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Scientists spot water ice under the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Mars

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Water ice may be lurking just a few feet below the Martian surface at one of the Red Planet’s most dramatic sites. That’s according to new research based on data gathered by the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), part of the ExoMars mission operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos. ExoMars … Read more

Ice Shelf at Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Won’t Last 5 Years, Scientists Warn

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A crucial ice shelf on Antarctica‘s Thwaites Glacier is on track to collapse within five years, accelerating the melting of the notorious ‘doomsday glacier’. Thwaites, which is the size of Florida, is already melting quickly, losing about 50 billion tons of ice per year. The glacier earned its grim nickname because its total collapse would raise global sea … Read more

Ice shelf holding back keystone Antarctic glacier within years of failure | Science

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An alarming crackup has begun at the foot of Antarctica’s vulnerable Thwaites Glacier, whose meltwater is already responsible for about 4% of global sea-level rise. An ice sheet the size of Florida, Thwaites ends its slide into the ocean as a floating ledge of ice 45 kilometers wide. But now this ice shelf, riven by … Read more

Orcas: Marine mammals are spreading further into the Arctic Ocean as sea ice melts

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Orcas – also known as killer whales – used to be unusual visitors to the Arctic Ocean off Alaska, but they are becoming more common there, which might be bad news for local ecosystems Life 2 December 2021 By Chen Ly Orcas in Prince William Sound near Alaska Calvin W. Hall/Design Pics Inc/Alamy Orcas are … Read more

Polar bears: Extreme lack of sea ice in Hudson Bay puts predators under pressure

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Sea ice in Canada’s Hudson Bay has been unusually late to form, raising fears over the impact on polar bears that hunt for seals on the ice Environment 6 December 2021 By Adam Vaughan A lone polar bear along Hudson Bay Cindy Hopkins / Alamy An extreme lack of sea ice in Canada this winter … Read more

Solar panels: Transparent coating causes snow and ice to slide off

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Snow and ice block sunlight from reaching solar panels and stop energy generation, but a new material can cause them to slide off Technology 9 December 2021 By Matthew Sparkes The solar panels on the left are covered in a snow-shedding coating Anish Tuteja et al. Settling snow and ice can significantly dampen the output … Read more

Scientists Smash Temperature Record on Keeping ‘Freezing Cold’ Water in Liquid Form

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Scientists have just proven that the freezing temperature of water can be even lower than what we thought was possible. Taking tiny droplets of water, up to just 150 nanometers in size, a team of engineers at the University of Houston has pushed the critical temperature threshold to -44 degrees Celsius (-47.2 degrees Fahrenheit) – … Read more