Science Team An iceberg about the size of the state of Delaware split off from Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf sometime between July 10 and July 12. The calving of the massive new iceberg was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite, and confirmed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument on the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite.
Sea ice extent sinks to record lows at both poles
Arctic sea ice appears to have reached on March 7 a record low wintertime maximum extent, according to scientists at NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado. And on the opposite side of the planet, on March 3 sea ice around Antarctica hit its lowest extent ever recorded by satellites at the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, a surprising turn of events after decades of moderate sea ice expansion. On Feb.
Study improves forecasts of summer Arctic sea ice
The Arctic has been losing sea ice over the past several decades as Earth warms. However, each year, as the sea ice starts to melt in the spring following its maximum wintertime extent, scientists still struggle to estimate exactly how much ice they expect will disappear through the melt season. Now, a new NASA forecasting model based on satellite measurements is allowing researchers to make better estimates.
Arctic sea ice annual minimum ties second lowest on record – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its annual lowest extent on Sept. 10, NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder reported today. An analysis of satellite data showed that at 1.60 million square miles (4.14 million square kilometers), the 2016 Arctic sea ice minimum extent is effectively tied with 2007 for the second lowest yearly minimum in the satellite record.
NASA monitors the 'new normal' of sea ice
Walt Meier, a sea ice scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said, “A decade ago, this year’s sea ice extent would have set a new record low and by a fair amount. Now, we’re kind of used to these low levels of sea ice – it’s the new normal.” This year’s melt season in the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas started with a bang, with a record low maximum extent in March and relatively rapid ice loss through May.
NASA maps thawed areas under Greenland Ice Sheet
NASA researchers have helped produce the first map showing what parts of the bottom of the massive Greenland Ice Sheet are thawed — key information in better predicting how the ice sheet will react to a warming climate. Greenland’s thick ice sheet insulates the bedrock below from the cold temperatures at the surface, so the bottom of the ice is often tens of degrees warmer than the top, because the ice bottom is slowly warmed by heat coming from Earth’s depths.
Climate change may shrink Adélie penguin range by end of century
Climate has influenced the distribution patterns of Adélie penguins across Antarctica for millions of years. The geologic record tells us that as glaciers expanded and covered Adélie breeding habitats with ice, penguins in the region abandoned their colonies. When the glaciers melted during warming periods, the Adélie penguins were able to return to their rocky breeding grounds.
2016 Arctic sea ice wintertime extent hits another record low
Arctic sea ice was at a record low wintertime maximum extent for the second straight year. At 5.607 million square miles, it is the lowest maximum extent in the satellite record, and 431,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 average maximum extent. Credit: NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio/C. Starr.
2015 Antarctic maximum sea ice extent breaks streak of record highs
The sea ice cover of the Southern Ocean reached its yearly maximum extent on Oct. 6. At 7.27 million square miles (18.83 million square kilometers), the new maximum extent falls roughly in the middle of the record of Antarctic maximum extents compiled during the 37 years of satellite measurements – this year’s maximum extent is both the 22nd lowest and the 16th highest.
2015 Antarctic Sea Ice Extent
Sea ice atop the Southern Ocean around Antarctica reached its annual maximum extent on October 6, 2015. The extent was less than the previous three years, which brought consecutive years of new record highs. “After three record-high extent years, this year marks a return toward normalcy for Antarctic sea ice,” said Walt Meier, a sea ice scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Arctic sea ice minimum extent reached, El Niño link unclear
According to a NASA analysis of satellite data, the 2015 Arctic sea ice minimum extent is the fourth lowest on record since observations from space began. The analysis by NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder showed the annual minimum extent was 1.70 million square miles (4.41 million square kilometers) on Sept. 11. This year’s minimum is 699,000 square miles (1.81 million square kilometers) lower than the 1981-2010 average.
Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Annual Low
Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its annual minimum. According to a preliminary analysis of satellite data by scientists at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), sea ice extent shrank to 4.41 million square kilometers (1.70 million square miles) on September 11, 2015. The year will rank as the fourth lowest ice coverage since space-based observations began in 1978.
Warming seas and melting ice sheets
An iceberg floats in Disko Bay, near Ilulissat, Greenland, on July 24, 2015. The massive Greenland ice sheet is shedding about 300 gigatons of ice a year into the ocean, making it the single largest source of sea level rise from melting ice. Credit: NASA/Saskia Madlener Sea level rise is a natural consequence of the warming of our planet. We know this from basic physics. When water heats up, it expands. So when the ocean warms, sea level rises. When ice is exposed to heat, it melts.
NASA: 2015 Arctic Sea Ice Maximum Is Lowest Recorded
Click to enlarge. From the NSIDC analysis. Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for February 25, 2015 was 14.54 million square kilometers (5.61 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1981 to 2010 median extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. Courtesy: NSIDC. Click to enlarge. From the NSIDC analysis. Figure 2. The graph above shows Arctic sea ice extent as of March 18, 2015, along with daily ice extent data for four previous years.
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