#Tag · bonfire.cafe

Sentinel-1's decade of essential data over shifting ice sheets

Ice velocity is a key parameter in measuring the effects of #ClimateChange. The speed at which #glaciers and #IceSheets move tells us the rate at which they discharge ice and water into the sea, feeding into estimations on future #SeaLevelRise. Data on ice velocity also help to keep track of the break-up of ice sheets, such as calving events or damage to the ice sheets.
Since its first satellite was launched in 2014, the #Copernicus #Sentinel1 mission has provided a step change in the capabilities of polar satellite Earth observation. Its 12-m-long advanced #SAR instrument works in C-band. This makes it a reliable tool for acquiring high-resolution imagery for continuous monitoring and emergency response efforts. It is able to capture data through cloud cover, smoke and during lack of sunlight.

https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sentinel-decade-essential-shifting-ice.html

#ClimateScience
#RemoteSensing
#Cryosphere
#ClimateCatastrophe

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Ice flow velocity on the Antarctic ice sheet, 2014–2024. Credit: European Space Agency

The data visualization of Antarctica (see image below) shows details of ice flows moving at speeds between 1 m and 15 m per day. The Sentinel-1 data is averaged over the period 2014–2024. Regions shown on the map include the Antarctic Peninsula and Alexander Island, as well as large parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Most of the coastal areas were captured at either six or 12-day intervals.
On the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (on the left of the image), the Pine Island Glacier is clearly visible below the Antarctic Peninsula. Over the period of the study, the velocity of ice flow at the glacier's grounding line—the point where grounded ice detaches from the bedrock underneath it and becomes a floating ice shelf—increased continuously from approximately 10.6 m per day to 12.7 m per day. Other nearby glaciers also showed increased ice flow. These changes are caused by a range of factors including ocean-induced thinning of the floating ice shelves combined with a retreat of the grounding line. — Ice flow velocity on the Antarctic ice sheet, 2014–2024. Credit: European Space Agency The data visualization of Antarctica (see image below) shows details of ice flows moving at speeds between 1 m and 15 m per day. The Sentinel-1 data is averaged over the period 2014–2024. Regions shown on the map include the Antarctic Peninsula and Alexander Island, as well as large parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Most of the coastal areas were captured at either six or 12-day intervals. On the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (on the left of the image), the Pine Island Glacier is clearly visible below the Antarctic Peninsula. Over the period of the study, the velocity of ice flow at the glacier's grounding line—the point where grounded ice detaches from the bedrock underneath it and becomes a floating ice shelf—increased continuously from approximately 10.6 m per day to 12.7 m per day. Other nearby glaciers also showed increased ice flow. These changes are caused by a range of factors including ocean-induced thinning of the floating ice shelves combined with a retreat of the grounding line.

Ice velocity on Greenland ice sheet, 2014–2024. Credit: ESA (Data source: Wuite, J. et al. 2025).

The study shows the rapid flow of ice, moving at average speeds of up to 15 m per day, from glaciers and ice sheets at points around the Greenland Ice Sheet (see image below). Half-way up the western coast of Greenland, Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as the Jakobshavn Glacier, is one of the fastest outlet glaciers in the world with velocities reaching, at times, as much as 50 m per day.
The North-East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS), is also clearly visible on the Greenland Ice Sheet and begins far inland at the "ice divide," shown as a dark blue band of nearly stagnant ice in Greenland's interior.

The dataset offers unprecedented spatial detail, with resolution up to 200–250 m, as well as timeframes for tracking movement ranging from less than a week to more than a decade. — Ice velocity on Greenland ice sheet, 2014–2024. Credit: ESA (Data source: Wuite, J. et al. 2025). The study shows the rapid flow of ice, moving at average speeds of up to 15 m per day, from glaciers and ice sheets at points around the Greenland Ice Sheet (see image below). Half-way up the western coast of Greenland, Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as the Jakobshavn Glacier, is one of the fastest outlet glaciers in the world with velocities reaching, at times, as much as 50 m per day. The North-East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS), is also clearly visible on the Greenland Ice Sheet and begins far inland at the "ice divide," shown as a dark blue band of nearly stagnant ice in Greenland's interior. The dataset offers unprecedented spatial detail, with resolution up to 200–250 m, as well as timeframes for tracking movement ranging from less than a week to more than a decade.

