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Science In Action: Reduction in Arctic Ice

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Extent of Arctic sea ice in September 2016 versus the 1981-2010 average minimum extent (gold line)

16/02/2017 GMT

Reduction in Arctic Ice

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Reduction in Arctic Ice

The sea ice in the Arctic should be increasing right now, but it's not - we ask why?

Reduction in Arctic Ice; India launches 104 satellites from one rocket; Fossil evidence of earliest dinosaur 'live birth'; Disease super-spreaders; Global study of alien species.

The Arctic sea ice should be reaching its maximum extent about now, but following a continuing trend and unusually warm weather at the North Pole, the growth of sea ice has stopped. What will this mean for ice cover in the Northern hemisphere summer? Are we heading for an ice free Arctic sooner than we thought?

India Launches 104 Satellites 
India has created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014. Observers say it is a sign that India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.

First Live Birth Evidence in Dinosaur Relative
The Achosaurs are the animal group that contain dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds, and all examples of this group, extinct and alive today, lay eggs. Or so we thought!  When scientists uncovered the fossil of a Dinocephalosaurus  with what looked like the bones of an embryo in its belly, they were surprised. Dinocephalosaurs are a long-necked, marine reptile living 245 million years ago. 

Ebola Virus Super Spreaders
With over 28,000 confirmed or suspected cases and more than 11,000 deaths, the recent West African Ebola virus outbreak was unprecedented. But why was the epidemic so immense and what lessons have we learned?  Using outbreak records, researchers have been able to model the spread of the virus through communities, and their work reveals that the vast majority of transmissions were seeded by a surprisingly small number of infected individuals.  Although the reasons for 'superspreading' are unclear, the scientists hope that their findings can help prevent future outbreaks from being so widespread.

Alien Species 
A plant or animal in the wrong place gets called an alien species. A new report looking at the movement of plants and animals around the world gives details of the introduction of alien species over the past 500 years. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the rate of alien introductions increased over the past 40 years.  

(Photo:  Extent of Arctic sea ice in September 2016 versus the 1981-2010 average minimum extent (gold line). Credit: Nasa)

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