arctic ocean Archives - Disasters News

Feb212025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Arctic Marine Mammals Facing High Mortality, Low Reproduction Due to Marine Heatwaves

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Marine mammals in the Arctic and Subarctic are suffering from increased mortality, reduced reproduction rates, and heightened vulnerability to disease due to marine heatwaves (MHWs), according to a new study. MHWs are periods of significantly elevated sea temperatures lasting from days to years, and the Arctic Ocean is predicted to be a future hotspot for such events. These temperature spikes can cover vast areas, ranging from a few kilometers to thousands. The study analyzed MHWs in the Bering and Barents Seas key pathways to the Arctic Ocean focusing on the 2017-2019 MHWs in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and the infamous 2014-2016 "Blob" in the northeast Pacific. Marine mammals like whales and sea lions often show delayed responses to MHWs due to their higher mobility and blubber ...

Nov202024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Deep-Sea Discovery Underwater Volcano-Like Structure Found Near Alaska

Breaking News, Environment, Learning & Developments

In a groundbreaking discovery scientists aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy have identified a massive underwater volcano-like formation deep beneath the Arctic Ocean near Alaska. This remarkable structure, sitting more than 1,600 meters below the ocean's surface, was revealed during a seafloor mapping project aimed at improving navigation safety in the region. The team aboard the Healy, which included researchers from the National Science Foundation, University of New Hampshire, and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), detected a potential gas plume rising from the formation. While details are still emerging, the discovery sheds light on the largely unexplored underwater terrain of the Arctic, offering new avenues for scientific exploration. Captain Meghan McGover...

Jun92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Cascadia Subduction Zone One of Earth’s Top Hazards, Comes into Sharper Focus

Breaking News, Disasters, Idea & Innovations

Off the coasts of southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and northern California lies a 600-mile-long strip where the Pacific Ocean floor is slowly diving eastward under North America. This area, called the Cascadia Subduction Zone, hosts a megathrust fault, a place where tectonic plates move against each other in a highly dangerous way. The plates can periodically lock up and build stress over wide areas eventually to be released when they finally lurch against each other. The result: the world's greatest earthquakes, shaking both seabed and land, and generating tsunamis 100 feet high or more. Such a fault off Japan caused the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Similar zones exist off Alaska, Chile, and New Zealand, among other places. At Cascadia, big quakes are believed to c...

Feb172024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Revealing the Hidden World: Satellite Technology Unveils Vast Expansion of Global Coral Reefs

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Idea & Innovations

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers utilizing advanced satellite imagery and cutting-edge machine learning algorithms have unveiled a stunning revelation: the world's coral reefs are nearly 25 percent larger than previously estimated. Through a collaborative effort involving satellite imagery, machine learning algorithms, and on-ground observations from a global network of experts, an additional 64,000 square kilometers (24,700 square miles) of coral reefs have been identified – an area equivalent to the size of Ireland. This newfound expanse brings the total area of the planet's shallow reefs – spanning depths of 0 to 20 meters – to a staggering 348,000 square kilometers, akin to the dimensions of Germany. Within this vast domain lies approximately 80,000 square kilometers of ha...

Feb82024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Calls for New Category 6 Classification as Hurricanes Grow Stronger Amid Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Disasters

As hurricanes become increasingly powerful due to the climate crisis, scientists are urging for the expansion of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale to include a new category 6 designation, capable of encompassing storms with sustained winds exceeding 192mph. Researchers, led by Michael Wehner of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and James Kossin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have proposed this new classification in response to the escalating intensity of hurricanes fueled by global heating. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study argues that the existing scale, developed in the 1970s, fails to adequately capture the extreme ferocity of these mega-hurricanes, which pose unprecedented threats to life and property. While hurricanes ha...

Jan22024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Arctic Glaciers Raises the Environmental Concerns due to traces of Common Sunscreen Ingredients Found

Climate Actions, Environment

In a paper published by the researchers, they noted that, for some of these chemicals, it marks the first time their presence has been reported in the snow in Svalbard. The chemicals include UV filters used in sunscreens, such as benzophenone-3 (BP3), and fragrances found in soaps and shampoos. The findings highlight the increasing challenge of understanding the distribution and behavior of these contaminants in remote regions, where primary sources of pollution remain largely unknown. The far-reaching consequences of human activity on the environment are once again underscored as a study reveals traces of 13 common ingredients found in sunscreens and personal care products in the snowpack of five Arctic glaciers in the Svalbard archipelago. The study, conducted by polar scientist Maria...