O=C=O

@tuxom@climatejustice.social · last week

Sentinel-1's decade of essential data over shifting ice sheets

https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sentinel-decade-essential-shifting-ice.html

#ClimateScience
#RemoteSensing
#Cryosphere
#ClimateCatastrophe

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joene 🏴🍉 boosted

DoomsdaysCW

@DoomsdaysCW@kolektiva.social · 4 weeks ago

The #DoomsdayGlacier Is Getting Closer and Closer to Irreversible Collapse

An analysis of the expansion of cracks in the #ThwaitesGlacier over the past 20 years suggests that a total collapse could be only a matter of time.

by Ritsuko Kawai, Dec 22, 2025 9:43 AM

Excerpt: "Known as the ' #Doomsday Glacier,' the Thwaites Glacier in #Antarctica is one of the most rapidly changing glaciers on Earth, and its future evolution is one of the biggest unknowns when it comes to predicting global sea level rise.

"The eastern ice shelf of the Thwaites Glacier is supported at its northern end by a ridge of the ocean floor. However, over the past two decades, cracks in the upper reaches of the glacier have increased rapidly, weakening its structural stability. A new study by the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) presents a detailed record of this gradual collapse process.

"Researchers at the Centre for Earth Observation and Science at the University of Manitoba, Canada, analyzed observational data from 2002 to 2022 to track the formation and propagation of cracks in the ice shelf shear zone. They discovered that as the cracks grew, the connection between the ice shelf and the mid-ocean ridge weakened, accelerating the upstream flow of ice."

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/fNNm0

#DoomsdayGlacier #GlobalWarming #SeaLevelRise #Oiligarchy #ClimateChangeIsRead #ClimateScience #Thwaites #GlobalSeaLevelRise

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WIRED

The Doomsday Glacier Is Getting Closer and Closer to Irreversible Collapse

An analysis of the expansion of cracks in the Thwaites Glacier over the past 20 years suggests that a total collapse could be only a matter of time.

DoomsdaysCW

@DoomsdaysCW@kolektiva.social · 4 weeks ago

The #DoomsdayGlacier Is Getting Closer and Closer to Irreversible Collapse

An analysis of the expansion of cracks in the #ThwaitesGlacier over the past 20 years suggests that a total collapse could be only a matter of time.

by Ritsuko Kawai, Dec 22, 2025 9:43 AM

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/fNNm0

#DoomsdayGlacier #GlobalWarming #SeaLevelRise #Oiligarchy #ClimateChangeIsRead #ClimateScience #Thwaites #GlobalSeaLevelRise

GIF

WIRED

The Doomsday Glacier Is Getting Closer and Closer to Irreversible Collapse

An analysis of the expansion of cracks in the Thwaites Glacier over the past 20 years suggests that a total collapse could be only a matter of time.

joene 🏴🍉 boosted

💧🌏 Greg Cocks

@GregCocks@techhub.social · last month

Peak Glacier Extinction In The Mid-Twenty-First Century
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02513-9 <-- shared paper
--
“📉 KEY FINDINGS
• At +4 °C, only ~18,000 glaciers remain worldwide by 2100
• At +1.5 °C, ~100,000 glaciers survive
• [They] identif[ed] “Peak Glacier Extinction”:
– ~2041 at +1.5 °C (~2,000 glaciers lost per year)
– ~2055 at +4 °C (~4,000 glaciers lost per year)
🏔️ THE ALPS
• At +2.7 °C, only ~110 glaciers remain by 2100.
• At +4 °C, this drops to just ~20.
Can you imagine the Alps with almost no glaciers left?...”
#model #modeling #global #glacier #loss #glacial #cryosphere #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #GloGEM #OGGM #PyGEM #extinction #climate #climatechange #globalwarming #water #hydrology #freshwater #surfacewater #count #metrics #volume #thickness #size #sealevelrise #tourism #culture #usecase #waterresources #Alps #TheAlps #worldwide #melted #melting

