iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

MBARI researchers film a chance encounter with a rare deep-sea bigfin squid. During a recent expedition to study seamounts offshore of Central California, @mbarinews.bsky.social scientists and NOAA collaborators encountered a rarely seen deep-sea bigfin squid (Magnapinna sp.) approximately 3,277 Mts

Advancing ocean science through international collaboration
Last month, MBARI Scientist Colleen Durkin and Senior Research Specialist Crissy Huffard participated in two weeks of fieldwork in West Africa as part of the Ocean Margins Initiative. Led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of Ghana, and the University of Rhode Island and supported by Schmidt Sciences, this project engages researchers from 13 institutions around the world, including MBARI, to study the Gulf of Guinea offshore of western Africa.

MBARI researchers and collaborators in the Ocean Margins Initiative also trained University of Ghana graduate students to lead the deployment of scientific instruments to expand research efforts to address the needs of the community year-round. University of Ghana students also helped deploy two autonomous biogeochemical Argo floats that will collect data on ocean health for the GO-BGC Project.

Precise giants: New research reveals how blue whales find food in a vast ocean
MBARI’s Blue Whale Observatory uses a suite of technologies to study these endangered animals and their primary food source, krill, in the Monterey Bay region. A new paper by MBARI scientists and collaborators from Stanford University and Cascadia Research Collective in Current Biology highlights findings from the latest research in this ongoing body of work to understand whale ecology. We sat down with John Ryan, a biological oceanographer at MBARI and the lead author of this study, to learn more.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This month, we’re sharing a rare deep-sea encounter and international collaborations to advance ocean science. MBARI researchers film a chance encounter with a rare deep-sea bigfin squid. @mbarinews.bsky.social www.mbari.org/news/mbari-r...

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Successful Earth flyby improves Juice’s course to Jupiter The @esa.int Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) skimmed the very outer edge of Earth’s atmosphere on 28 September using the gravity of our home planet to alter its route to Jupiter using very little fuel @science.esa.int @exploration.esa.int

The flyby deflected Juice by an angle of 20° compared to its pre-flyby path and increased its velocity by 3.5 km/s. In the four weeks before the flyby, spacecraft operators only had to give Juice one tiny nudge (out of six opportunities set aside) to put it on exactly the right approach trajectory to make the most of Earth’s gravity. They have been tracking the spacecraft extra carefully since 17 August, and will continue to do so until 10 October.
Juice’s closest approach was at 13:45 CEST (11:45 UTC) on 28 September. As Juice flew just 8640 km above the Indian Ocean, it snapped a series of images with its onboard monitoring camerasEarth as a testbench

While the main goal was to alter Juice’s trajectory, the flyby also provided a third opportunity to test out Juice’s science instruments on a real surface in space – with the first being during the spacecraft’s 2024 lunar-Earth gravity assist, and the second during the 2025 observations of Comet 3I/ATLAS.

Colleagues from ESA's spacecraft operations, science operations and technical centres spent months working hard with the external teams working on Juice's 10 science instruments to plan which instruments to switch on and when. Thanks to their efforts, the team has been able to squeeze out as much operational time as possible considering tight spacecraft resources.

“Juice's journey to Jupiter provides only a few opportunities to calibrate and validate the instruments under well-understood environmental conditions,” explains Juice project scientist Claire Vallat, who led the effort.
“Given the limited time available and operational constraints, instrument activities sometimes have to be prioritised, for example when Juice was in Earth's shadow this morning, and relying on battery
It’s been a lot of work, butstraightforward compared to Juice’s upcoming 35 flybys of Jupiter’s giant moons Ganymede, Europa and Ganymede.

Next stop: one last hello to Earth
In January 2029, Juice will meet Earth one last time, coming back for a third flyby of our home planet to put it onto the final track to meet Jupiter in 2031.
About Juice
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, ‘Juice’, is humankind’s next bold mission to the outer Solar System. It will make detailed observations of gas giant Jupiter and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. This ambitious mission will characterise these moons with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life.

Juice will monitor Jupiter’s complex magnetic, radiation and plasma environment in depth and its interplay with the moons, studying the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giant systems across the Universe.

Juice launched on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou in April 2023. It has an eight-year cruise with flybys of Earth and Venus to slingshot it to Jupiter. It will make 35 flybys of the three large moons while orbiting Jupiter, before changing orbits to Ganymede.
Juice is a mission under ESA leadership with contributions from NASA, JAXA and the Israel Space Agency. It is the first Large-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen , Svalbard Archipelago, n the Arctic Ocean. @visitnorge.bsky.social #Longyearbyen #Spitsbergen #Svallbard #NorthNorge #landscapephotography en.visitsvalbard.com/visitor-info...

Longyearbyen is located on Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean. It lies at approximately 78°10′ north latitude, about 1,316 km from the North Pole. It is one of the northernmost permanent settlements on Earth, with a population of more than 1,000 inhabitants.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Ozone pollution: the hidden health cost of heatwaves. 2026 has been a year of heatwaves. Temperature records have been repeatedly broken during the European spring and summer, leading to thousands of excess heat-related deaths. @ecmwf.int @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social www.ecmwf.int/en/about/med...

2026 has been a year of heatwaves. Temperature records have been repeatedly broken during the European spring and summer, leading to thousands of excess heat-related deaths.

But while we regularly hear about the dangers of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, one health impact of heatwaves is often overlooked: ozone pollution.

Atmospheric ozone – a gas consisting of molecules made of three oxygen atoms – increases at ground level during warmer periods, creating air pollution that can damage the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, cause shortness of breath, and worsen lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

According to one global estimate, around 500,000 deaths every year can be attributed to long-term ozone exposure. Ozone pollution also impacts ecosystems, damaging vegetation and reducing crop yields by, for example, slowing photosynthesis and accelerating leaf ageing.

Information on atmospheric ozone concentrations is therefore crucial for researchers and policymakers across environmental and public health sectors. To this end, the EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), implemented by ECMWF, is creating detailed ozone forecasts for up to five days ahead.
“Once an ozone pollution event begins, it is impossible to stop,” says Laurence Rouil, Director of CAMS at ECMWF, “but our forecasts provide advance warning of how intense the event will be and which areas will be most affected.”

Screenshot of an air pollution forecast from the CAMS air quality policy portal.

Temporary policies to reduce precursor chemicals and mitigate ozone pollution during a heatwave could include limiting vehicle speeds in urban areas, or dialling down industrial activity (this already happens in the Étang de Berre area near Marseille in south-east France).

The future of ozone

In the stratosphere, levels of ozone are increasing thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

This is good news: the ‘ozone hole’ that occurs over the Antarctic every year is predicted to have fully healed by around 2066, which will bolster the Earth’s protection against UV radiation.

However, tropospheric ozone is also expected to increase as our planet warms and heatwaves become more frequent and intense.

The precursor chemicals required for the formation of ozone pollution come mostly from anthropogenic sources, so a long-term reduction in emissions from vehicles, factories and power plants, for example, could help. But this will require a two-pronged approach.

“Reducing NOx alone can have the converse effect of increasing ozone pollution,” says Mark, “because these chemicals can also react with existing ozone to remove it from the atmosphere. Tackling ozone pollution will therefore require limiting emissions of both NOx and VOCs.”

As our climate shifts, decision-makers will need accurate and timely information about the quality of the air we breathe. Ozone is just one part of the picture, but tracking this gas’s journey through the atmosphere has never been more important.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Sognefjellet, Bøverdalen, Jotunheimen National Park, Norway @visitnorge.bsky.social #landscapephotography #Norway #Norgephoto www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en/routes/so... www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go...

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Exceptionally hot and dry conditions fuel wildfires in Europe as ocean surface temperatures reach record highs for July. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @ecmwf.int @eumetsat.int #ERA5 climate.copernicus.eu/exceptionall...

July 2026 saw prolonged hot and dry conditions in western Europe, marking the hottest June-July period on record for the region and favouring the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires. The month also saw the highest sea surface temperatures (SST) ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, between 60°S and 60°N, partly fuelled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, as reported in the latest Climate Bulletin by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).(Left) Anomalies and extremes in surface air temperature in June–July 2026. Colour categories refer to the percentiles of the temperature distributions for the 1991–2020 reference period. The “coolest” and “warmest” categories identify areas where temperatures were the lowest or highest for June–July during 1979–2026. (Right) Average June–July surface air temperature anomalies for western Europe (11°W–15°E, 37°–55°N). Anomalies are relative to the June–July average for the 1991-2020 period. Data source: ERA5. Credit: C3S/ECMWF.
“July 2026 was the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in western Europe, bringing the combined temperature for June and July to a new record for the region. Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily. This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another."
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF
Western Europe saw the heatwave conditions observed in June persist through July. With an average surface air temperature over its land areas of 21.62°C for the combined June-July period, 2.79°C above the 1991–2020 average, this temperature surpassed the previous record by a notable margin (0.89°C).

