Phys.org: Earth science

A new real-time monitoring system captures minute-by-minute changes in toxic metals resulting from traffic pollution. Research indicates that non-exhaust sources, including brake wear, significantly contribute to urban health risks.

A total collapse of the roughly 80-mile-wide Thwaites Glacier, the widest in the world, would trigger changes that could lead to 11 feet of sea-level rise, according to scientists who study Antarctica. To better predict fractures that could lead to such a collapse—and to better understand the processes driving changes in Antarctic ice shelves—a team led by researchers at Penn State developed a new method to evaluate cracks that destabilize ice shelves and accelerate those losses.

Colossal volcanic eruptions like the kind that may have obliterated the dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago are caused by mantle plumes that rise from shifting underground mountains deep within the Earth's mantle, new research led by University of Wollongong (UOW) geophysicists and statistical scientists has revealed.

A leading expert in the health impacts of plastic pollution and microplastics is calling on the UN to end the use of toxic chemicals in all plastics, cap and reduce plastic production and argues against a treaty focused on waste management and recycling, as part of an international Plastics Treaty.

An international research team led by Aalto University has just published the first large-scale analysis based on long-term satellite data on the effects of peatland restoration. The paper is published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

New international research led by Professors Willy Baeyens and Yue Gao of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), published in One Earth, demonstrates that plankton is not only the basis of the marine food chain but also a crucial natural ally in combating global warming.

The climate we live in affects our lives in profound ways: hot summers, cold winters, dry spells and wet weather all leave their mark.

In the late 2010s, when Assistant Professor Flavio Lehner worked for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, water managers often asked him about the drought in the Southwest. Was the low precipitation simply an unlucky draw in the cycle of long-term weather variations? What role did climate change play? Most importantly, was the drought there to stay?

At the year's halfway point, the National Interagency Fire Center reported active fires in 10 states, marking the highest number of individual fires in a decade. Some of the more vulnerable homes lie at the intersection of forest and town—the wildland-urban interface.

Plastic waste pollutes oceans across all regions of the world. Marine animals may become entangled in larger plastic debris such as nets and bags or mistake smaller pieces for food. Ingested plastic can block or injure the gastrointestinal tract. The smallest plastic particles in the micro and nano range are mostly excreted, but a small proportion can pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream.

Groundwater is declining across Eastern Washington's complex, interconnected aquifer system, as people draw on it for irrigation, drinking and other uses at a pace that threatens its sustainability, according to a new study by a Washington State University researcher.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) rank among the most destructive weather phenomena, often bringing intense winds, heavy rainfall, and massive storm surges.

Analysis of ancient core samples from the bottom of a lagoon in the Northern Territory suggests future monsoons across northern Australia will be more intense as the global climate warms further.

An international research team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has, for the first time, succeeded in visualizing and quantifying the complex airflow dynamics directly above the ocean surface in high resolution. Using an innovative laser measurement system, previously unknown and highly complex mechanisms of energy exchange between wind and waves have been deciphered—a significant step forward for climate research, weather models, and ocean dynamics. The research findings have been published in Nature Communications.

Described as "Earth's kryptonite twin," jadarite is a rare and fascinating mineral that quickly caught the attention of scientists and Superman fans alike.

A combination of sewage overflows and coastal winds could be sending billions of airborne microplastic particles into the world's coastal towns and cities, a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests.

Northern Australia's annual monsoon season brings relief to drought-stricken lands and revitalizes crops and livestock for farmers. But a study of 150,000 years of climate records shows that the monsoon is likely to intensify—triggering a higher risk of flooding while worsening the impact of droughts in East Asia.

Understanding whether lakes are fed predominantly by groundwater or rainwater is critical to managing our water resources in the face of droughts and shortages, new research has found.

Across Europe and around the world, melting glaciers are reshaping landscapes and climate systems. Researchers Elzė Buslavičiūtė and Dr. Laurynas Jukna from the Institute of Geosciences at the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, explain how satellite data is used to monitor glacier movement, assess their response to climate change, and calculate these changes through remote sensing technologies from space.

New research finds that not only will climate change make heat waves hotter and longer, but the lengthening of heat waves will accelerate with each additional fraction of a degree of warming.