When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Scientists bamboozled by "ice piracy" where non-living glaciers are "stealing" ice Sayan Sen Neowin @ssc_combater007 · May 15, 2025 16:52 EDT Image by Tobias Bjørkli via PexelsScientists have spotted a surprising change in Antarctica—one glacier is pulling ice away from another in a process researchers call "ice piracy." This shift, once thought to take centuries or even millennia, has happened in less than 18 years, according to a new study from the University of Leeds published in The Cryosphere on May 8. Using satellite data, researchers examined eight ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohlerregion of West Antarctica between 2005 and 2022. They found that seven of the streams had sped up, with Smith West Glacier showing the biggest increase at 87%. But Kohler West Glacier, in contrast, had slowed by 10%. The reason? Kohler West’s ice flow had shifted toward Kohler East Glacier, which was thinning and moving faster. Over time, this caused the ice divide between the Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves to shift eastward, changing how much ice reaches these floating ice platforms. Dr. Heather Selley, the study's lead author, explained what's happening. “We think that the observed slowdown on Kohler West Glacier is due to the redirection of ice flow towards its neighbor—Kohler East. This is due to the large change in Kohler West’s surface slope, likely caused by the vastly different thinning rates on its neighboring glaciers.” Kohler East’s rapid movement pulls in ice from Kohler West, a process Selley described as "ice piracy." “We didn’t know ice streams could ‘steal’ ice from each over such a short period, so this is a fascinating discovery,” she said. The team used satellite tracking techniques to measure how fast the glaciers were moving by monitoring surface features like crevasses and rifts. They also studied ice thinning rates with data from the European Space Agency’sCryoSat mission. The study was done in collaboration with the British Antarctic Surveyand the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, with additional data from ESA, NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Co-author Pierre Dutrieux, a climate researcher at BAS, explained why this matters. “This study provides an interesting demonstration of ice piracy, where flow into one glacier gradually switches to flow into another glacier, as the ocean melts the grounding zone and re-configures ice flow.” The shifting ice flow is affecting Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, two floating platforms that help stabilize Antarctica’s ice sheet. Dotson Ice Shelf is about 30 miles wide, roughly the distance from Leeds to York, while Crosson Ice Shelf spans about 40 miles—the distance from Leeds to Manchester. Both shelves have already lost a lot of ice in recent decades, and this new change could impact their stability even further. Professor Anna Hogg, a study co-author, described the consequences. “The changes in flow direction have substantially altered the ice mass flux into Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, likely playing an important role in maintaining Dotson and accelerating the deterioration of Crosson.” Sea levels are already rising, and Antarctica’s ice plays a key role in that process. Scientists estimate that more than 410 million people worldwide could be at risk from sea-level rise by 2100. Data shows that global sea levels have increased by more than 10 cm over the last decade, and shifting ice flow could make the situation worse. Dr. Martin Wearing, an ESA scientist, emphasized how critical satellite technology is for tracking polar changes. “This new study highlights the unique ability of satellites to provide both the temporal and spatial coverage required to assess change in the polar regions. Using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat, the team has revealed the complex evolution of ice flow in part of West Antarctica over the past few decades. Understanding these changing dynamics and what drives them is crucial for improved projections of future ice-sheet change and contributions to sea-level rise.” This research adds to growing concerns about Antarctica’s changing ice flow patterns and how they are influenced by ocean warming, changes in air temperature, and snowfall variations. By showing that glaciers can redirect their ice flow much faster than expected, scientists are gaining new insights into how Antarctica’s ice sheet might continue changing—and what that could mean for the rest of the planet. Source: University of Leeds, The Cryosphere This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed #scientists #bamboozled #quotice #piracyquot #where

Over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, there’s been an explosion of news about proposed budget cuts to science in the US. One trend I’ve noticed: Researchers and civil servants are sounding the alarm that those cuts mean we might lose key data that helps us understand our world and how climate change is affecting it. My colleague James Temple has a new story out today about researchers who are attempting to measure the temperature of mountain snowpack across the western US. Snow that melts in the spring is a major water source across the region, and monitoring the temperature far below the top layer of snow could help scientists more accurately predict how fast water will flow down the mountains, allowing farmers, businesses, and residents to plan accordingly. But long-running government programs that monitor the snowpack across the West are among those being threatened by cuts across the