Our Research

Surface melting for the Antarctic ice sheet appears to have set a record for the 46-year satellite observation period on January 2, 2025. All areas of the Antarctic coast that generally see significant summertime melting continue to accumulate melt days at a faster-than-average pace, except along the northern West Antarctic ice shelves, which are now near-average.

A new study has predicted an increase in landslide hazards in High Mountain Asia. The study authors linked higher emissions of greenhouse gases to the potential for higher risks from landslides.

Widespread coastal melting occurred in Antarctica through the second half of December and is continuing in the first few days of the new year in several areas. Nearly every region with routine surface snowmelt has had more days of melt than is typical for this time of year.

Air temperatures in December 2024 were above average over the entire Arctic Ocean, continuing the pattern set in November. Average Arctic sea ice extent for December was the lowest in the satellite record, in considerable part due to delayed ice growth in Hudson Bay and low extent in the northern Barents Sea. Antarctic sea ice has declined at a slower-than-normal pace since mid-November, erasing the record and near-record low extents of October and November and finishing the year very close to the 1981 to 2010 average.

Most of Greenland’s meltwater takes weeks to reach the ocean. A recently published study highlights an innovative new method to track Greenland’s meltwater movement: monitoring the bedrock under the ice.