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Updated: 1 day 19 hours ago

Once king of the seas, a giant iceberg is finally breaking up

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 20:16
Nearly 40 years after breaking off Antarctica, a colossal iceberg ranked among the oldest and largest ever recorded is finally crumbling apart in warmer waters, and could disappear within weeks.

Deforestation reduces rainfall by 74% and increases temperatures by 16% in Amazon during dry season, study says

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 19:22
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is responsible for approximately 74.5% of the reduction in rainfall and 16.5% of the temperature increase in the biome during the dry season. For the first time, researchers have quantified the impact of vegetation loss and global climate change on the forest.

How Amazon trees use recent rainfall in the dry season and support the production of their own rain

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 19:20
The Amazon is the world's largest tropical forest, home to unmatched biodiversity and one of the planet's longest rivers. Besides the Amazon River, the Amazon rainforest also features "flying rivers:" invisible streams of vapor that travel through the atmosphere, fueling rainfall both within the forest and far beyond its boundaries.

Cities face double trouble: Extreme heat and air pollution mean increasing compound weather events

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 18:40
U.S. cities are facing a growing threat that goes beyond hot weather or hazy air. New research from the University of Oklahoma reveals that "compound events"—periods when heat wave conditions coincide with high air pollution levels—are becoming more frequent and intense in urban areas across the United States.

Scientists tune in to the surf's hidden signals for potential mapping data

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 18:40
Along the coast, waves break with a familiar sound. The gentle swash of the surf on the seashore can lull us to sleep, while the pounding of storm surge warns us to seek shelter.

The ocean carbon sink is ailing: 10% drop in CO₂ absorption seen during record 2023 marine heat wave

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 17:16
Measurements analyzed by an international research team led by ETH Zurich show that the global ocean absorbed significantly less CO₂ than anticipated during the unprecedented marine heat wave in 2023.

Scientists identify unique chemical regime for secondary organic aerosol formation in urban China

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 16:24
Air pollution from secondary organic aerosols (SOA) has now become a greater problem in Chinese cities since 2013 because regulations have successfully reduced fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted directly from, for example, vehicles and industries, according to a study led by Prof. Huang Rujin at the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Marianne Glasius at Aarhus University.

Why was the Afghanistan earthquake so deadly? A disaster resilience expert explains

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 13:43
The death toll following the recent earthquake in Afghanistan continues to rise. Taliban-led health authorities now say at least 800 people have been killed and 2,000 injured.

The tipping of the last resilient glaciers: Filling in years of missing data from Tajikistan

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 09:00
Too little snowfall is now also shaking the foundations of some of the world's most resilient "water towers," a new study led by the Pellicciotti group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) shows. After establishing a monitoring network on a new benchmark glacier in central Tajikistan, the international team of researchers was able to model the entire catchment's behavior from 1999 to 2023.

For the first time in 40 Years, Panama's deep and cold ocean waters fail to emerge

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 19:50
The natural phenomenon of upwelling, which occurs annually in the Gulf of Panama, failed for the first time on record in 2025. A study led by scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) indicates that the weakening of the trade winds was the cause of this event. This finding highlights the climate's impact on fundamental oceanic processes and the coastal communities that depend on them.

Satellite laser ranging technique reveals 90 mm sea-level surge over past 30 years

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 17:00
The rise in global mean sea level (GMSL) is a critical indicator of climate change. Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) researchers have utilized advanced space geodetic technologies to deliver the first precise 30-year (1993–2022) record of global ocean mass change (also known as barystatic sea level), revealing its dominant role in driving GMSL rise.

Sustainable energy: 'Fairy circles' can provide clues to depth of natural hydrogen sources

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 17:00
Natural hydrogen from deep underground could be an important building block for the sustainable energy system of the future, but it is currently still difficult to predict where and at what depth elevated concentrations are located. New study results from the Department of Geology at the University of Vienna could make such predictions easier in the future. So-called "fairy circles"—round patches with vegetation damage—could be helpful indicators. This is because these "fairy circles" subside due to the seepage of natural hydrogen.

Rare oceanic plate delamination may explain Portugal's mysterious earthquakes

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 15:20
One of the worst earthquakes in European history ripped through Portugal in 1755, causing a tsunami, fires and shaking that killed tens of thousands of people and caused widespread destruction. Another less well-documented earthquake occurred in the same region in 1356, and a more recent 7.9 magnitude earthquake occurred in 1969. The most recent event was recorded by seismic instruments and has been found to have originated from the flat Horseshoe Abyssal Plain, which is not near any known major tectonic faults.

The Pacific's united front on climate action is splintering over deep-sea mining

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 14:26
In recent years, Pacific island nations have earned global credibility as champions of climate action. Pacific leaders view sea level rise as an existential threat.

Seaweed on sandy coastlines contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, study shows

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 14:08
A team of researchers from Monash University has made a discovery that could reshape our understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from coastal ecosystems. Published in Nature Geoscience, the study reveals sandy coastlines, which make up half the world's continental margins, are a previously overlooked source of methane.

The top hot spots in Tokyo: Revealing the impact of climate change through data fusion

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 13:57
Global climate change is making temperatures hotter, particularly in densely populated cities, which can adversely affect the health of residents. While mitigation efforts are urgent, it is hard for urban planners to identify exactly where to target as accurate, long-term climate records created over fine spatial scales have been unavailable.

Landsat 9 sees Buccaneer Archipelago

Mon, 09/01/2025 - 12:48
The Operational Land Imager on Landsat 9 captured this image of Buccaneer Archipelago on June 11, 2025.

The climate case for planting trees has been overhyped—but it's not too late to fix it

Sun, 08/31/2025 - 11:10
The climate benefits of planting trees may have been greatly overestimated, but swift action could ensure reforestation meets its potential to curb dangerous emissions, new research has found.

Monsoon changes accelerate glacier loss across High Mountain Asia, study finds

Sat, 08/30/2025 - 09:57
Glaciers across High Mountain Asia are losing more than 22 gigatons of ice per year—the equivalent to nearly 9 million Olympic swimming pools, according to research from the University of Utah and Virginia Tech. The impact of a warming climate on glacial loss is undisputed—this new study provides the first evidence that seasonal shifts in rainfall and snowfall patterns, particularly of the South Asian monsoons, are also exacerbating glacier melting across the region.

Scientists track lightning 'pollution' in real time using NASA satellite

Sat, 08/30/2025 - 09:52
Picture this: You're stuck in traffic on a summer afternoon, checking the weather app on your phone as dark storm clouds roll in. You might think about power outages or possible flooding, but you probably don't think about how every lightning bolt that flashes across the sky also emits a gas, nitrogen oxide (NO), that is also emitted in the exhaust from your car's engine.

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