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Peak glacier extinction in the mid-twenty-first century

💧🌏 Greg Cocks

@GregCocks@techhub.social · last month

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Peak glacier extinction in the mid-twenty-first century

hypebot boosted

Ruth Mottram

@Ruth_Mottram@fediscience.org · last month

I'm preparing a briefing on #SeaLevelRise and my hunt for an image led me to the wikipedia page and holy moly it's good...

If you want to learn about many different aspects, I'd definitely start there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise

Ruth Mottram

@Ruth_Mottram@fediscience.org · last month

I'm preparing a briefing on #SeaLevelRise and my hunt for an image led me to the wikipedia page and holy moly it's good...

If you want to learn about many different aspects, I'd definitely start there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise

Ika Makimaki boosted

Dennis Bours

@Dennisbours@sciences.social · 2 months ago

Hektoria Glacier in Antarctica retreated 8km in just 2 months—the fastest ever recorded. Grounded ice loss confirmed by seismic data means direct sea level rise. Scientists warn similar collapses could happen elsewhere. 🌍📉 #Antarctica #ClimateCrisis #SeaLevelRise
🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01802-4?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Autoposting

Dennis Bours

@Dennisbours@sciences.social · 2 months ago

Tim Chambers and 1 other boosted

Natalya Gomez

@natalyagomez@fediscience.org · 3 months ago

🌊 We’re proud to share our new study in npj Urban Sustainability, which makes a first-order estimate of how many buildings across the Global South are exposed to sea-level rise. Using Google’s Open Buildings data and a high-quality elevation model, we find ~3 million buildings at risk with 0.5 m of rise—a level already locked in even under rapid emissions cuts—and >100 million if emissions continue.

These findings reveal the vast scale of buildings that could be saved with swift fossil fuel cuts—and show the urgent need to prepare for the changes already underway.

Press release: https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/millions-buildings-risk-sea-level-rise-mcgill-led-study-finds-368163

Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-025-00259-z

#ClimateChange #SeaLevelRise #ClimateAction #ClimateScience #UrbanSustainability #CoastalCommunities

Newsroom

Millions of buildings at risk from sea level rise, McGill-led study finds

Sea level rise could put more than 100 million buildings across the Global South at risk of regular flooding if fossil fuel emissions are not curbed quickly, according to a new McGill-led study published in npj Urban Sustainability. The research provides the first large-scale, building-by-building assessment of the impact of long-term sea level rise on coastal infrastructure in Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. The team used detailed satellite maps and elevation data to estimate how many buildings would be inundated at various levels of sea level rise over multi-century timescales. “Sea level rise is a slow, but unstoppable consequence of warming that is already impacting coastal populations and will continue for centuries,” said Prof. Natalya Gomez, co-author of the study and Canada Research Chair in Ice Sheet–Sea Level Interactions at McGill University. “People often talk about sea level rising by tens of centimetres, or maybe a metre, but in fact it could continue to rise for many metres if we don’t quickly stop burning fossil fuels.” Millions of buildings at risk, even in best-case scenario The study considered scenarios of between 0.5 and 20 metres of sea level rise. It found that with a rise of just 0.5 metres, a level projected to occur even under ambitious emissions cuts, approximately three million buildings could be inundated. Under scenarios with five metres or more of rise, as could be expected within a few hundred years if emissions don’t end soon, exposure increases sharply, with over 100 million buildings at risk. Many of these buildings are in densely populated, low-lying areas, meaning that entire neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure, including ports, refineries and cultural heritage sites, would be affected. “We were surprised at the large number of buildings at risk from relatively modest long-term sea level rise,” said Prof. Jeff Cardile, coauthor and professor at McGill University. “Some coastal countries are much more exposed than others, due to details of the coastal topography and locations of buildings.” Critical insights for urban planners, policymakers, communities The researchers argue that these findings offer critical insights for urban planners, policymakers and communities working to prepare for inevitable sea level rise. “Every one of us will be affected by climate change and sea level rise, whether we live by the ocean or not,” said Eric Galbraith another professor involved in the study at McGill. “We all rely on goods, foods and fuels that pass through ports and coastal infrastructure exposed to sea level rise. Disruption of this essential infrastructure could play havoc with our globally interconnected economy and food system.” The study’s interactive map, publicly available via Google Earth Engine, allows decision-makers to visualize which regions face the greatest exposure. This data can inform climate adaptation strategies such as building protective infrastructure, adjusting land use planning or, in some cases, managed retreat. “There is no escaping at least a moderate amount of sea level rise,” said Maya Willard-Stepan, lead author who conducted the study as part of an undergraduate research project . “The sooner coastal communities can start planning for it, the better chance they have of continuing to flourish.” About the study Assessing the exposure of buildings to long-term sea level rise across the Global South by M. Willard-Stepan, N. Gomez, J. A. Cardille, E. D. Galbraith & E. M. Bennett was published in npj Urban Sustainability.

