Latest news with #SouthPole
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why NASA is launching 2 new satellites into space
The northern lights have been captivating stargazers for generations. But the same charged particles from the Sun's atmosphere responsible for this brilliant celestial display can also damage and destroy Earth's electrical and communications systems. The Earth's magnetosphere protects the planet from the constant bombardment of solar particles, known as solar wind. This magnetic shield usually keeps these dangerous particles from damaging and destroying our technological infrastructure. But there are weak spots in the shield above the North and South Poles called polar cusps. You can think of them as a front door or funnel for the solar winds to enter our atmosphere. MORE: How global warming could threaten satellites, according to new study When the Sun's particles enter this funnel, the Earth's and the Sun's magnetic fields can come into contact with one another and rearrange themselves in a process scientists call magnetic reconnection. If that occurs, a powerful explosion of energy is released, sometimes equivalent to an entire day's worth of power consumed in the United States. These events can trigger the dazzling auroras or, in some extreme cases, disable satellites and cause electrical grid failures. The Sun has been particularly active lately as it's reached the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. To better understand how the magnetic reconnection process works and its impact on Earth, NASA is launching a pair of research satellites on Tuesday at 2:13 p.m. ET on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of a ride-share mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The TRACERS mission, short for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, includes two spacecraft flying in close formation in low Earth orbit at speeds exceeding 16,000 miles per hour. One satellite will trail the other by just 10 to 120 seconds, allowing researchers to capture changes in space weather activity in near real time, according to David Miles, a professor at the University of Iowa and the principal investigator for TRACERS. "So, we have two spacecraft. This is the novel part of TRACERS," explained Miles during a mission press conference. MORE: New Biomass satellite will provide an unprecedented look at the planet's forests "That gives us two closely spaced measurements that allow us to pick apart: Is something accelerating and slowing down? Is something moving around? Is something turning on and turning off?" he added. Each satellite carries a suite of instruments and tools for measuring how the Sun's hot, ionized gas impacts the magnetosphere. "What we will learn from TRACERS is critical for the understanding and eventually the predicting of how energy from our Sun impacts our Earth and our space and ground-based assets, whether it be GPS or communication signals, power grids, space assets and our astronauts working up in space. It's going to help us keep our way of life safe here on Earth and help to continue to enable safe space exploration," said Joe Westlake, NASA's director of Heliophysics. The mission comes amid growing concern about the dangers of space weather and the possibility that solar storms could knock out communication systems, degrade GPS accuracy and damage power infrastructure on Earth. In the past, solar storms have been responsible for power blackouts, destroyed satellites and disruption to the GPS navigation system. "Understanding our Sun and the space weather it produces is more important to us here on Earth than most realize. Every human on Earth, as well as nearly every system that's involved in space exploration and human needs, is affected by space weather," Westlake said. MORE: How to increase your chances of seeing the northern lights as the current solar cycle peaks The mission is part of NASA's Small Explorers program and is scheduled to last one year, but NASA says it could remain operational beyond those initial 12 months. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
21-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
Frozen in time: oldest Antarctic ice sample used to study climate trends
Researchers in Antarctica have recovered an ice core sample that is over 1.5 million years old. They believe it could hold crucial details about a previously uncharted period in the history of the Earth's atmosphere.
