Phys.org: Earth science

Syndicate content
The latest news on earth sciences and the environment
Updated: 19 hours 23 min ago

Scientists discover methods to regulate carbon storage in humus layer of forest in north China

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 17:06
It is estimated that 30% of the world's terrestrial carbon stocks are found in the boreal forest, 60% of which is below ground. Organic soil horizons contain about one-third of the soil carbon. Therefore, the stability of boreal soils is critical to understanding global carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change and soil management. However, the regulating factors of humus carbon sequestration in the boreal forests globally are not entirely understood.

New modeling shows the intensity of CO₂ uptake is higher in coastal seas than in the open ocean

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 16:50
Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation.

Droughts in Europe could be avoided with faster emissions cuts

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 15:21
Rapid climate action could mean devastating dry periods in the Mediterranean become less frequent by the end of the century, a new study shows.

Study documents slowing of Atlantic currents

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 14:50
While scientists have observed oceans heating up for decades and theorized that their rising temperatures weaken global currents, a new study led by a University of Maryland researcher documents for the first time a significant slowing of a crucial ocean current system that plays a role in regulating Earth's climate.

Rainforest response to deglaciation impacted by Australian Indigenous populations, study finds

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 13:20
Australia's Indigenous populations have played an important role in modifying the continent's landscape over millennia, particularly by using fire to create open spaces for daily activities. This continued until they left the area in approximately 1860 due to British colonization in the preceding decades, beyond which European land management styles and intensive farming practices became a prominent factor.

New study reveals unintended consequences of fire suppression

Mon, 03/25/2024 - 11:17
The escalation of extreme wildfires globally has prompted a critical examination of wildfire management strategies. A new study from the University of Montana reveals how fire suppression ensures that wildfires will burn under extreme conditions at high severity, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation.

Climate change is shifting the zones where plants grow. Here's what that could mean for your garden

Sun, 03/24/2024 - 15:00
With the arrival of spring in North America, many people are gravitating to the gardening and landscaping section of home improvement stores, where displays are overstocked with eye-catching seed packs and benches are filled with potted annuals and perennials.

New findings shed light on finding valuable 'green' metals

Sat, 03/23/2024 - 07:02
Research led by Macquarie University sheds new light on how concentrations of metals used in renewable energy technologies can be transported from deep within the Earth's interior mantle by low temperature, carbon-rich melts.

New model integrates soil microbes, large perennial grasses

Fri, 03/22/2024 - 18:38
Of all the carbon stored in ecosystems around the world, about half can be found in soils. Depending on climate, vegetation, and management, soils can be either a carbon source or a sink.

Scientists explore complex pattern of tipping points in the Atlantic's current system

Fri, 03/22/2024 - 18:00
An international team of scientists has warned against relying on nature providing straightforward 'early warning' indicators of a climate disaster, as new mathematical modeling shows new fascinating aspects of the complexity of the dynamics of climate.

Study reports enormous ice loss from Greenland glacier

Fri, 03/22/2024 - 17:38
Ground-based measuring devices and aircraft radar operated in the far northeast of Greenland show how much ice the 79° N-Glacier is losing. According to measurements conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute, the thickness of the glacier has decreased by more than 160 meters since 1998. Warm ocean water flowing under the glacier tongue is melting the ice from below.

Icefields in South America are larger than all glaciers in the European Alps together

Fri, 03/22/2024 - 16:00
Although the two huge icefields in the Andes in South America cover approximately 16,000 square kilometers, an area roughly equivalent to the state of Thuringia in Germany, not much is known about the Patagonian icefields. A team led by Johannes Fürst from the Institute of Geography at FAU is trying to change that.

Q&A: Clarifying the megathrust earthquake mechanism

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 22:40
There is a 70-80% chance that the Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake will occur in the next 30 years. It is predicted to cause more extensive damage than the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and fatalities may exceed 320,000.

Estimating coastal water depth from space via satellite-derived bathymetry

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 21:25
Since ancient times, knowing the depth of coastal waters has been key to safe and successful navigation and to exploit the sea's resources. Today, bathymetry—the measurement of sea depth—is even more important, playing essential roles in our understanding of marine environments and the development of large marine structures.

Impacts of major volcanic eruptions over the past two millennia on both global and Chinese climates

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 21:23
Recently, a study by Dr. Sun Weiyi and Prof. Liu Jian from the School of Geography at Nanjing Normal University was published in Science China Earth Sciences.

New analysis sees spike in 2023 global sea level due to El Niño

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 20:44
A long-term sea level dataset shows ocean surface heights continuing to rise at faster and faster rates over decades of observations.

Satellite data assimilation improves forecasts of severe weather

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 20:32
In 2020, a line of severe thunderstorms unleashed powerful winds that caused billions in damages across the Midwest United States. A technique developed by Penn State scientists that incorporates satellite data could improve forecasts—including where the most powerful winds will occur—for similar severe weather events.

Salt marshes put to the test in wave flume

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 17:37
Can salt marshes serve as a natural solution for flood protection? Researchers of the project "Living Dikes" transported 62 big blocks of salt marshes, containing soil and vegetation, from the coast of Friesland to the Delta Flume at Deltares. After four weeks of exposure to extreme waves, almost the entire salt marsh is still standing there.

AI could help predict floods where traditional methods struggle

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 15:41
An artificial intelligence (AI) model could improve the accuracy of flood forecasting, according to a new study published in Nature. The system is shown to be as accurate as, or an improvement on, current leading methods and could provide earlier warnings of large flooding events.

New geological study shows Scandinavia was born in Greenland

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 15:25
The oldest Scandinavian bedrock was "born" in Greenland according to a new geological study from the University of Copenhagen. The study helps us understand the origin of continents and why Earth is possibly the only planet in our solar system with life.

Theme by Danetsoft and Danang Probo Sayekti inspired by Maksimer