Exceptionally dry conditions fuelled wildfires
As the intense heat in June continued through July across western Europe, much of that region and large parts of central Europe also saw the widespread dryness observed in May and June persist and intensify. Dry conditions were particularly severe in parts of Spain and Portugal (the Iberian Peninsula), France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary, with many areas experiencing record low monthly average surface soil moisture levels. Meanwhile, record low rainfall was reported by national agencies for England, Wales and parts of western Germany.(Left) Anomalies and extremes in surface soil moisture for July 2026. The “driest” and “wettest” categories identify areas where soil moisture was the lowest or highest for July during 1979–2026. The other categories describe how soil moisture compares to the July distribution during the 1991–2020 reference period. Data: ERA5-Land. (Right) Anomalies and extremes in monthly average river flow in July 2026. The “lowest” and “highest” categories identify areas where river flow was the lowest or highest for July during 1992–2026. The other categories describe how river flow compares to the July distribution during the 1992–2020 reference period. Only rivers with drainage areas greater than 1000 km2 are shown. Data source: EFAS. Credit: CEMS/C3S/ECMWF.

Across the dry areas, river flows were exceptionally low or much lower than average. The Seine, the Rhine and the Danube were particularly affected, with record or near-record low water levels impacting water supply, irrigation and energy production across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary.
The intense dry conditions led to the widespread availability of dried biomass, fuelling wildfires. Beyond Europe, dry conditions in Canada and Siberia in July also favoured the spread and intensification of wildfires.

“Climate change is increasingly bringing the kinds of hot and dry conditions that favour large, high-intensity wildfires in southern Europe while extending the fire season northwards. Larger fires produce more smoke and inject it higher into the atmosphere, meaning it can travel further and impact air quality not only locally, but across the wider region.”
Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) at ECMWF.

Hottest July for the global ocean
July 2026 saw the highest SSTs on record for the month across the extra-polar oceans, with a monthly average SST of 20.96°C, surpassing the previous record (set in July 2023) by a margin of 0.07°C. Since 19 June, the daily SST across the extra-polar oceans has been the highest on record for each respective day of the year. The exceptional heat has been partly fuelled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific.
Daily sea surface temperature (°C) averaged over the extra–polar global ocean (60°S–60°N) for 2023 (yellow), 2024 (orange), 2025 (red) and 2026 (dark red). All other years between 1979 and 2022 are shown with grey lines. The daily average for the 1991–2020 reference period is shown with a dashed grey line. Data source: ERA5. Credit: C3S/ECMWF.

The month saw SSTs continue to reach record highs across a large swathe of the Pacific Ocean, an area where El Niño conditions are present and forecast to further strengthen in the coming months.3 This area stretched from the central equatorial Pacific to the western coast of Mexico and Central America, having expanded since June.

Meanwhile, record high SSTs were seen across European seas, particularly along the Atlantic and in the western Mediterranean. Outside Europe, the month saw record temperatures for the time of year across many other ocean regions.

Daily arctic sea ice extent close to record lows for July as seasonal decline continues

In July, the Arctic sea ice extent was 0.9 million km2 (9.6%) below average, making it the sixth lowest on record for the month. The daily sea ice extent continued its seasonal decline, remaining close to the levels seen in 2012, the year of the lowest annual minimum on record (in September). Throughout the month, the daily extent ranked between the second and eighth lowest on record, depending on the date.Daily Arctic sea ice extent from October 1978 to 2 August 2026. The year 2026 is shown with a dark blue line, 2025 with a teal line, and 2012 (year of the lowest daily sea ice extent) with a salmon line. Data source: EUMETSAT OSI SAF Sea Ice Index v3.0. Credit: C3S/ECMWF/EUMETSAT.

In the Antarctic, the monthly average sea ice extent was 1.0 million km2 (6.4%) below average, the fifth lowest on record for July. Notably, the five lowest sea ice extents for the month have all occurred in the last five years.

Read the July 2026 sea ice update in full

Every month, C3S, which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission, provides an update on temperatures, hydrological variables and sea ice, highlighting recent climate conditions. The Climate Bulletins include charts and maps with the evolution of key climate variables, based mainly on the C3S reanalysis dataset ERA5.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Reuters launches ‘Climate Monitor’ tool, powered by Copernicus Climate Change Service data @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @ecmwf.int apps.climate.copernicus.eu

“One of the most valuable things data can provide news consumers is context. Thanks to ECMWF’s forecasts and Copernicus's ERA5 dataset – free and open-access resources – we have a comprehensive view of how our planet’s climate and how environmental conditions are changing over time. While this data tells a critical story, our sense is that millions of people are asking themselves, when they walk outside or look at the weather forecast, “is this normal”? To answer that question, we believe you need localised data that is easier to grasp and quicker to update. After examining the challenge and consulting the world’s leading climate experts, we learned that the datasets published by Copernicus made it possible. So we took on the task and developed a system that automatically compares today’s weather forecast against the historical record, mapping out temperature extremes before they occur. What we’ve done thus far is only the beginning. We have followed the initial launch with a tracker tailored to the World Cup, and there’s much more in the works - all powered by Copernicus's data.”
Ben Welsh, News Applications Editor at Reuters
At the very heart of the Reuters Climate Monitor is the open data provided by C3S and ECMWF, that implements the climate service on behalf of the European Union. The app combines C3S ERA5 reanalysis to obtain the historical average for that day and the ECMWF Medium-range Control Forecast (formerly HRES) to obtain the current real-time temperature. The Medium-range Control forecast is known as the leading forecasting system globally and ERA5 is one of the world's most comprehensive records of historical weather and climate conditions. By making this information openly available, C3S and ECMWF enables organisations around the world – including influential global media platforms like Reuters – to build practical services, applications and tools.

As climate change continues to shape weather patterns around the world, helping people – from policymakers to business leaders to the general public – understand what rising average temperatures mean in context is becoming increasingly important.

To support this, Reuters has launched the Reuters Climate Monitor, a new interactive online tool that uses data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasts (ECMWF) to compare today’s temperatures with historical records around the globe.

The new tool allows users to compare current temperatures in any location worldwide with the temperatures that would typically be the average at that time of year, based on historical data from 1961-1990. By doing this, the tool helps identify areas experiencing unusually warm or cool conditions and places these events within a longer-term climate context. In one of the more striking examples, at the time of writing, the temperature for Paris is 14ºC above its historic average.

Developed by Reuters as part of its efforts to strengthen the accessibility of climate data and improve reporting, the tool aims to make climate information more timely, local and accessible. It reflects a growing need among journalists for data that can help connect the profound impacts of climate change with the speed of the fast-paced global news agenda.

“The Reuters Climate Monitor offers a strong example of how the open climate data we provide at C3S can be transformed into products that help people engage with complex scientific information. By presenting current and historical temperature comparisons in a clear and intuitive format, leveraging some of the designs created by C3S, the tool puts people’s everyday experience of their local climate in important context, supporting more informed public conversations about climate change. We’re proud that our data underpins such influential products.”
Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at ECMWF
Already, the tool is being used creatively by the Reuters editorial team to connect climate data to real-world events and human stories, for example, by tracking heat anomalies at host locations of the World Cup. Its live World Cup host city tracker shows that at the time of publishing on Thursday 18th June, Monterrey is forecast to be the warmest host city, with three of 16 venues anticipated to be more than 5°C above their historic average.
The launch is the latest in a long line of products and services developed and used by researchers, public authorities, businesses, media organisations and developers worldwide that rely on open-access Copernicus data to improve decision-making and communicate scientific information to diverse audiences.
As the impacts of climate change become more evident, accessible and trusted information will play an increasingly important role in helping society understand and respond to change. C3S’s open climate data can support that goal by making climate information more meaningful, timely and actionable.
Organisations interested in using C3S’s climate services, applications or data-driven products can explore the full range of tools available through the Copernicus Climate Change Service website.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Dettifoss, Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, Austurland, Ísland #landscapephotography #Dettifoss #waterfalls #naturephotography #icelandphoto #travelphotography www.inspiredbyiceland.com www.visiticeland.com guidetoiceland.is/travel-ícela

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Cyclone clusters in the Arctic reduce sea ice and threaten coastlines Rapid series of low-pressure systems can cause weather conditions under which the ice can only hardly recover. This affects Arctic coastlines and the global climate system. @awi.de @helmholtz.de doi.org/10.1038/s414...

