Phys.org: Earth science

In recent years, the frequency of weather-related natural disasters—cyclones, torrential rains, floods—has increased as a consequence of global warming. These disasters cause billions of dollars in damage and losses every year. As a result, there is great interest in weather control, the process by which human intervention can deliberately alter the weather.

Two diamonds formed 700 kilometers below the Earth's surface reveal a life-giving synchronicity between shifting continents and the cycling of phosphorus, a vital building block of DNA and cell membranes.

Isoprene is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is produced naturally by plants. More than 500 megatonnes of isoprene are emitted each year into Earth's atmosphere, primarily from tropical forests. Soils are recognized sinks for atmospheric isoprene, but their behavior in natural environments remains poorly understood, particularly in the Amazon, where emissions are globally significant.

Researchers at Newcastle University have carried out the first comprehensive modeling of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk in Bhutan and identified previously unrecognized high-risk lakes.

The Tibetan Plateau, together with the Hindu Kush–Karakorum–Himalaya region, has more snow and ice than any other region on Earth apart from the polar regions. As a result, this high-altitude region is particularly sensitive to climate change, making it especially important in analyzing its impacts. In recent years, researchers from the DFG Research Training Group TransTiP have been investigating changes in the region's geo-ecosystems.

High-resolution sediment analyses from the Arabian Sea reveal, for the first time, that summer and winter monsoons respond differently to global climate change. The study enhances understanding of past precipitation patterns and could help refine climate models for regions influenced by monsoons.

Research by atmospheric scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues pinpointed an individual coal-fired power plant in Houston as the main source of particles most likely to encourage the formation of clouds around the metropolitan area.

CSIRO hydrologist Dr. Jai Vaze has lost count of how many times over the past four years he has been asked if he can flood-proof the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Oceanic transform faults are strike-slip boundaries—faults that move horizontally rather than up and down and connect offset mid-ocean ridge segments. They have long been regarded as simple "conservative" plate boundaries that slide past each other without creating or destroying Earth's crust. However, mounting evidence suggests that these faults are influenced by magmatism and hydrothermal circulation, exhibiting complex three-dimensional structures.

An international expedition including University of Sydney researchers has pieced together the clearest picture yet of how the Great Barrier Reef responded to dramatic environmental change over the past 30,000 years. Multiple studies since the expedition more than 10 years ago have traced the reef's retreat, regrowth and repeated collapse from the last ice age to the dawn of the modern reef.

Venezuela has a well-documented vulnerability to earthquakes. The country sits on the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, resulting in routine tremors and causing historical earthquake disasters. But the experience of a "doublet," a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes 40 seconds apart, on June 24 was a rare misfortune.

The Antarctic ozone hole was discovered in 1985, when scientists observed a severe depletion in Earth's protective layer of stratospheric ozone. Industrial chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), then widely used as refrigerants, propellants, foam-blowing agents and solvents, were at the root of the ozone depletion. After a concerted global effort to phase out the use of CFCs, ozone today is recovering, especially in the Antarctic.

New research led by the University of New England's Dr. Timothy Chapman has uncovered the trigger behind slow earthquakes, providing valuable answers for those living in disaster-prone areas. The research has been published in Geology.

In the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes in northern Venezuela, which by Friday had killed more than 500 people and left thousands injured, experts in resilience planning have emphasized the increasing importance of disaster preparedness in earthquake-prone California.

Human-driven climate change significantly intensified the retreat of one of the most important glaciers in Antarctica during the 20th century. The Pine Island Glacier, which drains a large part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Amundsen Sea, is one of the biggest contributors to global sea level rise.

For decades, scientists have searched for a clear link between the sun's explosive storms and the weather that occurs on Earth. A breakthrough study from the University of New Hampshire reveals that in the hours and days following a solar storm, parts of North America can see sharp changes in the weather—such as declines in precipitation—and the more powerful the storm, the more dramatic the shift.

Scientists investigating a proposed way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using seawater have found that adding too much alkalinity to neutralize acids can trigger chemical reactions that undermine the process.

In a Penn State lab, a small cylinder of soil sits wired with sensors, slowly cooling as it mimics conditions thousands of miles away.

The Himalayas are often seen as one of Earth's great natural barriers, separating the heavily populated and industrialized regions of South Asia from the remote Tibetan Plateau. But new research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that this mountain range is not an impenetrable wall for air pollution.

Biomass burning, including the combustion of wood, charcoal and agricultural residues, is a major source of PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that degrades air quality and poses risks to human health. Much of this pollution is tracked by looking at levels of levoglucosan, a chemical that is formed when cellulose in plants is burned, from biomass combustion such as residential fuel use, cooking and open burning.