Thwaites Glacier: Significant Geothermal Heat Beneath the Ice Stream
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 18 August 2021
New research reveals high geothermal heat beneath West Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, likely accelerating its melt. Thin crust and tectonic rifts cause heat flow up to 150 mW/m², potentially boosting glacier sliding and sea-level rise.
Keywords: glacier dynamics, Nature Communications Earth & Environment, ice shelf, glaciology
Back Again: First deployed buoy from the MOSAiC expedition
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 10 September 2021
An ice buoy deployed during the 2019–2020 MOSAiC Arctic expedition drifted for nearly two years before being recovered near Tromsø. It was part of a 50 km-wide network monitoring sea ice around the Polarstern.
Keywords: Polar Research Institute of China, Norwegian Polar Institute, marine physics, ice monitoring, Arctic Ocean, AWI
Annual sea ice minimum in the Arctic
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 16 September 2021
On 12 September 2021, Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum of 4.81 million km²—12th lowest on record. Though above 2012’s record low, experts stress it’s not a recovery, as sea ice extent continues its long-term decline.
Keywords: sea ice extent, sea ice thickness, Arctic Ocean, atmospheric pressure, Beaufort Sea, Wandel Sea