US federal government. Also potentially in trouble: carbon dioxide measurements in Hawaii, hurricane forecasting tools, and a database that tracks the economic impact of natural disasters. It’s all got me thinking: What do we lose when data is in danger? Take for example the work at Mauna Loa Observatory, which sits on the northern side of the world’s largest active volcano. In this Hawaii facility, researchers have been measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. The resulting graph, called the Keeling Curveis a pillar of climate research. It shows that carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas warming the planet, has increased in the atmosphere from around 313 parts per million in 1958 to over 420 parts per million today. Proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationjeopardize the Keeling Curve’s future. As Ralph Keelingput it in a new piece for Wired, “If successful, this loss will be a nightmare scenario for climate science, not just in the United States, but the world.” This story has echoes across the climate world right now. A lab at Princeton that produces what some consider the top-of-the-line climate models used to make hurricane forecasts could be in trouble because of NOAA budget cuts. And last week, NOAA announced it would no longer track the economic impact of the biggest natural disasters in the US. Some of the largest-scale climate efforts will feel the effects of these cuts, and as James’s new story shows, they could also seep into all sorts of specialized fields. Even seemingly niche work can have a huge impact not just on research, but on people. The frozen reservoir of the Sierra snowpack provides about a third of California’s groundwater, as well as the majority used by towns and cities in northwest Nevada. Researchers there are hoping to help officials better forecast the timing of potential water supplies across the region. This story brought to mind my visit to El Paso, Texas, a few years ago. I spoke with farmers there who rely on water coming down the Rio Grande, alongside dwindling groundwater, to support their crops. There, water comes down from the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico in the spring and is held in the Elephant Butte Reservoir. One farmer I met showed me pages and pages of notes of reservoir records, which he had meticulously copied by hand. Those crinkled pages were a clear sign: Publicly available data was crucial to his work. The endeavor of scientific research, particularly when it involves patiently gathering data, isn’t always exciting. Its importance is often overlooked. But as cuts continue, we’re keeping a lookout, because losing data could harm our ability to track, address, and adapt to our changing climate.  This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. #how #research #cuts #are #threatening

Over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, there’s been an explosion of news about proposed budget cuts to science in the US. One trend I’ve noticed: Researchers and civil servants are sounding the alarm that those cuts mean we might lose key data that helps us understand our world and how climate change is affecting it. My colleague James Temple has a new story out today about researchers who are attempting to measure the temperature of mountain snowpack across the western US. Snow that melts in the spring is a major water source across the region, and monitoring the temperature far below the top layer of snow could help scientists more accurately predict how fast water will flow down the mountains, allowing farmers, businesses, and residents to plan accordingly. But long-running government programs that monitor the snowpack across the West are among those being threatened by cuts across the US federal government. Also potentially in trouble: carbon dioxide measurements in Hawaii, hurricane forecasting tools, and a database that tracks the economic impact of natural disasters. It’s all got me thinking: What do we lose when data is in danger? Take for example the work at Mauna Loa Observatory, which sits on the northern side of the world’s largest active volcano. In this Hawaii facility, researchers have been measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. The resulting graph, called the Keeling Curveis a pillar of climate research. It shows that carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas warming the planet, has increased in the atmosphere from around 313 parts per million in 1958 to over 420 parts per million today. Proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationjeopardize the Keeling Curve’s future. As Ralph Keelingput it in a new piece for Wired, “If successful, this loss will be a nightmare scenario for climate science, not just in the United States, but the world.” This story has echoes across the climate world right now. A lab at Princeton that produces what some consider the top-of-the-line climate models used to make hurricane forecasts could be in trouble because of NOAA budget cuts. And last week, NOAA announced it would no longer track the economic impact of the biggest natural disasters in the US. Some of the largest-scale climate efforts will feel the effects of these cuts, and as James’s new story shows, they could also seep into all sorts of specialized fields. Even seemingly niche work can have a huge impact not just on research, but on people. The frozen reservoir of the Sierra snowpack provides about a third of California’s groundwater, as well as the majority used by towns and cities in northwest Nevada. Researchers there are hoping to help officials better forecast the timing of potential water supplies across