France 24
18-07-2025
- Science
- France 24
From Antarctica to Brussels, hunting climate clues in old ice
Trapped inside the cylindrical icicles are tiny air bubbles that can provide a snapshot of what the earth's atmosphere looked like back then. "We want to know a lot about the climates of the past because we can use it as an analogy for what can happen in the future," said Harry Zekollari, a glaciologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Zekollari was part of a team of four that headed to the white continent in November on a mission to find some of the world's oldest ice -- without breaking the bank. Ice dating back millions of years can be found deep inside Antarctica, close to the South Pole, buried under kilometres of fresher ice and snow. But that's hard to reach and expeditions to drill it out are expensive. A recent EU-funded mission that brought back some 1.2-million-year-old samples came with a total price tag of around 11 million euros (around $12.8 million). To cut costs, the team from VUB and the nearby Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) used satellite data and other clues to find areas where ancient ice might be more accessible. Blue ice Just like the water it is made of, ice flows towards the coast -- albeit slowly, explained Maaike Izeboud, a remote sensing specialist at VUB. And when the flow hits an obstacle, say a ridge or mountain, bottom layers can be pushed up closer to the surface. In a few rare spots, weather conditions like heavy winds prevent the formation of snow cover -- leaving thick layers of ice exposed. Named after their colouration, which contrasts with the whiteness of the rest of the continent, these account for only about one percent of Antarctica territory. "Blue ice areas are very special," said Izeboud. Her team zeroed in on a blue ice stretch lying about 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) above sea level, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station. Some old meteorites had been previously found there -- a hint that the surrounding ice is also old, the researchers explained. A container camp was set up and after a few weeks of measurements, drilling, and frozen meals, in January the team came back with 15 ice cores totalling about 60 meters in length. These were then shipped from South Africa to Belgium, where they arrived in late June. Inside a stocky cement ULB building in the Belgian capital, they are now being cut into smaller pieces to then be shipped to specialised labs in France and China for dating. Zekollari said the team hopes some of the samples, which were taken at shallow depths of about 10 meters, will be confirmed to be about 100,000 years old. Climate 'treasure hunt' This would allow them to go back and dig a few hundred meters deeper in the same spot for the big prize. "It's like a treasure hunt," Zekollari, 36, said, comparing their work to drawing a map for "Indiana Jones". "We're trying to cross the good spot on the map... and in one and a half years, we'll go back and we'll drill there," he said. "We're dreaming a bit, but we hope to get maybe three, four, five-million-year-old ice." Such ice could provide crucial input to climatologists studying the effects of global warming. Climate projections and models are calibrated using existing data on past temperatures and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere -- but the puzzle has some missing pieces. By the end of the century temperatures could reach levels similar to those the planet last experienced between 2.6 and 3.3 million years ago, said Etienne Legrain, 29, a paleo-climatologist at ULB. But currently there is little data on what CO2 levels were back then -- a key metric to understand how much further warming we could expect. "We don't know the link between CO2 concentration and temperature in a climate warmer than that of today," Legrain said. His team hopes to find it trapped inside some very old ice. "The air bubbles are the atmosphere of the past," he said. "It's really like magic when you feel it." © 2025 AFP
Euractiv
13-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Carbon markets aren't a cop-out, they're a climate solution
Dr. Daniel Klier is the CEO of South Pole, a climate consultancy. A former Partner at McKinsey, Daniel is a recognised sustainability leader, having chaired climate finance groups for the Bank of England and the Institute of International Finance. The EU's 2040 climate target proposal is the boldest policy pivot in years. By backing the use of high-integrity Article 6 carbon credits and opening the EU Emissions Trading System to carbon removals, Brussels has delivered an unmistakable message: Carbon markets are back in the game. While no silver bullet, when the cost of inaction is mounting and public budgets are stretched, no credible climate tool can be left on the shelf. Cutting emissions by 90% based on 1990 levels by 2040 is the penultimate stop before full decarbonisation by 2050. It defines the EU's negotiating position ahead of COP30 in Brazil and will influence global climate ambition just as countries submit their updated national climate targets. One of its most significant provisions is the allowance of international carbon credits worth 3% of EU 1990 emission to be used towards the 2040 target. This may sound modest, but it's a breakthrough: the EU has formally backed the use of Article 6, a key provision in the global climate pact (also known as the Paris Agreement) that enables countries to work together by trading carbon credits to reduce emissions more efficiently and fairly. Even more notable: the expansion of the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) to include domestic project-based, technology carbon removals, opening one of the world's most influential carbon pricing mechanisms to a new category of climate solutions. These aren't tweaks, they're turning points. As the EU balances net zero with energy security, competitiveness, growth and defence, carbon markets are reemerging as a legitimate pillar of its climate policy. It's not just a residual