HKUST researchers unlock why arctic ice melt paused
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 5-Jan-2026 14:11 ET (5-Jan-2026 19:11 GMT/UTC)
Researchers typically analyze images taken by geostationary satellites to identify regions of the sky where contrails form, but new research shows adding images taken by low-Earth-orbiting satellites would help identify many more such regions. Pilots could avoid these regions to reduce aviation’s climate impact.
A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet. The discovery was made during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition and reveals a previously unknown ecosystem thriving at 3,640 metres on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea. The groundbreaking findings regarding the Freya Hydrate Mounds, which hold scientific significance and implications for Arctic governance and sustainable development, have recently been published in Nature Communications.
Satellite and reanalysis data show aerosol changes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres largely cancel out, shifting attention to cloud changes due to surface warming and natural climate variability.