the region. This story brought to mind my visit to El Paso, Texas, a few years ago. I spoke with farmers there who rely on water coming down the Rio Grande, alongside dwindling groundwater, to support their crops. There, water comes down from the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico in the spring and is held in the Elephant Butte Reservoir. One farmer I met showed me pages and pages of notes of reservoir records, which he had meticulously copied by hand. Those crinkled pages were a clear sign: Publicly available data was crucial to his work. The endeavor of scientific research, particularly when it involves patiently gathering data, isn’t always exciting. Its importance is often overlooked. But as cuts continue, we’re keeping a lookout, because losing data could harm our ability to track, address, and adapt to our changing climate.  This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. #how #research #cuts #are #threatening

Over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, there’s been an explosion of news about proposed budget cuts to science in the US. One trend I’ve noticed: Researchers and civil servants are sounding the alarm that those cuts mean we might lose key data that helps us understand our world and how climate change is affecting it. My colleague James Temple has a new story out today about researchers who are attempting to measure the temperature of mountain snowpack across the western US. Snow that melts in the spring is a major water source across the region, and monitoring the temperature far below the top layer of snow could help scientists more accurately predict how fast water will flow down the mountains, allowing farmers, businesses, and residents to plan accordingly. But long-running government programs that monitor the snowpack across the West are among those being threatened by cuts across the US federal government. Also potentially in trouble: carbon dioxide measurements in Hawaii, hurricane forecasting tools, and a database that tracks the economic impact of natural disasters. It’s all got me thinking: What do we lose when data is in danger? Take for example the work at Mauna Loa Observatory, which sits on the northern side of the world’s largest active volcano. In this Hawaii facility, researchers have been measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. The resulting graph, called the Keeling Curveis a pillar of climate research. It shows that carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas warming the planet, has increased in the atmosphere from around 313 parts per million in 1958 to over 420 parts per million today. Proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationjeopardize the Keeling Curve’s future. As Ralph Keelingput it in a new piece for Wired, “If successful, this loss will be a nightmare scenario for climate science, not just in the United States, but the world.” This story has echoes across the climate world right now. A lab at Princeton that produces what some consider the top-of-the-line climate models used to make hurricane forecasts could be in trouble because of NOAA budget cuts. And last week, NOAA announced it would no longer track the economic impact of the biggest natural disasters in the US. Some of the largest-scale climate efforts will feel the effects of these cuts, and as James’s new story shows, they could also seep into all sorts of specialized fields. Even seemingly niche work can have a huge impact not just on research, but on people. The frozen reservoir of the Sierra snowpack provides about a third of California’s groundwater, as well as the majority used by towns and cities in northwest Nevada. Researchers there are hoping to help officials better forecast the timing of potential water supplies across the region. This story brought to mind my visit to El Paso, Texas, a few years ago. I spoke with farmers there who rely on water coming down the Rio Grande, alongside dwindling groundwater, to support their crops. There, water comes down from the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico in the spring and is held in the Elephant Butte Reservoir. One farmer I met showed me pages and pages of notes of reservoir records, which he had meticulously copied by hand. Those crinkled pages were a clear sign: Publicly available data was crucial to his work. The endeavor of scientific research, particularly when it involves patiently gathering data, isn’t always exciting. Its importance is often overlooked. But as cuts continue, we’re keeping a lookout, because losing data could harm our ability to track, address, and adapt to our changing climate.  This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. #how #research #cuts #are #threatening

Fine soil particles once encased in ice were discovered in a cave about 20,000 years after the frozen sheet melted. This sediment is significant both for what it tells us about the past and what it could forecast for the future, according to an article in the journal Nature Geoscience.The sediment found in an Alaskan cave was likely once part of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which melted at the end of the last Ice Age. Most of that ice — along with the sediment contained within it — ended up in the oceans. Finding traces of it on land is extremely rare.