Natalya Gomez

@natalyagomez@fediscience.org · 3 months ago

These findings reveal the vast scale of buildings that could be saved with swift fossil fuel cuts—and show the urgent need to prepare for the changes already underway.

Press release: https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/millions-buildings-risk-sea-level-rise-mcgill-led-study-finds-368163

Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-025-00259-z

#ClimateChange #SeaLevelRise #ClimateAction #ClimateScience #UrbanSustainability #CoastalCommunities

Newsroom

Millions of buildings at risk from sea level rise, McGill-led study finds

Jeremy ⁂ boosted

gremaps

@gremaps@mapstodon.space · 4 months ago

Envoyé à l'impression numérique ce soir pour test en grandeur nature. Ça pourrait être la version définitive... (bon, la dernière fois que j'ai dit ça, j'en ai eu pour un mois de travail supplémentaire 😭).
J'ai un peu agrandi la superficie des glaciers, parce qu'en réalité il ne reste plus grand chose et ça n'avait pas beaucoup d'allure...

#alternativemaps #cartography #grenoble #imaginarymaps #maps #QGIS #sealevelrise #thegimp #blender #oisans

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Carte topographique de l'Ouest de l'Oisans, mais fausse car avec un niveau de la mer à 1400 mètres au-dessus du niveau actuel.

Détail d'une carte topographique de l'Ouest de l'Oisans, mais fausse car avec un niveau de la mer à 1400 mètres au-dessus du niveau actuel.

gremaps

@gremaps@mapstodon.space · 4 months ago

#alternativemaps #cartography #grenoble #imaginarymaps #maps #QGIS #sealevelrise #thegimp #blender #oisans

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Jeremy ⁂ boosted

gremaps

@gremaps@mapstodon.space · 6 months ago

"Work in progress" de la carte de l'Oisans que je refais au format 50x70cm, "ça se vend mieux en magasin", on m'a dit. Encore beaucoup de travail...
#alternativemaps #cartography #grenoble #imaginarymaps #maps #QGIS #sealevelrise #thegimp #blender #oisans

carte réaliste de l'oisans avec un niveau de la mer à 1400m d'altitude. Travail en cours.

gremaps

@gremaps@mapstodon.space · 6 months ago

Ulrike Hahn boosted

Daniel Hoffmann 🥬

@Daniel_Hoffmann@mathstodon.xyz · 8 months ago

Even complying with the limit of 1.5°C global temperature increase may not protect us from massive #seaLevelRise. #globalHeating. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02299-w

Daniel Hoffmann 🥬

@Daniel_Hoffmann@mathstodon.xyz · 8 months ago

Even complying with the limit of 1.5°C global temperature increase may not protect us from massive #seaLevelRise. #globalHeating. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02299-w