As part of the CONTRASTS expedition, the research vessel Polarstern spent two months travelling the Central Arctic. The researchers focussed primarily on the summer melting of Arctic sea ice. (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut)

In the Arctic, the weather plays a key role in determining how much ice covers the ocean. One weather phenomenon that has a significant influence on this is Arctic cyclones: they cause unusually warm and stormy conditions, which typically lead to a significant loss of ice. These conditions last for a particularly long time when several cyclones rapidly follow one another. An international research team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute has now, for the first time, systematically investigated the effects of these accumulating cyclones, using weather data from recent decades. In the journal Nature Communications, they have described this ‘cyclone clustering’ and its specific consequences for the future of sea ice and, by extension, the Arctic coastline.

‘Cyclone clustering’ occurs when several low-pressure systems rapidly pass through a particular area one after another, causing storms that are more severe and last longer than ‘normal’ storms. “In Europe, such events have frequently led to significant damage in the past due to high winds, heavy rainfall or high tide levels along the coast,” says Dr Lars Aue, lead author of the study from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

This image was taken with the IceCam, installed in the hull of the EM-Bird, the AWI sea ice thickness measuring sensor, which in pulled underneath a helicopter above the sea ice to measure its thickness. The camera points vertically downwards and takes photos of the are... (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / IceCam/Stefan Hendricks)

To find out whether cyclone clustering also occurs in the Arctic and how these intense weather events affect Arctic sea ice, an international research team led by the AWI systematically analyzed and compared satellite and weather data from 1979 to 2024. “We adapted an algorithm for tracking weather systems so that it could detect rapidly consecutive cyclones in the Arctic,” explains Lars Aue. “We were then able to compare the state of the sea ice on satellite images before and after a cluster had passed through.”

The results show that, where cyclones coincide with Arctic sea ice, they break up the ice cover and cause ice floes to drift and collide. During the cold Arctic winter, the gaps that emerge as a result, normally refreeze within a few days. However, when a cluster of cyclones hits the sea ice, the persistent stormy conditions delay and hinder the gaps from closing again. During the warmer months, Arctic cyclone clusters are less intense, however, they can still have a significant local impact on the sea ice: they drive ice floes northwards and push them into the existing ice. This reduces the area over which the sea ice is spread. The storms also carry warm air with them, which thaws the ice from above, furthermore, they can also transport warmer seawater from deeper layers to the surface, causing the upper water masses to warm up. Over the last two decades, cyclones have thus contributed to ice loss, particularly towards the end of the melting season.

Thin new ice forms between ice floes, which have survived the summer in the arctic. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Stefan Hendricks)

The number of storms that accumulate in a cyclone cluster varies depending on the region and the season, but averages 2.5 cyclones. Similarly, their impact also depends on when and where they occur. There are regions where the effect on sea ice is amplified by up to 1.5 times, and regions where the effect is amplified by up to 7 times. “On average across the entire Arctic, cyclone clusters reduce Arctic sea ice cover by about twice as much as conventional, isolated low-pressure systems. This condition also lasts about two and a half times longer,” says Lars Aue.

Another worrying finding of the study is that the loss of Arctic sea ice caused by cyclone clusters has increased significantly over recent decades. One reason for this is that the ice is losing its resilience to storms caused by cyclones, as it is becoming thinner and more mobile due to ongoing global warming. In summer, this could be further amplified by the increasingly warmer Arctic Ocean. “We could be entering a self-enforcing feedback loop: the weaker the sea ice becomes, the more cyclone clusters can reduce its extent, which in turn weakens the sea ice,” says Lars Aue. “Currently, we are using climate projections to investigate whether the intensification of the effects of cyclone clusters that we have seen in recent decades could continue in the future.”

Arctic Sea Ice (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Mario Hoppmann)

The study highlights just how strongly weather events influence sea ice and how important it is that we understand the causes and effects of cyclone clusters in the Arctic. This is crucial, as coastal communities in the Arctic are increasingly exposed to dangerous weather events due to increasing cyclone activity: sea ice acts as a buffer against waves. Its retreat, combined with the increasing thawing of permafrost, is making coasts more vulnerable to storms. “Until now, there has been no systematic analysis of the impacts of cyclone clusters in the Arctic. With our work, we are filling a knowledge gap and lay an important foundation for projections that can depict the future of the Arctic sea ice - a central component of the global climate system - as accurate as possible.”

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A new observing system for the Southern Ocean The EU funding the SYNCHRONY project involving 27 international partners to carry out coordinated observations to harmonise data and to improve our understanding and ability to predict climate and ecosystem changes around Antarctic @awi.de @helmholtz.de

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Polarstern sets course for the HAUSGARTEN Arctic long-term observatory Research expedition continues long-term observations in the Fram Strait, which have documented rapid change in the Arctic Ocean for more than 25 years www.awi.de/en/about-us/... www.pangaea.de @awi.de @helmholtz.de #HAUSGARTEN

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Reynisfjall Mountain, Reynisfjara beach, Reynisdrangar sea stacks Og Hálsanefshellir Cave, Vík í Mýrdal, Suðurland @icelandgeology.bsky.social @visiticeland.bsky.social @photoshop.adobe.com #landscapephotography #iclendphotography #photomerge whatsoniceland.com www.inspiredbyiceland.com

Reynisfjall is a 340 m high tuff mountain arising out of a volcanic eruption from under a glacier in the penultimate Ice Age, near the village of Vik. Alternating in an irregular manner are layers of tuff, pillow lava and columnar basalt veins and loops. Reynisdrangar stacks are a collection of 66 m high rock pillars that rise out of the sea and are of the same geological formation as Reynisfjall. On Reynisfjöru beach, very beautiful basalt formations in the south part of the mountain can be seen, and there you will find an exceedingly beautiful cave called Hálsanefshellir.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Insights into Earth’s molten outer core from space. The liquid iron in Earth’s outer core doesn’t always behave as expected. When it changed direction in an unexplained way… @esa.int @esaearth.esa.int @science.esa.int #CryoSat #Swarm www.esa.int/Applications... geosciences.ed.ac.uk

The liquid iron in Earth’s outer core doesn’t always behave as expected. When it changed direction in an unexplained way, ESA satellites provided data on the direction of flow, helping scientists gain better insight into the dynamics at the centre of our planet.
The molten core, which swirls about 2200 km beneath our feet, generates Earth’s geomagnetic field as it moves. By measuring small changes in the magnetic field, scientists have historically inferred the core flowing mainly westwards.
But in 2010, it unexpectedly changed direction deep beneath the Pacific Ocean and started moving strongly eastwards. The reasons for this unexplained reversal in the flow of molten material are still a mystery.
The study, in the Journal of Studies of Earth’s Deep Interior, analyses both ground observations and satellite data between 1997 and 2025. Data from ESA’s Swarm and Cryosat missions were used in the study as well as data from the German CHAMP mission and the Ørsted mission. The research found that in 2010, a broad region of iron-rich fluid beneath the equatorial Pacific switched from moving weakly westwards to strongly eastwards.

The outer core system was previously thought to move in a comparatively stable way – this dramatic change of flow suggests this is not always the case. The study provides insights into the turbulent processes that generate Earth’s magnetic field and hint at possible links between outer core dynamics and changes occurring deeper within the planet.

Lead author of the study, Frederik Dahl Madsen, of the University of Edinburgh – School of Geosciences, said, “The large-scale flow reversal beneath the Pacific raises new questions about the behaviour of Earth’s deep interior. Scientists now want to understand whether the reversal represents a short-lived fluctuation, part of a repeating oscillation, or a new stable equilibrium for core circulation. Continued monitoring will be essential to determine how the flow evolves over the coming years.”