“This is the first evidence of land-based meltwater events from this ice-sheet,” Paul Wilcox, a geologist at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and an author of the paper, said in a press release. “In a way, the cave acted as a kind of time capsule that preserved the sediments for thousands of years.”Preserving Ice Age LifeTwo aspects of the sediment help tell the story of Ice Age life. First, scientists detected plant pollen within the particles. That provides indirect evidence of biological refuges — even during peak ice coverage “in which plants could survive even under extreme climatic conditions,” Daniela Festi, a pollen researcher with GeoSphere Austria and an author of the paper, said in a press release.The sediment also contained quartz — convenient because the presence of that mineral makes determining the particles’ age possible using a method that can detect when it was last exposed to sunlight. But more importantly, it also shows that the sediment must have been transported quite a distance before being deposited, since the cave is in a limestone region, where quartz would generally be scarce or non-existent.Glacial Meltwater and Climate ChangesDating the sediment allows scientists to look to the past to forecast the future. Although the Cordilleran Ice Sheet almost certainly melted due to a change in the Earth’s position relative to the sun, that alone doesn’t account for the ice’s backward retreat from western North America. Other forces must have contributed.Data from the last Ice Age show signs that glacial meltwater repeatedly pulsed into the North Atlantic. That cycle likely further disrupted the region’s heat and contributed to further warming.“This supports the hypothesis that climate changes in the Northeast Pacific were a prerequisite for the shifts observed in the North Atlantic,” Wilcox said in the release.Understanding how these events happened over space and time could inform us about the future. Continued warming could lead to similar increased freshwater flowing into the oceans. That, in turn, could disrupt circulation systems that impact temperature.The researchers plan to investigate additional Alaskan caves and compare the sediment archives to each other. That could provide a more detailed picture of the past ice sheet’s melting dynamics — and perhaps provide a glimpse into how a similar event could affect climate in the future.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American. #sediment #last #ice #age #found

A young boy is not allowed to follow his passion. What will he do when he becomes a parent? A heartwarming story by Aneesh Arts with exceptional visual quality!Aneesh Arts writes:Hi everyone,The Oak Tree is my first-ever animated movie — a deeply personal project that I've poured my heart into over the past 3 to 4 years. The story follows the journey of an artist, one that many of us can relate to in different ways.This film is my most precious piece of art, crafted with passion, patience, and dedication. It is a one-man project, created almost entirely by myself using Blender. It stands not only as a major milestone in my creative journey but also as a humble contribution to the amazing Blender community ‪@BlenderOfficial‬ .The majority of the time was spent on the rendering process, which came with its own set of challenges. This also marks my very first attempt at character animation, making the experience even more meaningful and full of learning.I truly hope you enjoy watching The Oak Tree as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life. #video #oak #tree

An abrupt change in Antarctica has caused the continent to gain ice. But this increase, documented in NASA satellite data, is a temporary anomaly rather than an indication that global warming has reversed, scientists say. Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/antarctica/nasa-satellites-show-antarctica-has-gained-ice-despite-rising-global-temperatures-how-is-that-possible #nasa #satellites #show #antarctica #has #gained #ice #despite #rising #global #temperatures #how #that #possible

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be the most fun I’ve had playing a role-playing game since 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3. Its turn-based combat is more engaging than at first blush, and defeating powerful enemies provides the same elation that taking down a boss in a FromSoftware game does. It also offers some of the more challenging gameplay I’ve encountered in some time, with dodge and parry timing that’ll leave even the most experienced soulsborne vets pulling their hair out.Clair Obscur’s six playable heroes all have unique combat mechanics, so no two heroes play the same. This is great once you’ve mastered Gustave, Maelle, and the rest, but mastering them takes plenty of trial and error. You’re only presented each character’s tutorial once, so you’ll have to learn how to use them on the fly in battles with Nevrons. How does Sciel enter Twilight again? What exactly are Lune’s stains? How does Monoco’s Bestial Wheel move? There’s a learning curve to each character, but once they click for you — knowing how to best leverage Maelle’s stance switching, quickly overcharge with Gustave — you’re off to the races.Using my A-team of Maelle, Lune, and Sciel makes the game almost too easy, and I barely felt in any danger during Act 2’s late-game boss fights. They bounce off one another well, and at higher levels, can easily knock off enemies before your opponents have even had a turn. Unfortunately for Clair Obscur’s other characters, the strengths of Maelle, Lune, and Sciel put the rest of the group on the sidelines.Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler InteractiveLook, I like Verso — nice guy, great hair, plays the piano, ageless wonder. But his skills mostly rely on not taking damage, which is difficult when fighting enemies for the first time as you’ve yet to learn their attack patterns. Parrying is perhaps the greatest challenge in Clair Obscur’s combat, and trying to parry as Verso just opens the door to getting hit and therefore lowering his Perfection Rank, his own special ability. (Did I mention there’s a lot to learn in Clair Obscur? Because there’s a lot to learn.)Monoco, too, ends up getting the short end of the stick in my party. He arrives in the game when I’ve already settled on a good rhythm with Clair Obscur’s three women leading my party, and timing his Bestial Wheel to make the most use out of it is something I’m still struggling with going into Act 3. Alas, Monoco and Verso are warming the bench as my “B-team Boys,” itching for some playing time.Verso and Monoco gave way to my A-team trio late in Act 2. Around when I had to go fight the Axons, I finally started to get the hang of using Maelle, Lune, and Sciel as a team, synergizing their abilities in a way that I could wipe the floor with enemies before those enemies even got a turn. Once I hit that stride, I never had any use for the other playable characters (Sorry, Monoco and Verso. See you at camp?).Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler InteractiveClair Obcur’s battles rely on leveraging your characters’ skills and unique mechanics, like Maelle’s Stance switching or Sciel’s Foretell stacking, to pummel your foes to dust. Lune might be the toughest hero to pin down as generating and using her elemental stains at first is a confusing matter. When using Lune’s skills in battle, the element(s) between the skill name and the Action Point (AP) cost are what stains are generated. Each of her powers can consume those stains for additional effects, like enhancing damage or increasing the duration of a power.When I fully understood how to leverage Lune’s stains, the game opened up for me. Lune can use Wildfire to burn all enemies, but I prefer positioning Maelle first and using her Rain of Fire right off the bat. Lune’s Thermal Transfer can then generate AP for her when used against the burning foe, meaning, depending on your Pictos and Luminas setup — Clair Obscur’s system for stat bonuses and passive effects — she could have the max of 9 AP by her next turn.With foes on fire, Maelle can then use Swift Stride to put her in Virtuose Stance, and on her next turn stay in Virtuose Stance with Fleuret Furyuse. Maelle’s Virtuose Stance sees her dealing 200% damage, and using it in conjunction with her high damage-dealing skills is your path toward hitting — or exceeding in Act 3 — the damage cap. Even post-nerf, she’s still a powerhouse.With Lune’s Chapelim weapon, I fall into a bit of a rhythm for each bout. At level 20, it generates an Earth Stain on each turn, and Thermal Transfer consumes two Earth Stains to allow Lune to play again and continue to wreak havoc. If Lune and Maelle are low on AP, no matter — Sciel’s Plentiful Harvest consumes all of an enemy’s Foretell and distributes AP among the party for each Foretell consumed. When in Twilight with 20 Foretell applied to a foe, this skill can easily top off everyone’s AP, leaving you free to continue your onslaught.Venturing into Act 3, with even more “Danger” areas and tough Chromatic foes ahead, knowing the end is in sight, I’ll be sticking with Maelle, Lune, and Sciel for the battles to come. They’ve gotten me this far.See More: Source: https://www.polygon.com/opinion/598952/clair-obscurs-three-female-characters-make-me-never-want-to-switch-my-party #clair #obscurs #three #female #characters #make #never #want #switch #party

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be the most fun I’ve had playing a role-playing game since 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3. Its turn-based combat is more engaging than at first blush, and defeating powerful enemies provides the same elation that taking down a boss in a FromSoftware game does. It also offers some of the more challenging gameplay I’ve encountered in some time, with dodge and parry timing that’ll leave even the most experienced soulsborne vets pulling their hair out. Clair Obscur’s six playable heroes all have unique combat mechanics, so no two heroes play the same. This is great once you’ve mastered Gustave, Maelle, and the rest, but mastering them takes plenty of trial and error. You’re only presented each character’s tutorial once, so you’ll have to learn how to use them on the fly in battles with Nevrons. How does Sciel enter Twilight again? What exactly are Lune’s stains? How does Monoco’s Bestial Wheel move? There’s a learning curve to each character, but once they click for you — knowing how to best leverage Maelle’s stance switching, quickly overcharge with Gustave — you’re off to the races. Using my A-team of Maelle, Lune, and Sciel makes the game almost too easy, and I barely felt in any danger during Act 2’s late-game boss fights. They bounce off one another well, and at higher levels, can easily knock off enemies before your opponents have even had a turn. Unfortunately for Clair Obscur’s other characters, the strengths of Maelle, Lune, and Sciel put the rest of the group on the sidelines. Look, I like Verso — nice guy, great hair, plays the piano, ageless wonder. But his skills mostly rely on not taking damage, which is difficult when fighting enemies for the first time as you’ve yet to learn their attack patterns. Parrying is perhaps the greatest challenge in Clair Obscur’s combat, and trying to parry as Verso just opens the door to getting hit and therefore lowering his Perfection Rank, his own special ability. (Did I mention there’s a lot to learn in Clair Obscur? Because there’s a lot to learn.) Monoco, too, ends up getting the short end of the stick in my party. He arrives in the game when I’ve already settled on a good rhythm with Clair Obscur’s three