Phys.org: Earth science

Forest fires are a fundamental force in Earth's dynamics with a direct impact on human health, food security, and biodiversity. From air quality to landscape configuration and resource availability, the consequences of fire have influenced the development of society throughout history. Their effects on the oceans, though less known, are equally significant.

Aerosols could hold the key to stopping potentially destructive cyclones in their tracks, according to a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University (ANU).

An instrument built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to map minerals on Earth is now revealing clues about water quality. A recent study found that EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) was able to identify signs of sewage in the water at a Southern California beach.

The Kaiser effect, which is known as a stress memory effect, predicts that seismic events occur only when the previous maximum stress is exceeded. Therefore, the Kaiser effect has been applied for the estimation of the magnitude of "in situ" stress on crustal rocks in the community of geotechnical engineering (including forecasting earthquakes).

Geoscientists Professor Anne Bernhardt of Freie Universität Berlin and PD Dr. Wolfgang Schwanghart of the University of Potsdam have uncovered a surprising insight using a global statistical model: The primary factor influencing the formation of submarine canyons is the steepness of the seafloor—not, as commonly assumed, the role of rivers and where they transport sediment into the ocean.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reveals that the East Asian summer monsoon underwent frequent and rapid shifts even during past warm periods that were previously thought to be climatically stable.

As Hurricane Idalia approached Florida's Big Bend in August 2023, warm waters of the Gulf fueled its growth. In less than 24 hours, the storm jumped from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in a phenomenon known as rapid intensification.

A pair of meteorologists in the Netherlands has used new simulations to show just how cold many of Europe's cities could get if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) were to collapse due to global warming. In their study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, René van Westen and Michiel Baatsen developed a climate model based on a range of ocean temperature changes that could arise due to global warming.

At the end of July 2023, extreme, heavy rainfall suddenly struck North China (23.7 event), causing severe flood disasters in Beijing, Hebei, and other places, resulting in significant casualties and property losses. How did this record-breaking rainstorm form? Is it only the combined effect of the Typhoon Doksuri and the terrain?

Mercury levels in the world's rivers have more than doubled since the pre-industrial era, according to new research from Tulane University that establishes the first known global baseline for riverine mercury pollution.

Trace metals such as iron or zinc that are stored in deep-sea sediments are lost forever to phytoplankton on the ocean surface. This is what geochemists believed for a long time about the cycle of micronutrients in seawater. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered that this is not the case.

Scientists from the Natural History Museum have unraveled the geological mysteries behind jadarite, a rare lithium-bearing mineral with the potential to power Europe's green energy transition which, so far, has only been found in one place on Earth, Serbia's Jadar Basin.

California's Central Valley—one of the nation's most critical agricultural regions and home to over 1.3 million people—is prone to flooding. Mapping the extent of winter floods has been challenging for experts, however, because clouds can obscure the view of satellites.

A review in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters reveals that climate extremes are increasingly striking in combination—and their compounding impact is posing a growing threat to public health across China.

Climate models are essential tools for understanding our planet's future, helping scientists predict global warming patterns, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. These sophisticated computer simulations play a key role in raising awareness about climate change and informing crucial policy decisions. Thus, they can shape our response to environmental challenges over the coming decades.

Tropical cyclones represent a danger to life, property, and the economies of communities. Researchers who study tropical cyclones have focused on remote observations, using space-based platforms to image these storms, inform forecasts, better predict landfall, and improve understanding of storm dynamics and precipitation evolution (see fig. 1).

Jarosite might not sparkle like a gem, but in the world of environmental geochemistry, it's a treasure.

Opening any new North Sea oil and gas fields is incompatible with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C or holding warming to "well below 2°C" relative to preindustrial levels, finds a new report published by UCL academics.

When volcanoes are preparing to erupt, scientists rely on typical signs to warn people living nearby: deformation of the ground and earthquakes, caused by underground chambers filling up with magma and volcanic gas. But some volcanoes, called "stealthy" volcanoes, don't give obvious warning signs. Now scientists studying Veniaminof, Alaska, have developed a model which could explain and predict stealthy eruptions.

As the global climate continues to warm, fire seasons have intensified, and large-scale wildfires have become more frequent in many parts of the world. Factors such as vegetation type, land use patterns, and human activity all affect the likelihood of ignition, but wildfire proliferation ultimately depends on two factors: climate and fuel availability.