Phys.org: Earth science

As the world transitions to greener sources of energy, demand for the metals used in these new technologies is increasing. But how do you grow the mining industry while still holding the line on carbon emissions?

As the 2024 snow season approaches, many people are wondering whether it will be a good year for skiing. In 2023, we had a poor snow season due to unusually warm and dry weather from June to September.

Carbonaceous aerosols not only alter the atmospheric radiation budget, but also accelerate glacier melt by reducing the albedo of ice and snow surfaces. However, due to the heterogeneity of carbonaceous aerosols, the identification of their sources and the assessment of their environmental impact pose significant challenges. Carbon isotope (δ13C, Δ14C) technology is an effective tool for identifying the sources of carbonaceous aerosols.

Researchers at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a novel remediation process for removing heavy metal contaminants such as arsenic from groundwater. The three-step method, which is patent-pending, also ensures that the removed heavy metals are disposed of in an environment-friendly and sustainable manner, instead of sending untreated heavy metal-rich sludge to landfills from where they can potentially re-enter groundwater.

Recent assessments suggest the ocean current known as Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is slowing down, with collapse a real possibility this century.

Climate change is causing a series of maladies by warming land and sea. A study published online in Limnology and Oceanography Letters demonstrates that one consequence of climate change that has already occurred is the spread and intensification of toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie.

The geological and topographical features that make up the world we live in are shaped in large part by faults and fractures in Earth's brittle crust. Faults arise from preexisting microscopic imperfections within rock. When the rock is subjected to increasing stress, tiny cracks form at these imperfections. The cracks grow and interact until the rock suffers larger-scale damage.

A common type of ocean algae plays a significant role in producing a massively abundant compound that helps cool the Earth's climate, new research has discovered.

A software model of Earth, meant to simulate and monitor environmental hazards while finding ways to mitigate climate change, began its monitoring and predictive mission on Monday, the EU Commission said.

A new study conducted by IIASA researchers and their colleagues highlights that cooperation in infrastructure operation between countries surrounding the Lancang-Mekong River Basin could bring major economic and environmental co-benefits.

When comparing model simulations of Earth's recent warming to real-world observations, differences can arise from several factors, including model errors in the simulated response to increased greenhouse gases and natural fluctuations within the climate system.

Timothy Lang is a co-author on an article titled "Employing Optical Lightning Data to identify lightning flashes associated to Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes," which was published in the Bulletin of Atmospheric Science and Technology.

Known for its glowing swaths of yellow, orange and red, the U.S. Drought Monitor has warned farmers, residents and officials throughout the nation of impending water scarcity every week since 1999.

A new research commentary led by Griffith University researchers highlights inequities between downstream and upstream countries that share the same watershed. The paper, "The Global Biodiversity Framework can be leveraged to better manage transboundary watersheds," has been published in PNAS.

A new study from GNS Science marks a significant step in the assessment of environmental contamination in Aotearoa New Zealand's capital.

We need two ingredients for life to start on a planet: dry land and (fresh) water. Strictly, the water doesn't have to be fresh, but fresh water can only occur on dry land.

Off the coasts of southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California lies a 600 mile-long strip where the Pacific Ocean floor is slowly diving eastward under North America. This area, called the Cascadia Subduction Zone, hosts a megathrust fault, a place where tectonic plates move against each other in a highly dangerous way.

Researchers around the globe are sounding the alarm: ocean temperatures are the warmest ever recorded. In 2023, the North Sea also experienced dramatic record highs, as readings taken by the Alfred Wegener Institute's Biological Institute Helgoland indicate. As data from the time series Helgoland Reede also reveal: It's not the first year in which the German Bight experienced marine heat waves. The high temperatures and extreme weather events are a product of climate change and could have substantial impacts on the ecosystem.

The South China Karst, the world's most concentrated karst area, has reduced rocky desertification through extensive conservation and restoration over the past two decades, making it a global "greening" hotspot. However, the sustainability of this trend remains uncertain due to challenges related to afforestation site selection, forest productivity, ecosystem services, and balancing "greening" with economic benefits.

Where there's smoke, there's not necessarily fire. Wildfire smoke, sometimes drifting from hundreds of miles away, touched nearly every lake in North America for at least one day per year from 2019 to 2021, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.