women leading my party, and timing his Bestial Wheel to make the most use out of it is something I’m still struggling with going into Act 3. Alas, Monoco and Verso are warming the bench as my “B-team Boys,” itching for some playing time. Verso and Monoco gave way to my A-team trio late in Act 2. Around when I had to go fight the Axons, I finally started to get the hang of using Maelle, Lune, and Sciel as a team, synergizing their abilities in a way that I could wipe the floor with enemies before those enemies even got a turn. Once I hit that stride, I never had any use for the other playable characters (Sorry, Monoco and Verso. See you at camp?). Clair Obcur’s battles rely on leveraging your characters’ skills and unique mechanics, like Maelle’s Stance switching or Sciel’s Foretell stacking, to pummel your foes to dust. Lune might be the toughest hero to pin down as generating and using her elemental stains at first is a confusing matter. When using Lune’s skills in battle, the element(s) between the skill name and the Action Point (AP) cost are what stains are generated. Each of her powers can consume those stains for additional effects, like enhancing damage or increasing the duration of a power. When I fully understood how to leverage Lune’s stains, the game opened up for me. Lune can use Wildfire to burn all enemies, but I prefer positioning Maelle first and using her Rain of Fire right off the bat. Lune’s Thermal Transfer can then generate AP for her when used against the burning foe, meaning, depending on your Pictos and Luminas setup — Clair Obscur’s system for stat bonuses and passive effects — she could have the max of 9 AP by her next turn. With foes on fire, Maelle can then use Swift Stride to put her in Virtuose Stance, and on her next turn stay in Virtuose Stance with Fleuret Furyuse. Maelle’s Virtuose Stance sees her dealing 200% damage, and using it in conjunction with her high damage-dealing skills is your path toward hitting — or exceeding in Act 3 — the damage cap. Even post-nerf, she’s still a powerhouse. With Lune’s Chapelim weapon, I fall into a bit of a rhythm for each bout. At level 20, it generates an Earth Stain on each turn, and Thermal Transfer consumes two Earth Stains to allow Lune to play again and continue to wreak havoc. If Lune and Maelle are low on AP, no matter — Sciel’s Plentiful Harvest consumes all of an enemy’s Foretell and distributes AP among the party for each Foretell consumed. When in Twilight with 20 Foretell applied to a foe, this skill can easily top off everyone’s AP, leaving you free to continue your onslaught. Venturing into Act 3, with even more “Danger” areas and tough Chromatic foes ahead, knowing the end is in sight, I’ll be sticking with Maelle, Lune, and Sciel for the battles to come. They’ve gotten me this far. Source: https://www.polygon.com/opinion/598952/clair-obscurs-three-female-characters-make-me-never-want-to-switch-my-party #clair #obscurs #three #female #characters #make #never #want #switch #party

A wildfire rages in British Columbia, Canada, in June 2023Imago/Alamy Stock Photo 2023 smashed the record for the hottest year, but it might have been even hotter. The entire northern hemisphere would have been nearly 1°C warmer on average during its summer without the cooling effect of smoke from massive wildfires in Canada, a climate model suggests. The smoke may also have led to the driest August in India on record. “I think it’s really hard to comprehend how gigantic the fires were. It was insane,” says Iulian-Alin Rosu at the Technical University of Crete in Greece, who presented his team’s findings at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna, Austria. Advertisement The emissions were around five or six times higher than those during any previously recorded wildfire season in Canada, estimates Rosu. The carbon dioxide from these fires is having an ongoing warming effect, but in 2023 this warming was outweighed by the cooling effect of smoke blocking sunlight. To estimate how much cooling the smoke caused, Rosu and his colleagues ran a series of climate model simulations with and without the Canadian wildfire emissions. The results suggest that between May and September, the smoke caused local cooling of as much as 5.4°C (9.7°F) in small parts of Canada, and that the northern hemisphere as a whole was 0.9°C (1.6°F) cooler. This may seem surprising given that parts of Canada saw record temperatures during that summer. But the heat records were mostly in western regions, says Rosu, whereas the smoke blew east and had the biggest cooling effect on that side of the country. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month. Sign up to newsletter The impacts weren’t limited to Canada. In the model, the wildfire emissions led to changes in winds over Asia that weakened the monsoon and led to less rainfall in India – and that is what happened in reality. “The precipitation anomaly that is seen in the data is really, really close to what we see in our model,” says Rosu. That is an indication that the model did a very good job, he says. However, the cooling effect didn’t last long. “When I looked at the data for November and December, there really wasn’t much of any effect left,” says Rosu. The record set in 2023 for hottest year didn’t last long either – 2024 turned out to be even hotter. Reference:EGU General Assembly 2025 DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10833 Topics:climate Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2479881-massive-wildfires-in-canada-helped-keep-the-world-cooler-in-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home #massive #wildfires #canada #helped #keep #the #world #cooler