An ice sheet, as a geophysical substance, is a massive, contiguous body of glacial ice that covers more than 50,000 km² and is sufficiently thick (often >2–3 km) for its internal deformation and basal sliding to dominate flow dynamics. Composed primarily of recrystallized freshwater ice with embedded air bubbles, dust, and minor impurities, it exhibits anisotropic rheological behavior described by non-Newtonian creep laws (e.g., Glen’s flow law). Ice sheets thermally stratify between cold and temperate regimes, store the majority of Earth’s terrestrial freshwater, and interact with bedrock and subglacial hydrological systems, influencing isostasy, basal lubrication, and large-scale mass balance.
An explorer and a glaciologist have embarked on a three-month mission to cross part of Antarctica on kite skis in search of ice that is 130,000 years old.
Earth Sciences
Nov 1, 2025
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A study published today found that while ice shelves in West Antarctica melt year-round, those in East Antarctica experience summer melting spikes, when sea ice retreats and warm ocean water flows beneath—a process known ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Up to 59% of Antarctic ice shelves may be at risk of disappearing under high-emission scenarios by 2300, according to a comprehensive analysis of the effect of ocean warming published in Nature. This could result in up to ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Pink granite boulders scattered across the dark volcanic peaks of the Hudson Mountains in West Antarctica, have revealed the presence of a vast buried granite body—almost 100 km across and 7 km thick, about half the size ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 22, 2025
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For decades, researchers seeking to understand global climate change have analyzed ice cores drilled deep within the Antarctic ice sheet. This ice traps chemicals and bubbles of ancient air that tell the story of how Earth's ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 21, 2025
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Large changes in global sea level, fueled by fluctuations in ice sheet growth and decay, occurred throughout the last ice age, rather than just toward the end of that period, a study published in the journal Science has found.
Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2025
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The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is one of the most dynamic regions of the Antarctic continent. Much of its bed lies below sea level, making the region particularly sensitive to ocean warming. Understanding the development ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2025
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Greenland is being twisted, compressed, and stretched. This happens due to plate tectonics and movements in the bedrock, caused by the large ice sheets on top melting and reducing pressure on the subsurface.
Earth Sciences
Oct 14, 2025
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An international research team led by the University of Bremen has investigated what influenced the expansion of the Patagonian ice sheet during the last ice age. The scientists found evidence that the advances and retreats ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2025
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Melting ice sheets in North America played a far greater role in driving global sea-level rise at the end of the last ice age than scientists had thought, according to a Tulane University-led study published in Nature Geoscience.
Earth Sciences
Oct 9, 2025
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