Taking a Seismic Peek Below the Gargantuan Glacier
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 17 November 2021
AWI scientists will use seismic waves to study the ground beneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, aiming to improve forecasts of its collapse and global sea-level rise as part of the international GHOST project.
Keywords: glaciology, vibroseis technique, GHOST project, ITGC, Olaf Eisen, Coen Hofstede, subglacial geology, Polarstern
Tracking down microplastics in Antarctica
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 29 November 2021
Researchers found microplastics in Antarctica’s remote Weddell Sea, with many fragments traced to ship paint—mainly from their own vessel. The study highlights the need for better methods to trace sources and calls for eco-friendlier marine paint.
Keywords: shipping pollution, environmental contamination, Patricia Holm, Clara Leistenschneider, Gunnar Gerdts, marine debris
Drought risk in the Northern Hemisphere rises with intensified warming
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 2 December 2021
New climate model simulations show rising drought risks in the Northern Hemisphere, especially the Mediterranean, if global warming exceeds 4°C by 2100. Subtropical dry zones may expand, with droughts becoming yearly events in some regions.
Keywords: Monica Ionita, precipitation decline, evaporation, subtropics, Central Europe, arid zones
