The Brinicle: Icy Finger of Death
Beneath the polar ice, a bizarre underwater icicle known as a brinicle descends toward the ocean floor. This "Icy Finger of Death" is a hollow tube of ice formed around…
Glaciology
The Little Ice Age: How Climate Forged History
Discover how a period of global cooling from c. 1300-1850, known as the Little Ice Age, rewrote human history. From the mysterious disappearance of Viking colonies in Greenland to the…
Jökulhlaups: Iceland’s Volcanic Floods
In Iceland, where colossal glaciers conceal active volcanoes, a terrifying phenomenon known as a jökulhlaup can occur. These sudden and catastrophic glacial outburst floods are among the most powerful natural…
The Channeled Scablands: A Flood of Biblical Scale
Journey to eastern Washington, where the scarred landscape tells a tale of a flood of biblical proportions from the last Ice Age. In just a matter of days, a torrent…
Glacial Rebound: The Rising of the Continents
The Earth is still recovering from the last Ice Age, causing vast landmasses to slowly rise in a process called post-glacial rebound. This geological phenomenon is actively reshaping coastlines from…
Solifluction: When Permafrost Soil Flows
In the world's coldest regions, the ground itself is on the move. Discover solifluction, the slow, creeping flow of soil driven by the relentless cycle of freezing and thawing that…
Penitentes: The Ice Spikes of the Andes
Journey to the high Andes to witness penitentes, a bizarre forest of sun-facing ice blades carved by strange physics. Discover how these towering "penitent monks" of snow are formed through…
The Geopolitics of Mountain Water Towers
Mountains are the planet's natural "water towers", storing and distributing fresh water to nearly half the global population through the great river systems they create. This critical role places mountain…
Glacial Erratics: Boulders Left by Ice
Ever seen a giant boulder sitting in a flat field, miles from any mountain? These geological oddities are called glacial erratics, colossal stones carried hundreds of miles by ancient ice…
Cryoconite: Life on Glaciers
Venture onto the vast, frozen surfaces of Earth's glaciers and discover cryoconite—a dark, dusty sediment that creates tiny, thriving ecosystems. Learn how these microscopic worlds, teeming with resilient life like…
Sastrugi: The Wind-Carved Snowscapes
Venture into the world of sastrugi, the stunning yet treacherous wind-carved ridges that dominate polar landscapes. These frozen waves are more than just a travel hazard for explorers; they are…
Glacial Forefields: Earth’s Newest Land
As glaciers around the world recede, they reveal brand-new landscapes known as glacial forefields. These raw, dynamic environments are not just barren expanses of rock and sediment; they are living…