Jan 6, 2014

‘Future of Ice’ initiative marks new era for UW polar research

The Northwest has long been a hub for Alaska-bound fishing vessels and scientific study of the Arctic. The University of Washington’s new “Future of Ice” initiative seeks to build on that research in a region now undergoing rapid changes. The initiative includes several new hires, a new minor in Arctic studies and a winter lecture series. “This is partly recognizing how much is going on in polar research at the UW,” said initiative director Eric Steig, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences who studies ice cores.

Jan 2, 2014

El Nino tied to melting of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier

Many glaciers flowing from the land to the coast eventually float over the ocean and melt. The speed at which that melting occurs can depend on many factors, including the warmth of the water beneath it. In Antarctica the Pine Island Glacier drives large amounts of ice into the ocean, and for decades the glacier’s tip has been thinning. College of the Environment scientists and their partners have connected the dots behind the complex drivers that explain why we are seeing this phenomenon occur.

Dec 26, 2013

Could our glacial past be blocking big Bertha's progress?

Route map of Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel

Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel boring machine, is clawing its way under Seattle to replace the aging above-ground Alaskan Way Viaduct. But in mid-December, something big blocked its path and stopped its forward progress under the city. What is it? No one really knows, but one potential is it could be a glacial erratic. Terry Swanson from Earth and Space Sciences talks to KUOW about these glacial relics and their geologic history in the Puget Sound.

Dec 19, 2013

Sinuous skeletons, glowing blue and crimson, leap from lab to art world

A scalyhead sculpin is a small, rather drab, nondescript fish. But “stripped” to its skeleton and stained, it suddenly becomes a striking specimen in vivid blues and crimson. Striking enough to be among the 14 photos by Adam Summers, University of Washington professor of biology, in his “Cleared: The Art of Science” on display now through spring 2014 at the Seattle Aquarium.

Dec 17, 2013

Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored

Hacking the Earth’s climate to counteract global warming—a subject that elicits strong reactions from both sides—is the topic of a December special issue of the journal Climatic Change. A dozen research papers include the most detailed description yet of the proposed Oxford Principles to govern geoengineering research, as well as surveys on the technical hurdles, ethics and regulatory issues related to deliberately manipulating the planet’s climate.