Earth’s magnetic field is generated by motion in the liquid outer core, where electrically conducting molten iron circulates around the solid inner core. This geodynamo is constantly evolving, but many of its long-term flow patterns have appeared to be relatively persistent over decades of observation.
These observations enabled researchers to reconstruct evolving flow patterns at the core–mantle boundary and identify the sudden changes associated with the Pacific reversal and the 2017 geomagnetic jerk.
According to ESA’s Swarm Mission Manager, Anja Stromme, the long-term dataset provided by Swarm is important for this study. She noted, “Although Swarm was launched after the dramatic reversal event of 2010, it has provided high-precision data that tell us about Earth’s inner core in the period that
The satellite data also allowed researchers to detect wave-like accelerations and rapidly changing flow structures that may otherwise have remained hidden within noisier datasets. The study also suggests that the eastward flow may now be weakening again after reaching a peak several years ago, raising the possibility that the event represents a temporary oscillation or part of a longer natural cycle in core
Although these processes occur far below Earth’s surface and pose no danger to people or climate, they are fundamental to understanding how our planet works. The movement of liquid iron in the outer core generates Earth’s magnetic field, which shields the planet from charged particles streaming from the Sun. Without it, Earth’s atmosphere and technological infrastructure would be far more exposed to harmful solar radiation.
The magnetic field is not fixed. It slowly changes over time as the core flow evolves, affecting everything from navigation systems to spacecraft operations and models of near-Earth space weather. Understanding how and why the core changes is therefore important both scientifically and why the core changes is therefore important both scientifically

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Black Búðir Church, [Búðakirkja] Vesturland, on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula,Ísland @visiticeland.bsky.social @lightroom.adobe.com #landscapephotography #Iceland_photo #Icelandchurch whatsoniceland.com www.inspiredbyiceland.com

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

OBSERVER: Mapping our changing planet – high-resolution insights with Copernicus LCFM #CopernicusSentinel-2-imagery @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @esaearth.esa.int @ec.europa.eu www.copernicus.eu/en/news/news...

Images from Copernicus Image of the Day are used by international organisations such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and their senior staff to support communication on environmental issues. This example shows a post featuring a CAMS-based visualisation of the Antarctic ozone hole. Credit: Roberta Boscolo, WMO (LinkedIn).

A Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite acquired a rare image of the eye of Hurricane Melissa on 28 October 2025, just hours before the storm made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery.
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View of the Fagradalsfjall volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite less than 10 hours after its eruption began on 8 February 2024, with the lava flow and smoke plume clearly visible near the city of Grindavík. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery.

Data acquired by the TROPOMI instrument on board Copernicus Sentinel-5P on 14 February 2026, showing a sulphur dioxide (SO₂) plume extending more than 550 km across the Indian Ocean towards Madagascar, emitted during the second eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Réunion Island in 2026. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-5P imagery.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Arctic Dialogue in Potsdam: Finding solutions together as equals On 14 April,members of the indigenous community,along with representatives from politics and academia, will meet to draw up principles for collaborative,socially just and respectful cooperation in Arctic research @awi.de @helmholtz.de

View towards the Three Crowns (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Anne Hormes)
The Arctic is a central point of focus in terms of climate change: it is warming almost four times faster than the rest of the planet. The rich traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, passed down through generations over thousands of years, can help us to recognise and understand these changes. At the same time, scientific methods can help to fill important data gaps regarding the increasing consequences of climate change. The 27th Arctic Dialoge on 14 April in Potsdam brings both perspectives together, because only by working together as equals can we find solutions to meet the challenges that climate change poses to us all. The event is organised by the German Arctic Office at the Alfred Wegener Institute.

Chukchi with reindeer (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / snowchange.org)

For the indigenous peoples and residents of the Arctic, climate change is an ever-present threat that jeopardises their livelihood and their way of life. Their successful strategies and approaches to coping with these changes can also provide us with valuable insight. But what is happening in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic: the region plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate, and changes in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean – particularly the melting of sea ice – not only impact directly on global processes but also our weather. Conversely, what happens on our doorstep does not stay on our doorstep: lifestyle-related emissions and waste influence the entire processes in the Arctic ecosystem and drive climate change locally. In order to find ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change and support directly affected communities in adapting to irreversible changes, it is important to combine both perspectives; indigenous knowledge and modern science must work closely together to safeguard livelihoods.

“One often gets the impression that the Arctic is newly discovered territory shaped by narrow interests,” reflects Volker Rachold, Head of the German Arctic Office at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). “However, indigenous peoples have inhabited the region for thousands of years. Their cultures have developed over long periods of time and have adapted to the natural conditions of the Arctic. Therefore, all activities in the Arctic must take the interests of the people living there into account and safeguard the rights and interests of indigenous communities.”

Aerial photographs of the Russian tundra in the Lena Delta. The photographs were taken during a methane-monitoring flight using the HELIPOD and a helicopter. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Torsten Sachs)
Since 2017, the German Arctic Office has organised the Arctic Dialoge every six months to improve the exchange of information between researchers, policy-makers and the Arctic population, and to bring stakeholders together within a safe space. Indeed, the German Federal Government also states in its guidelines on German Arctic policy that consistent consideration of the indigenous population and their knowledge in political decision-making and scientific research is essential to finding sustainable solutions in nature conservation.
The 27th Arctic Dialogue, taking place on 14 April in Potsdam, therefore raises the question as to how research and funding structures can be reconsidered to ensure social justice and respectful relationships. Representatives of indigenous communities, federal ministries and agencies, research institutes and foundations will meet in a confidential forum. “With our decolonial approach, we want to bring about structural change. We must move away from conducting research over the heads of indigenous peoples and instead work with them on an equal footing to develop new approaches and opportunities,” says Volker Rachold.
“Indigenous knowledge can point the way to holistic Arctic research if indigenous expertise and academic research can be combined to create added value for us all,” adds AWI Director Hajo Eicken, who will be taking part in the Arctic Dialoge. “For example, regarding long-term observations, we can combine in-depth insight from indigenous communities with the latest technology to develop valuable nuanced insight.”

Permafrost landscapes on Spitsbergen. Permafrost confines groundwater, which is pushed on the surface under hydrostatic pressure and freezes. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Jaroslav Obu)

A beacon project: SQUEEZE – Joining forces to protect the Arctic tundra:
At the AWI, collaboration with indigenous communities in Arctic research is becoming increasingly important. The SQUEEZE joint project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, goes a step further by integrating indigenous knowledge into the research process. The project is dedicated to protecting the disappearing Arctic tundra. “It is the northernmost vegetation zone on Earth, just before the polar desert begins,” explains Lia Schulz, a research associate at the German Arctic Office. “And it is a hub for Arctic biodiversity. Its permafrost soils also store large quantities of organic carbon, which can be released as a greenhouse gas when they thaw.” For indigenous peoples and caribou, the tundra is an essential habitat – yet climate change is increasingly putting the region under pressure (or ‘squeezing’ it): as temperatures rise, an increasing number of plants and shrubs from the south are spreading into the area; plants that are not native to the region. The tree line is shifting slowly and steadily northwards. In the Arctic, sea ice is melting and permafrost is thawing, leaving Indigenous peoples with nowhere to go.“We want to support Arctic communities in determining which areas of the tundra need to be protected as a priority, so that biodiversity, ecosystem services and permafrost can survive the peak of future warming,” explains Lia Schulz. “To this end, we are working closely with indigenous communities in north-western Canada, as they recognise and experience first-hand the complex changes their habitat is facing.” Last year, the AWI researcher engaged in dialogue with representatives of the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit in Canada’s Northwest Territories and Yukon, discussing t…

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Jostedalsbreen, Norway Ahead of the World Day for Glaciers, Copernicus #Sentinel-2 captures the diverse landscape of western Norway with its jagged fjords, fertile valleys, mountain plateaus and Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier in continental Europe. @esa.int @esaearth.esa.int

On the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway is famed for its pristine fjords. In this image, these long narrow marine inlets are visible as deeply indented dark lines stretching inland from the coastline.
The fjords, bordered by steep cliffs, were created by glacial erosion during previous ice ages, when ice and rivers carved deep valleys in the mountains. As the climate changed, most of the ice melted and the valleys were gradually filled with sea water.
After the last ice age, not all the ice melted and parts of the mountains maintained their ice coverage, creating glaciers. The large white expanse visible on the right side of the image is the Jostedalsbreen National Park, one of the largest in Norway. Approximately half of the national park’s area consists of glaciers and Jostedalsbreen is the largest, spanning between 450 and 480 sq km.

