Roger G. Barry, founding director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), passed away on March 19, 2018, concluding a distinguished career in the study of the cryosphere and mountain climates.

Sea ice over the Arctic Ocean likely reached its maximum extent for the year on March 17, the second lowest in the 39-year satellite record, falling just behind 2017.

The finding has significant implications for human health and ecosystems worldwide.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the amount of dust on the mountain snowpack controls how fast the Colorado Basin’s rivers rise in the spring.