As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Apr-2026 22:16 ET (23-Apr-2026 02:16 GMT/UTC)
As Earth’s climate systems change, polar sea ice is becoming more granular in structure. University of Utah-led research reveals this type of ice is much less permeable than columnar sea ice, with important implications for geophysical processes. This is because water, heat and nutrients move less readily through granular ice than the ice it is replacing.