Jostedalsbreen is a plateau glacier, or an ice cap, that sits on top of a high-altitude plateau and covers a series of mountain peaks, the highest of which is the Lodalskåpa at an elevation of 2083 m above sea level. Jostedalsbreen feeds numerous outlet glaciers in all directions that then flow down into the valleys.

Glaciers and ice caps are essential to Earth’s ecosystem, providing freshwater resources and supporting agriculture, industry and biodiversity. Climate change is causing glaciers and ice sheets around the world to melt and shrink. As temperatures rise, melting depletes regional freshwater supplies and drives global sea levels to rise at ever-faster rates, with potentially devastating consequences in the long
CREDIT
contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA
LICENCE
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Skaftafell, Skaftafell National Park, Austurland. #landscape-photography #naturephoto #icelandicphoto #Skaftafell #Austurland @lightroom.adobe.com @photoshop.adobe.com www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/ska...

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

The study on the decline of Antarctica is indicated on the loss of ice in the future @esa.int @esaearth.esa.int Ice along the "landlines" of Antarctica has remained largely stable in the last 30 years, but in some territories it has withdrawn more than 40 km, as shown… www.esa.int/Space_in_Mem...

esa.int

Studie zum Rückgang der Antarktis deutet auf zukünftigen Eisverlust hin

Das Eis entlang der „Grounding Lines“ der Antarktis ist in den vergangenen 30 Jahren größtenteils stabil geblieben – doch in einigen Gebieten hat es sich um mehr als 40 km zurückgezogen, wie eine neue...

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Antarctica retreat study signals future ice loss. The ice along Antarctica’s ‘grounding lines’ has been largely stable over the past 30 years, but ice has retreated by more than 40 km in some areas, a new study based on satellite data finds. @esaearth.esa.int @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social

Scientists studying Antarctica have gained new insights into how the world’s biggest ice sheet is reacting to warming sea temperatures. While the Antarctic Ice Sheet remained stable along more than three-quarters of its coastline over the past three decades, there are areas of significant ice retreat, sending a warning of future ice loss, according to the study based on data from several missions including Copernicus Sentinel-1.

The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provides the most comprehensive record to date of changes in Antarctica’s ‘grounding lines’, the critical boundaries between ice resting on land and ice floating in the ocean. Grounding lines are highly sensitive to sea-level rise and are a key indicator of ice-sheet stability and ice mass loss.
Scientists found that ice retreats to a greater extent where warm ocean currents, known as Circumpolar Deep Water, reach deep glacier beds through underwater channels. These regions are especially sensitive because the bedrock slopes downward inland, making glaciers more vulnerable to continued retreat. The results also show that the grounding line is not a fixed boundary but part of a wider ‘grounding zone’ that shifts over time due to ocean tides and subglacial water processes. The research therefore maps not just grounding lines, but grounding zones to account for variations during tidal and seasonal cycles.
The study’s lead author, Eric Rignot, of the University of California, Irvine, said, “This work would not have been possible without the unconditional support of international agencies to make observations of the polar regions available to us. As satellite observation capabilities continue to expand, we are looking forward to learning more about the dynamics of these systems so we can better project how they influence sea-level rise in the future.”

The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provides the most comprehensive record to date of changes in Antarctica’s ‘grounding lines’, the critical boundaries between ice resting on land and ice floating in the ocean. Grounding lines are highly sensitive to sea-level rise and are a key indicator of ice-sheet stability and ice mass loss.The study uses three decades of radar satellite observations to map changes in grounding lines around the Antarctic continent from 1992 to 2025. It found that grounding lines were stable along more than 77% of Antarctica’s coastline, including major ice shelves such as Ross, Filchner-Ronne and Amery.

While this does not sound like bad news, the research also detected significant retreat in vulnerable regions, particularly in West Antarctica, parts of East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. The largest detected grounding line retreat was observed along the coast of the Amundsen Sea, in West Antarctica, where the ice withdrew in some places by up to 42 km over the study’s period. The most affected regions were near the East Getz, Smith, Thwaites and Pine Island ice sheets. Overall, Antarctica lost approximately 12 800 sq km of grounded ice between 1996 and 2025, which is an area equivalent to almost half the size of Belgium.

Detecting grounding line migration from space

The research demonstrates how long-term Earth observation from space is essential for monitoring the stability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and understanding its response to climate change.

Satellites such as those in the Sentinel-1 constellation carry synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, instruments. By using differential interferometry – a technique that calculates the difference in two or more radar signals taken over the same point on Earth at different times – small differences in ground movement can be calculated, even down to a few millimetres. These small changes in ground elevation can be measured across wide areas.
In the study of Antarctica’s grounding lines, the researchers measured precise vertical movements of the floating ice shelves around the continent. They were able to measure small rises and falls of ice elevation due to tides – while the grounded ice, resting on bedrock, remained fixed. These measurements over three decades enabled the team to ascertain fluctuations in grounding lines at an unprecedented level of precision.
As well as measurements from Sentinel-1, data was also analysed from ESA’s European Remote-Sensing (ERS) satellites, as well as from the Canadian RADARSAT, Japan’s ALOS PALSAR, together with the Italian Cosmo-SkyMed, DLR’s TerraSAR-X, Argentina’s SAOCOM, and the ICEYE constellation. The aggregation of legacy missions, public data such as Sentinel-1, and commercial radar datasets demonstrates the strength of a coordinated Earth observation system.

Radar instruments can image Earth’s surface through clouds and in darkness, making them particularly useful for monitoring areas prone to long periods without sunlight, such as polar regions.

“By combining multiple satellite missions into a consistent long-term dataset, researchers have established a benchmark for future modelling efforts,” noted ESA’s Sentinel-1 Mission Manager, Nuno Miranda. He added, “This study sets a cornerstone for our understanding of grounding line dynamics. It provides a robust reference record that enables the scientific community to test predictions and improve ice sheet models, which directly inform sea-level rise scenarios and their implications for society. Continuous Earth observation remains essential to refine projections and monitor how Antarctica responds to a warming climate. ESA is proud that several European missions have played a central role in this achievement and confirms Sentinel-1 as a pillar of polar science.”

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

De syv søstrene (The Seven Sisters) Geirangerfjord, Møre og Romsdal, western Norway. @visitnorway.bsky.social @lightroom.adobe.com www.visitnorway.com/en/ www.fjordnorway.com/en/ #Geirangerfjord #sevensisters #fjordnorway #landscapephotography #naturephotography #Norway #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

How do clouds form in Antarctica? The first flight-based aerosol measurements in 20 years The #SANAT flight campaign investigated the origin and transport of aerosols in the Antarctic atmosph that cause the formation of clouds for the first time also far inland @awi.de @maxplanck.de @igb-berlin.de

Die Flugkampagne SANAT untersuchte den Ursprung und Transport von Aerosolen in der antarktischen Atmosphäre, an denen sich Wolken bilden – Das erste Mal auch weit im Landesinneren. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Philipp Joppe, MPI für Chemie)
Antarctica plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system by reflecting solar radiation back into space. The large white ice surfaces and clouds play a decisive role in this process. However, how clouds actually form in Antarctica, how they interact with the atmosphere and what role aerosols play in this process has not been sufficiently researched to date. Engaging in the SANAT flight campaign, the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry aim to help close this knowledge gap. The flight-based aerosol measurements conducted in Antarctica are the first of their kind in 20 years and also the first to extend deep into the interior.
Gemeinsame Pressemitteilung vom Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Troposphärenforschung und Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie

Schleppsonde T-Bird des AWI mit Instrumenten vom TROPOS (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Prof. Dr. Stephan Borrmann, MPI für Chemie)

Wolken entstehen, wenn Wasserdampf an winzigen Partikeln in der Atmosphäre kondensiert, den sogenannten Aerosolen. Das können Teilchen aus Meersalz, Staub, Ruß oder anderen Materialien sein, an denen sich Wassertröpfchen oder Eiskristalle bilden. In der Atmosphäre über der Antarktis gibt es allerdings deutlich weniger Aerosole als in den meisten anderen Regionen der Erde. Wenn sich ihre Häufigkeit und Zusammensetzung verändert, kann das dementsprechend großen Einfluss auf die Wolkenbildung haben und damit auch auf die Fähigkeit des Planeten, Sonnenstrahlen in den Weltraum zu reflektieren.
Wie genau Aerosole und Wolken in der Antarktis miteinander wechselwirken, ist bisher jedoch noch nicht vollständig verstanden. „Um diese Wissenslücke zu schließen, untersuchen wir, aus welchen natürlichen und anthropogenen Quellen Aerosole stammen, unter welchen Bedingungen sich neue Partikel bilden und wie sich ihre Eigenschaften verändern, wenn sie in unterschiedlichen Höhen der Atmosphäre schweben oder über Ozeanen, Schelfeis und dem antarktischen Kontinent transportiert werden“, sagt Dr. Zsófia Jurányi vom Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI).

