We propose here that the resident microbial community can influence the structure of sea ice, particularly near the ocean interface, by lowering the local freezing point through production of, effectively, antifreeze compounds. The result is improved environmental conditions for growth and, possibly, changes to heat transport through the ice. A mathematical model together with laboratory measurements are used to illustrate and support the hypothesis.

Accurate maps of snowfall over the Greenland ice sheet are essential for reliable projections of future sea-level rise. Climate models often struggle to capture realistic snowfall patterns, leading to significant long-term errors. We present a new method that corrects these errors using over two million observations. The corrected snowfall maps can help to reduce uncertainty in sea-level rise projections and improve understanding of Greenland’s proximity to irreversible melting thresholds.