fix, but a driver of finance, innovation and global cooperation. In practical terms, it amounts to around 140 million tonnes of CO ₂ equivalent by 2040, roughly equal to the annual emissions of 30 million cars. A fraction of the EU's overall emissions, yes, but a clear vote of confidence in international carbon trading. This matters. After years of technical negotiations – many led by European delegates – Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is finally in play. It allows countries to trade emissions reductions across borders, helping unlock climate finance for projects that wouldn't otherwise happen, particularly in developing economies. As climate finance from developed nations continuously falls short, private investment is non-negotiable. And high-integrity carbon markets can help close the gap. When well-designed and governed, these markets create powerful financial incentives for low-carbon transformation across sectors, from clean energy and transport electrification to modernised waste systems and the early retirement of coal-fired plants. One thing is clear: Article 6 is no excuse to stall or delay the low-carbon transition. So while the volumes of carbon that have been hotly debated these past few weeks are relatively small, the opportunity to channel finance to emerging economies is significant. The 2040 target also proposes opening the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to permanent, domestic project-based technology carbon removals. The ETS – with its scale, rules, and market discipline – offers what the sector badly needs: a credible price signal to develop new technology solutions and incentivise innovation. Europe has long claimed that innovation is key to its green growth strategy. Including high-integrity removals within its flagship climate mechanism makes good on that promise. It will drive down costs as demand grows and accelerate technology development at the pace needed. Crucially, the 2040 goal isn't just about setting targets, it's about delivering on them. That means putting Article 6 credits and removals into practice, not just leaving them on paper. The risk isn't utilising carbon markets. It's failing to act at the scale and speed the climate crisis demands.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Are people at the South Pole upside down?
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@ Are people on the South Pole walking upside down from the rest of the world? – Ralph P., U.S. When I was standing at the South Pole, I felt the same way I feel anywhere on Earth because my feet were still on the ground and the sky was still overhead. I'm an astrophysicist from Wisconsin who lived at the South Pole for seven weeks from December 2024 to January 2025 to work on an array of detectors looking for extremely high energy particles from outer space. I didn't feel upside down, but there were some differences that still made the South Pole feel flipped over from what I was used to. As someone who loves looking for the Moon, I noticed that the face of the man on the Moon was flipped over, like he went from 🙂 to 🙃. All the craters that I was used to seeing on the top of the Moon from Wisconsin were now on the bottom – because I was looking at the Moon from the Southern Hemisphere instead of the Northern Hemisphere. After noticing this difference, I remembered something similar in the night skies of New Zealand, a country near Antarctica where my fellow travelers and I got our big red coats that kept us warm at the South Pole. I had looked for Orion, a constellation that in the Northern Hemisphere is viewed as a hunter holding a bow and drawing an arrow from his quiver. In the night sky of New Zealand, Orion looked like he was doing a handstand. Everything in the sky felt upside down and opposite, compared with what I was used to. A person who lives in the Southern Hemisphere might feel the same about visiting the Arctic or the North Pole. To understand what's happening, and why things are really different but also feel very much the same, it might be useful to back up a bit from Earth's surface. Like into outer space. On space missions to the Moon, astronauts could see one side of the Earth's sphere at once. If they had superhero vision, an astronaut would see the people at the South Pole and North Pole standing upside down from each other. And a person at the equator would look like they were sticking straight out the side of the planet. In fact, even though they might be standing on the equator, people in Colombia and Indonesia would also look like they were upside down from each other, because they would be sticking out from opposite sides of the Earth. Of course, if you asked each person, they would say, 'My feet are on the ground, and the sky is up.' That's because Earth is essentially a really big ball whose gravitational pull on every one of us points to the center of the planet. The direction that Earth pulls us in is what people call 'down' all over the planet. Think about holding a baseball between your pointer fingers. From the perspective of your fingertips on the ball's surface, both are pointing 'down.' But from the perspective of a friend nearby, your fingers are pointing in different directions – though always toward the center of the ball. These relationships between people on the Earth's surface are good for a little bit of fun, though. While I was at the South Pole, I pointed my body in the same direction as my friends in Wisconsin – by doing a handstand. But if you look at the picture the other way around, it looks like I'm holding up the entire planet, like Superman. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Abigail Bishop, University of Wisconsin-Madison Read more: How many bones do penguins have? IceCube neutrino detector in Antarctica spots first high-energy neutrinos emitted in our own Milky Way galaxy Waiting for an undersea robot in Antarctica to call home Abigail Bishop receives funding from National Science Foundation Award 2013134 and has received funding from the Belgian American Education Foundation.