Die Schleppsonde "T-Bird“ wird an einem 60 Meter langen Kabel hinter dem Flugzeug hergezogen und sammelt eigenständig Daten. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Philipp Joppe, MPI für Chemie)Gemeinsam mit Dr. Frank Stratmann vom Leibniz-Institut für Troposphärenforschung (TROPOS) und Prof. Stephan Borrmann vom Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (MPIC) leitet die AWI-Physikerin die Flugkampagne SANAT (Spatial distribution of ANtarctic Aerosol and Trace gases), mit der das Konsortium die wichtigsten Quellen und Transportwege von Aerosolen in der antarktischen Atmosphäre untersucht. „Vor allem geht es uns um die Partikel, die als Kondensationskerne oder Eiskeime wirken, da diese letztendlich dazu führen, dass und wie sich Flüssigphasen-, Mischphasen- oder Eiswolken bilden.“

Erste Messungen über dem antarktischen Plateau mit neusten Geräten

Hierfür hat das SANAT-Team mit dem AWI-Forschungsflugzeug Polar 6 im Januar und Februar umfangreiche Daten gesammelt. Unter den herausfordernden antarktischen Bedingungen sind Forschenden zehn Messflüge geflogen, von der deutschen Neumayer-Station III bis zum südlichen 80. Breitengrad. „Die letzten vergleichbaren Messungen fanden vor 20 Jahren statt und die Kampagne damals konzentrierte sich nur auf die räumliche Verteilung von Aerosolen im antarktischen Küstenbereich“, sagt Dr. Frank Stratmann vom TROPOS. „Wir haben nun erstmalig Aerosole weit im Süden über dem antarktischen Plateau vermessen und dies mit in Teilen neu entwickelten Techniken und Methoden.“

Start der Polar 6 zum ersten Messflug am 21. Januar 2026 (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Prof. Dr. Stephan Borrmann, MPI für Chemie)
„Die Antarktis und ihre Umgebung sind entscheidende Komponenten des globalen Erd- und Klimasystems, die zum einen auf den Klimawandel und seine Auswirkungen reagieren und sie gleichzeitig beeinflussen“, sagt Zsófia Jurányi. „Mit diesen einzigartigen Daten hilft unsere Kampagne nicht nur, Wettervorhersagen und Klimasimulationen zu verbessern. Wir tragen auch dazu bei, die Wechselwirkung von Wolken mit Aerosolen besser zu verstehen und ihren Einfluss auf das zukünftige Klima abzuschätzen.“

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Setting sail to a region in rapid transition. The SWOS #Polarstern expedition launches investigations into the rapid changes of sea ice and ecosystems in the Antarctic Weddell Sea. @awi.de @helmholtz.de follow-polarstern.awi.de?lang=en

Polarstern in the western Weddell Sea (Photo: Ilka Peeken)

With the departure of the research vessel Polarstern from Punta Arenas (Chile) scheduled for this weekend, the "Summer Weddell Sea Outflow Study" (SWOS) international expedition will commence. Up to early April, a multidisciplinary international research team will investigate the northwestern region of the Weddell Sea – an area of central importance for the global climate and ocean system, but one that can only be explored on site by research icebreakers such as the Polarstern due to challenging sea ice conditions.

Polarstern in western Weddell Sea (Photo: Ilka Peeken)

For a long time, the sea ice extent in Antarctica was observed to be relatively stable – unlike in the Arctic, where the summer ice extent has shrunk by around 12 per cent per decade since satellite records began in 1979. As from around 2017, however, significant changes have been observed in the north-western Weddell Sea: the summer sea ice extent has declined sharply, presumably as a result of warmer surface water. “The aim of SWOS is to investigate why sea ice in Antarctica has declined so sharply in recent years and how this is impacting the ecosystem,” as Prof. Dr Christian Haas from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) stated, who is leading the current Polarstern expedition. At the same time, the sea ice physicist reports that an unexpected situation has arisen this year: “Ironically, there is currently an unusually large amount of ice in the western Weddell Sea, which may be a normal fluctuation without contradicting the trend. Consequently, it remains to be seen whether we will be able to penetrate deep into the south as planned – meaning that we will adapt our questions to the prevailing conditions en route and develop them accordingly.”

Polarstern in western Weddell Sea (Photo: Ilka Peeken)

The SWOS expedition aims to collect comprehensive observations for the first time from the seabed to the atmosphere along the northwestern Weddell Sea continental slope, on the shelf and in the vicinity of the Larsen C Ice Shelf. The focus is on the interactions between sea ice, ice shelves and the ocean, as well as their impacts on hydrography, nutrient balance and carbon fluxes. The research team is recording ecological processes in the ice and on the seabed, as well as ecological gradients depending on sea ice conditions. In addition, the regional sea ice thickness distribution and snow properties will be measured, water masses characterised and exchange processes between the shallow shelf and deep-sea basins investigated.

“It is not possible to answer many of our questions by satellites alone,” explains Christian Haas. We need in-situ observations to understand the state of the sea ice, the currents and the biological communities in the water and on the seabed – as well as to be able to assess whether the sea ice could possibly disappear entirely in the near future.” The collected data will also be used to improve satellite-based sea ice observations.

(Photo: Ilka Peeken)
The research is taking place at a critical time, when the Antarctic climate system may be entering a phase of accelerated sea ice loss and increasing ocean warming. “We are operating in a region that has been shaped by the earlier ice shelf collapses of Larsen A and B, as well as recent changes to Larsen C,” says Ilka Peeken. “It is precisely under these conditions that we have the opportunity to obtain key data on biodiversity changes, ocean currents and sea ice conditions in the Weddell Sea.” The results will be incorporated into ongoing long-term studies, while serving as future projections of the Antarctic system and thereby contributing to the further development of Earth System Models
A wide range of modern and conventional measurement systems are being deployed, including helicopters to measure sea ice thickness, microstructure probes, CTD rosettes, various trawls and bottom sampling and observation devices, as well as autonomous platforms. “I am very much looking forward to investigating the extent to which the ice in the north-western Weddell Sea has changed. I first visited the region over 30 years ago, and seven years ago I was there for the last time with the Polarstern when the sea ice began to change,” as Christian Haas relates. For Ilka Peeken, the close interconnection between the disciplines is the most exciting aspect of the expedition: “Although this region is one of the most inhospitable on Earth, it is teeming with life. Investigating the contribution of the sea ice ecosystem to the carbon cycle is a particular highlight for me.”

The SWOS expedition is intended to make decisive contributions to understanding a key area of the Antarctic ice-ocean system – at a time of profound change whose effects extend far beyond Antarctica. On concluding the expedition, the Polarstern will embark on its return journey across the Atlantic. The voyage will be used for student training and is scheduled to wind up in Bremerhaven in mid-May.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Alfred Wegener Institute and University of Bremen now able to continue securing endangered climate and environmental data The German Research Foundation is funding projects securing and storing endangered scientific datasets on the PANGAEA platform. @awi.de @marumunibremen.bsky.social

Meteorologisches Observatorium Ozonsonde. Meteorological Observatory Ozonde Sonde. (Photo: Thomas Steuer)
The Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the University of Bremen had already secured extensive data sets from the USA in 2025. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) has now approved around 860,000 euros in funding to systematically identify, secure and store endangered data over the long term, based on the PANGAEA data platform.
PANGAEA ranks as a globally recognised data publisher that publishes and archives scientific data from the fields of geo and environmental sciences. PANGAEA is operated jointly by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the MARUM – Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen. The platform ensures that high-quality, well-structured and interoperable datasets are obtained and made available under open access conditions.

Meereis (Photo: Esther Horvath)
"PANGAEA enjoys the utmost recognition and appreciation in climate and environmental research," as Henrike Müller, Senator for Environment, Climate and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen underlined. "I am delighted that the DFG has approved funding for this project. Particularly in view of current global political developments, these data are both vulnerable and precious treasures for international science. The fact that we can secure and store them here in Germany benefits us all."

