New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Declassified spy satellite photos reveal accelerating ice loss at Earth's "third pole"

Michael Irving June 21, 2019

Declassified spy satellite photos have revealed that compared to the last quarter of the 20th century, Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast this century. In a rare piece of good news, a separate study has shown that a Greenland glacier has gained ice for the third year in a row.

Recently declassified US spy satellite images reveal Himalayan glaciers have been melting at an accelerating rate

Environment

The Iceberg Series chronicles the sublime shapes of Greenland's sea ice

Rich Haridy June 10, 2019

A new series of photographs from award-winning aerial photographer Tom Hegen explores the abstract beauty in icebergs. Shot off the west coast of Greenland, Hegen’s work captures the majesty of these giant white castles.

These incredible iceberg images investigate Tom Hegen's fascination with the shapes, texture and appearance of broken ...

Environment Audio available

Quarter of West Antarctic glacier ice unstable, says 25-year satellite study

Michael Irving May 16, 2019

A new study has examined 25 years of satellite data to get a sense of the extent of ice loss across Antarctica. According to the findings, warming waters have destabilized as much as a quarter of the glacier ice in West Antarctica.

Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the places hardest hit by ice loss

3D Printing Audio available

Icy inspection may catch faulty 3D-printed parts

Ben Coxworth May 1, 2019

We're increasingly seeing 3D-printed metal components being used in fields such as aviation, where failures could be catastrophic. It's therefore very important to check those items for structural flaws before they're installed, and the best way of doing so may involve freezing them in ice.

A round 3D-printed metal part, surrounded by ultra-clear ice within a plastic cylinder

Environment Audio available

Antarctica Ice shelf the size of France threatened by effects of climate change

Anthony Wood April 29, 2019

A vital section of the world's largest ice shelf is losing ice 10 times faster than the overall melt rate for the structure, posing a potential risk to its future stability. The Ross Ice Shelf stretches out over 500,809 square km, and accounts for 32 percent of Antarctica's total ice shelf area.

The wall of the Ross Ice Shelf stretches for a staggering 600 km (373 miles) in ...

Physics Audio available

"Snowball chamber" would detect dark matter using supercooled water

Michael Irving April 15, 2019

Although dark matter makes up roughly 85 percent of all matter, it’s still never been directly detected. Now researchers from the State University of New York at Albany have developed a new dark matter detector using supercooled water.

Supercooled water could be used as a new type of dark matter detector

Environment Audio available

Glaciers have lost 9 trillion tonnes of ice since 1961, says satellite study

Michael Irving April 8, 2019

A comprehensive study has combined field observations and satellite data to track glacial ice loss. The team found that between 1961 and 2016, glaciers globally lost a total of over 9 trillion tonnes of ice, contributing significantly to sea level rise.

Glaciers in Northeast India, captured on December 6, 2018

Environment Audio available

Giant iceberg enters "final phase" of breaking away from Antarctica

Michael Irving April 7, 2019

A huge iceberg, roughly twice the size of New York City, is set to soon break off from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. With two large cracks due to meet within the next few months, a research station has already been relocated as scientists watch the rifting event enter its “final phase.”

The Halloween Crack, discovered in October 2016, is threatening the Brunt Ice Shelf

Materials

Phase-changing liquid coating keeps surfaces frost-free for longer

Michael Irving March 19, 2019

In cold places, ice and frost can be more than an annoyance – it can be downright dangerous for cars and planes. Now researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a new anti-icing material that can apparently keep ice at bay much longer than existing technologies.

A new anti-icing material, made of phase-changing liquids, could keep surfaces frost-free up to 300 times ...

Environment Audio available

Arctic Ocean may be ice-free within 20 years

Anthony Wood February 28, 2019

The Arctic Ocean could experience an ice-free summer at some time in the next 20 years, according to a newly-published study. The thawing is due to a combination of a natural warming phase, coupled with the effects of human-induced climate change.

The Arctic could have an ice-free summer by the middle of the century