Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · 16d

Hofsjolkull East, Iceland is a small ice cap east of Vatnajokull that lost all snow cover again in 2025. The lack of accumulation area leads to rapid thinning, bedrock expansion and indicates a glacier that cannot survive. #glaciology
glacierchange.blog/2025/09/22/h...

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · 19d

And another from Smithsonian-on the new island in Alaska revealed by glacier retreat that we reported on last week.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/g...

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · 19d

Another view on our Alsek Glacier, Alaska new island formation research.
apnews.com/article/alas...

Retreating Alsek Glacier reveals new island in southeast Alaska

A retreating glacier has revealed a new island in Alaska, as lake water filled in to surround a land mass once hugged by ice. Glaciologist Mauri S.

apnews.com

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · 21d

Fidtjovbreen and Gonfjordbreen, two adjacent glaciers in Svalbard lost all snow cover in 2024 and 2025. You can walk 15 km from terminus upglacier to the divide and down the other glacier to the terminus without touching any snow, which sustains glaciers.
@drheidisevestre.bsky.social
#glaciology

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · 26d

2022-2025 ice caps across Edgoya, Svalbard lost all snow cover, resulting all firn cover being lost too. This removes ability of meltwater to refreeze. In 2025 we again see this playing out on the ice caps of Edgeøya. @yogaski.bsky.social @willharcourt.bsky.social glacierchange.blog/2025/09/11/s...

Svalbard Ice Cap Fragmentation and RecessionAccelerates with Snow Free Conditions Again in 2025

Kvitkapa in Landsat images from 2014 and 2025 indicating the fragmentation from 3 to 8 different glacier parts. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 a number of ice caps and glaciers across Svalbard lost all sno…

glacierchange.blog

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Reposted by Mauri Pelto

University of Southampton @unisouthampton.bsky.social · 29d

From sun-blocking chemicals to thickening sea ice 🧊🌊

Researchers have found five geoengineering ideas to tackle climate breakdown, but found these are unlikely to work, could harm ecosystems, and may reduce our chances of reaching net zero.

Read more 👉 tr.ee/6jto7T

@frontiersin.bsky.social

Two people in bright jackets stand on vast, white sea ice scattered with numerous blue melt ponds, creating a striking contrast against the pristine Arctic ice.

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Sep 8

Worked with Lindsey Doermann at NASA Earth Observatory on article about new island in Alaska created by Alsek Glacier retreat, revealed by a sequence of Landsat images from 1984 to 2025.
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/15476...
#glaciology

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Sep 3

Stonebreen an ice cap on Edgeoya, Svalbard in recent years has lost nearly all snow/firn cover, retaining no accumulation. This has led to retreat from 2020-2025, indicated on the false color Sentinel images. The bare ice surface is darker and can no longer retain any meltwater.
#glaciology

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Sep 1

It seems to me watching how the field has changed in last 45 years, that it did attract the eccentric type when is was a newer field. Starting in the 1990s as it became a mainstream science, that becam less the case.

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 31

Both men were eccentric.

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 31

I was working in Terry Hughes office 5 years later when John Mercer called in.

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 30

I was at a glaciologist meeting in 1986 at Whistler where we were planning upcoming work on Jakobshavn Isbrae all convinced that acceleration and thinning was not that far off.

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Reposted by Mauri Pelto

Jeremy Bassis @bassisjeremy.bsky.social · Aug 26

Let’s start with the effect of climate on ice sheets. Ice sheets are driven by climate but the Antarctic ice sheet is cold and there is little surface melt. Most of what we see in Antarctica relates to the oceans eroding floating ice shelves from beneath. 2/

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 28

Great thread, I am sure there are more items you thought of including. Such as once there is significant melting of the ice by the ocean, how does that meltwater in turn impact local ocean stratification and further interactions.

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 26

What is ~depth, length and width of this crevasse?

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 25

Prándarjökull, Iceland has lost all of its snow cover in 2025. This will lead to significant thinning and marginal losses in 2025. #glaciology #climatechange
glacierchange.blog/2025/08/25/p...

Prándarjökull, Iceland Loses all Snow Cover in 2025-Accelerating Loss

Prándarjökull on August 20, 2025 has no retained snowpack-with weeks left in the melt season (Sentinel false color image) Prándarjökull is an icecap northeast of Vatnajokull that has a summit eleva…

glacierchange.blog

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 21

The retreat of Alsek Glacier, Alaska has in 2025 generated a new island-Prow Knob in Alsek Lake-that has an area of 5 km2. In 1984 the knob was nearly encircled by the glacier. As these Landsat images reveal the loss ofconnection between the glacier and the knob at the end of July/early Aug. 2025.

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Reposted by Mauri Pelto

Jay Famiglietti @jayfamiglietti.bsky.social · Aug 18

Must watch: Really excellent piece on the work of @mauri-pelto.bsky.social @jillpelto.bsky.social by Ben Tracy and @climatecentral.org for @cbssundaymorning.bsky.social

Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

CBS Sunday morning feature on the work of @jillpelto.bsky.social and I

www.cbsnews.com/video/captur...

Capturing the melting of glaciers, with data and art

For more than 40 years, glaciologist Mauri Pelto has been measuring the shrinking glaciers in the rugged North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. He's been joined by his daughter, artist-scientist...

www.cbsnews.com

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

Thanks Sarah, I know this is a focus you have had as well, and that has inspired me. We generally have 3-4 artists during the season, with overlaps. We also have repeat artists.

Dr. Sarah Fortner @erthsarah.bsky.social · Aug 17

Wonderful coverage on the synergy between climate science & art. Congrats @jillpelto.bsky.social & @mauri-pelto.bsky.social & the rest of your team. I admire your long & connective work in the North Cascades!

www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/cap...

Capturing the melting of glaciers, with data and art

For more than 40 years, glaciologist Mauri Pelto has been measuring shrinking glaciers in Washington State. He's been joined by his daughter, artist-scientist Jill Pelto, whose watercolors provide ano...

www.cbsnews.com

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

Just committed to good reporting.

Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

Important glimpse at potential synergy between art and science that needs to be more widely understood.

jillpelto.bsky.social @jillpelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

So honored to have an incredible feature of me and @mauri-pelto.bsky.social work co-directing the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project. It highlights our art and science goals around this long term collaboration beautifully!

youtu.be/OtH9guKNo7k?...

Capturing the melting of glaciers, with data and art

YouTube video by CBS Sunday Morning

youtu.be

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

Do you have a data center metric and source you would recommend?

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

CBS Sunday morning feature on the work of @jillpelto.bsky.social and I

www.cbsnews.com/video/captur...

Capturing the melting of glaciers, with data and art

For more than 40 years, glaciologist Mauri Pelto has been measuring the shrinking glaciers in the rugged North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. He's been joined by his daughter, artist-scientist...

www.cbsnews.com

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

What data do you have that art could help relay?

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Mauri Pelto @mauri-pelto.bsky.social · Aug 17

@cbsnews.com joined us in the field over two days in early August working on Sholes Glacier. This morning this story is featured. #glaciology
www.cbsnews.com/news/this-we...

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