Meereis (Photo: Esther Horvath)
Thanks to the DFG funding, three scientists at PANGAEA will now be able to continue supporting data rescue in the areas data scouting, data curation and software development this year and the next, as well as working on sustainable national and international strategies. The aim is to identify datasets of high scientific value through international exchange that could be jeopardised by political developments, for example, and to proactively secure them in PANGAEA. "This means that climate and environmental data will be available to the scientific community over the long term," as Frank Oliver Glöckner, head of Data at AWI’s Computing Center as well as Professor of Earth System Data Science at University of Bremen stated: "Thanks to the intelligent redundancy of data infrastructures, the project will strengthen resilience and data sovereignty in Europe."

The data experts were already able to gain their initial experience with these tasks in 2025. Last year, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had explicitly pointed out the risks to data sets, which were transferred to PANGAEA and thereby saved. "The particular value of this data lies in the fact that it comprises long time series," adds Dr Janine Felden, co-applicant and head of PANGAEA at the AWI and MARUM. "Their loss would lead to significant gaps in these areas that are so essential for humanity."

Part of the DFG funding will also be approved retroactively for the year 2025. According to the reviewers’ statement, the AWI has rendered considerable services to data protection with the data backup, for which it has provided advance personnel and financial support.

Welcome to PANGAEA® Data Publisher.
Our services are open for archiving, publishing, and distributing georeferenced data from earth system research. The World Data Center PANGAEA is a member of the World Data System.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Top 5 Images of The Day in 2025 2025 represented an unprecedented year for the EU Space Programme, particularly regarding the expansion of the Copernicus Sentinel family. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu #Sentinel-A5

2025 represented an unprecedented year for the EU Space Programme, particularly regarding the expansion of the Copernicus Sentinel family. Europe achieved a notable pace of satellite deployments, with the successful launches of Sentinel-4A, Sentinel-5A, Sentinel-1D, and Sentinel-6B.

In parallel with these milestones, the Copernicus Image of the Day series continued to illustrate the practical and visual value of Copernicus data. Throughout the year, 334 Images of the Day were published, showcasing how Copernicus free and open data supports a wide range of applications, from monitoring extreme weather events, heatwaves, sea ice dynamics, and volcanic eruptions, to providing insights into renewable energy, land use, and the striking beauty of cloud-free landscapes. This image shows five of the most successful images published during the year.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Arctic sea ice extent at record low levels. After reaching the second-lowest extent on record in November 2025, sea ice extent in the Arctic remained unusually low into December. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @eumetsat.int @ec.europa.eu

After reaching the second-lowest extent on record in November 2025, sea ice extent in the Arctic remained unusually low into December. Data from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) show that, at the beginning of December 2025, Arctic sea ice extent was the lowest observed for this time of year. On 17 December, the extent was estimated at around 11.4 million square kilometres, still significantly below the long-term average.

This image, produced with data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), shows the Arctic sea ice extent on 17 December 2025 in light blue. The red line indicates the average sea ice extent in December for 1991–2020, clearly illustrating the current lack of sea ice in the areas around eastern Svalbard and in the north-eastern Canadian sector, including Baffin Bay and northern Hudson Bay.

Reliable satellite monitoring is essential for tracking sea ice on a global scale. The long-term data records delivered by C3S allow scientists to identify trends, calculate anomalies, and assess the impacts of climate change on polar environments, providing a robust scientific basis for climate research and informed decision-making.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Vatnajökull, Vatnajökull National Park, Austurland #landscapephotography #naturephotography #SkaftafellNationalPark #HighwayN1 #picoftheday www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/ska...

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

The Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas (C3S Atlas) keeps growing. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu Mean of daily mean temperature (°C) - CMIP6 - Change - rel. to 1850-1900 - Warming 2°C - Annual atlas.climate.copernicus.eu/atlas

The C3S Atlas has come a long way since its launch in February 2024. Users from across the world have already experienced the powerful and intuitive features of the viewer (application) and its associated dataset, providing fast access not only to some of the most representative climate projections, but also to observations and reanalyses.

The latest addition to the C3S Atlas family is the User Tools. This resource is a Jupyter Book with a set of notebooks. These tools enhance transparency and make it easier to reuse the data and visual products in the C3S Atlas. The new addition helps bring the Atlas even closer to the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability).The C3S Atlas has come a long way since its launch in February 2024. Users from across the world have already experienced the powerful and intuitive features of the viewer (application) and its associated dataset, providing fast access not only to some of the most representative climate projections, but also to observations and reanalyses.

The latest addition to the C3S Atlas family is the User Tools. This resource is a Jupyter Book with a set of notebooks. These tools enhance transparency and make it easier to reuse the data and visual products in the C3S Atlas. The new addition helps bring the Atlas even closer to the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability).

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Research icebreaker Polarstern sets sail for the Antarctic Weddell Sea. An international research team led by the University of Rostock is investigating the impact of climate change on biodiversity in Antarctica. @awi.de @helmholtz.de www.uni-rostock.de/en/

Marine benthos in the Eastern Weddell Sea (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Tomas Lundalv)
The aim of the expedition is to lay the foundation for long-term observations of biodiversity in a possible future marine protected area. The research voyage will take place from December 15, 2025, to February 2, 2026, and marks the fieldwork phase of the EU joint project “Weddell Sea Observatory of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Change” (WOBEC), which is supported by eleven partner institutions and national funders from Europe and the USA under the umbrella of the European Partnership for Biodiversity Biodiversa+. The expedition will also supply the German Antarctic station Neumayer III, which is maintained by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).

Marine Benthos in eastern Weddell Sea (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Tomas Lundalv)
The EU project WOBEC is coordinated by the AWI and investigates how biodiversity and ecosystem functions are changing in this ice-rich region. The Weddell Sea is a biodiversity hotspot: it is home to sponge and coral gardens, as well as huge swarms of krill. The area is also a habitat for bottom-dwelling fish, whales, and ice-dependent organisms, including Weddell seals and emperor penguins. “The Weddell Sea is one of the last largely untouched marine areas on our planet. It serves as a refuge for many cold-loving species in times of man-made climate change,” explains Dr. Hauke Flores, marine biologist at the AWI and coordinator of WOBEC. “With WOBEC, we are laying the foundation for early detection of changes and the development of effective protection strategies for a potential marine protected area.”

Crabeater Seal (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Tim Kalvelage)
Setting off for one of the last largely untouched ecosystems on Eart.
Under the scientific direction of Dr. Heike Link from the University of Rostock, the 46-member team will carry out research along the Prime Meridian and in the eastern Weddell Sea over the coming weeks. On board the research vessel operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the researchers plan to conduct investigations around the seamount Maud Rise where unique current conditions result in a highly productive and biodiverse community, and continue earlier work on the species-rich communities on the shelf region off Kapp Norvegia, west of the German Antarctic station Neumayer III. Both modern autonomous observation systems and classic oceanographic measurement methods will be used. “We want to understand how this unique ecosystem is developing and what effects the decline in Antarctic sea ice is having on the communities,” says expedition leader and marine ecologist at the University of Rostock, Heike Link. “The expedition is a crucial test for our joint observation concept, which we are setting up for the coming years.”

Emperor penguins on the sea ice of the Weddell Sea (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Mario Hoppmann)
Data for tomorrow – knowledge for protecting the Southern Ocean

During the expedition, scientists will collect new biological, chemical, and physical data and also make historical data sets available to the general public. This is based on close cooperation with international partners and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). With the Polarstern setting sail today, WOBEC's fieldwork begins – an important step towards a better understanding of one of the most sensitive and valuable ecosystems on Earth.

This news item was first published by the University of Rostock.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

September 2025 was the third-warmest on record globally. The bulletin reports that September 2025 was the third-warmest September ever globally, with an average #ERA5 surface air temperature of 16.11°C, which is 0.66°C above the 1991–2020 average for the month. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social

September 2025 was the third-warmest September on record globally.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has published its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, focused on key climate trends in September 2025.

The bulletin reports that September 2025 was the third-warmest September ever globally, with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 16.11°C, which is 0.66°C above the 1991–2020 average for the month.

This data visualisation, based on C3S data, shows the surface air temperature anomaly over parts of the northern hemisphere, Africa, and Asia. The average land temperature across Europe in September 2025 was 15.95°C, 1.23°C above the 1991-2020 average for the month, and ranking as the fifth warmest September on record.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

CONTRASTS expedition with the research icebreaker Polarstern, explored different types of sea ice in parallel The international and interdisciplinary research team, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, focused on the summer melting of Arctic sea ice in three different regimes. @awi.de @helmholtz.de

Credits: Evgenii Salganik
ROV Deployment:Der Unterwasserroboter (ROV) misst unter anderem, wie viel Licht durchd as Meereis dringt. Außerde
The Polarstern recently ended a two-month expedition in the Central Arctic in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The international and interdisciplinary research team, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, focused on the summer melting of Arctic sea ice in three different regimes. The comprehensive inventory revealed major differences between the various sea ice regimes and a low sea ice concentration in the study area. In addition, bacteria and zooplankton dominated the biological communities, while the expected ice algae could hardly be found.

Credits: Evgenii Salganik CONTRASTS XCTD
The CONTRASTS expedition was the first to focus on the parallel comparison of different Arctic sea ice regimes during the main melt season. The research team on board, led by Dr Marcel Nicolaus, sea ice physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), successfully detected three different sea ice regimes and set up measuring stations to investigate them further. Marcel Nicolaus explains: "We were able to visit one ice floe in each of the three ice regimes four times over the past two months. Between our station work, autonomous measuring stations and cameras continuously collected data. The observations thus covered six weeks of the most intensive summer melting period."Surprisingly, hardly any ice algae were found in or under the ice floes during the entire expedition, even in Regime 3, where little ice melt had taken place. A similar absence was observed two years earlier during the expedition ArcWatch 1, while previous expeditions consistently reported a dominance of ice algae. Whether this reflects a drastic decline of ice algae or their early melting before the CONTRASTS expedition is still unclear. However, analysis of the collected sediment samples from 4000 m depth could provide answers. With the help of microscopy and the new planktoscope system, Alexandra Kraberg (AWI) was only able to detect a few isolated ice algae cells among millions of phytoplankton. Instead, the observed high biomass was dominated by the microbial recycling of organic matter and abundant zooplankton, which transported carbon into the deep sea via fecal balls. During the study, the ecosystem dynamics depended little on light but were strongly characterized by microbial processes and trophic associations that allowed copepods and other zooplankton to feed on bacteria.

Credits: Marcel Nicolaus
Ongoing analyses are now investigating how the ice regime, atmosphere and marine conditions interact and influence ecology and the carbon cycle.
"This year, the ice concentration in the study region was unusually low in July and August, presumably due to the prevailing winds in spring, which dispersed the ice," reports Dr Marcel Nicolaus from the Arctic. "As a result, the Polarstern was often able to travel through the ice at up to 5 knots - significantly faster than the expected 2.5-3 knots. Despite its advanced age, the measured ice was relatively thin, averaging 1.5 meters, and only showed a few ridges." The sea ice extent, which will reach its annual minimum in the Arctic in September, is currently around the same level as last year and is therefore expected to be above the all-time minimum in 2012. By definition, an area is considered to be covered by sea ice if it has an ice concentration of at least 15 per cent. When calculating the extent of sea ice, it is irrelevant whether 100 % is ice-covered or up to 85 % of the water is open.

Credits: Evgenii Salganik
Parallel sea ice measurements, coordinated with the Polarstern expedition, were carried out as part of the IceBird campaign with the AWI research aircraft Polar 6, lead by Gerit Birnbaum (AWI). In addition to the ice thickness and distribution of melt ponds, their depth was also recorded from the air for the first time using a special laser. The distribution and depth of melt ponds have a decisive influence on the energy balance of the Arctic ice: the dark areas of water on light-colored ice reduce the albedo, i.e., the reflection of solar energy. This is why the development of melt ponds was also the focus of the work on the ice floes, with surprising results: even minimal temperature decreases of less than 0.5 °C could trigger short-term freezing processes on the surface. Dr Marcel Nicolaus describes what the research team was able to observe in July and August: “Initially, the surface melting was dominated by warm air temperatures. Then the ice increasingly melted on the underside due to oceanic heat. Rain additionally accelerated the melting and changed the surface properties, such as albedo, roughness, thermal conductivity, water content and, above all, the way the ice appears in satellite images, in a very short time. It was particularly impressive to see how melt ponds disappeared within a short period of time because they suddenly drained. This led to an increase in albedo, just like snowfall.”
On board, a total of 57 scientific participants from 13 different countries worked together along with 43 crew members. They will now continue to analyze the recorded data and collected samples at their home institutes. The Polarstern is now undertaking another Arctic expedition to the sea area north-east of Greenland under the leadership of physical oceanographer Prof. Dr Torsten Kanzow from the AWI. The ship is expected to return to its home port of Bremerhaven at the end of October.

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Lake on the 79°N Glacier is splitting the ice – leaving permanent changes. A new AWI study shows that an approximately 21 square kilometre meltwater lake has caused gigantic cracks in the ice and that the water flowing off is lifting the glacier @awi.de @helmholtz.de

Eisdicken-Messflug über dem 79-Grad-Nord-Gletscher, Grönland (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Since the mid-1990s, the Greenland ice sheet has been losing mass, leaving only three floating tongues remaining. One of these, Nioghalvfjerdsbræ or the 79°N Glacier, is already showing the first signs of instability. In addition to the warm ocean water, which is increasingly thinning the ice from below, the runoff of meltwater on the surface is also playing an increasingly significant role. In a new study, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute investigated how - caused by global warming - a 21 km2 large meltwater lake formed and developed on the surface of the 79°N Glacier. They observed that over the years, this lake has caused gigantic cracks and the outflowing water is lifting the glacier. Their findings have been published in the journal The Cryosphere.

$Moulins auf dem 79°N Gletscher (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut) The lake first appeared in the observation data of the year 1995. "There were no lakes in this area of the 79°N Glacier before the rise in atmospheric temperatures in the mid-1990s," as Prof. Angelika Humbert, glaciologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) stated. "From the time of its formation in 1995 until 2023, the lake's water repeatedly and abruptly drained through channels and cracks in the ice, causing massive amounts of fresh water to reach the edge of the glacier tongue towards the ocean." There were a total of seven such drainage events, four of which took place in the last five years. Moulins auf dem 79°N Gletscher (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut) "During these drainages, extensive triangular fracture fields with cracks in the ice formed from 2019 onwards, which are shaped differently from all lake drainages I have seen so far," Angelika Humbert marvels. Some of these cracks form channels with openings several dozen metres wide (moulins). Water flows through these moulins also after the main drainage of the lake, meaning that within hours, a huge amount of water reaches the base of the ice sheet. "For the first time, we have now measured the channels that form in the ice during drainage and how they change over the years."$ $Tiefer See auf Gletscher (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Ole Zeising) After the lake had formed in 1995, its size decreased over time with the first cracks appearing. In recent years, the drainage has occurred at increasingly shorter intervals. "We suspect that this is due to the triangular moulins that have been reactivated repeatedly over the years since 2019," says Angelika Humbert. The material behaviour of the glacier plays a role here: on the one hand, the ice behaves like an extremely thick (viscous) fluid that flows slowly over the substrate. At the same time, however, it is also elastic, allowing it to deform and return to its original shape, similar to a rubber band. The elastic nature of the ice is what allows cracks and channels to form in the first place. On the other hand, the creeping nature of the ice helps channels inside the glacier to close again over time after the drainage has taken place. "The size of the triangular moulin fractures on the surface remains unchanged for several years. Radar images show that although they change over time inside the glacier, they are still detectable years after their formation." This data also reveals that there is a network of cracks and channels, meaning that there is more than one way for the water to escape.$ $See auf dem 79°N Gletscher (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Angelika Humbert) Original publication: Humbert, A., Helm, V., Zeising, O., Neckel, N., Braun, M. H., Khan, S. A., Rückamp, M., Steeb, H., Sohn, J., Bohnen, M., and Müller, R.: Insights into supraglacial lake drainage dynamics: triangular fracture formation, reactivation and long-lasting englacial features, The Cryosphere, 19, 3009–3032, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3009-2025, 2025.$

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Javier Olivares @javierolivares.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Greenland subglacial lake outburst. Using data from several Earth-observing satellites, including ESA’s CryoSat and the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions, scientists have discovered that a huge flood beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet @esaearth.esa.int @esa.int

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