Phys.org: Earth science

Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

A new study has revealed that small but mighty zooplankton—including copepods, krill, and salps—are key players in the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb and store carbon.

Parts of New Orleans and its surrounding wetlands are gradually sinking, and while most of the city remains stable, a new study from Tulane University researchers suggests that sections of the region's $15 billion post-Katrina flood protection system may need regular upgrades to outpace long-term land subsidence.

A new study challenges recent claims about dramatic "greening" in Antarctica and how this conflicts with decades of field-based ecological knowledge. The new opinion article, "Is Antarctica Greening?" published in Global Change Biology, responds directly to recent high-profile studies that asserted unprecedented ecological transformations based on remote sensing data.

A global study has revealed that mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) serves as the most stable long-term reservoir of carbon across diverse ecosystems, providing new insights into how carbon moves and stabilizes in soils.

NOAA and its research partners are forecasting a mild to moderate harmful algal bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie this summer. This year's bloom is expected to measure 3 on the HAB severity index, with a potential range of 2–4.

When an extreme weather event occurs, the probability or risk of other events can often increase, leading to what researchers call "cascading" hazards.

Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada.

At this year's Living Planet Symposium, attendees heard how ESA's Next Generation Gravity Mission could provide the first opportunity to directly track a vital ocean circulation system that warms our planet—but is now weakening, risking a possible collapse with far-reaching consequences.

Scientists for the first time have detected a slow slip earthquake in motion during the act of releasing tectonic pressure on a major fault zone at the bottom of the ocean.

A new review published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences sheds light on one of climate science's enduring puzzles: how the patterns of tropical ocean warming influence the behavior of tropical cyclones (TCs) in a warming world. An international team of scientists synthesizes decades of observational evidence and climate modeling advances to chart a path forward for more reliable TC projections.

As wildfires increasingly threaten lives, landscapes, and air quality across the U.S., a Stanford-led study published in AGU Advances finds that prescribed burns can help reduce risks.

A new study challenges the idea that climate change is behind the erratic wintertime behavior of the polar jet stream, the massive current of Arctic air that regulates weather for much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Every summer, typhoons threatening the Korean Peninsula draw their energy from the warm waters of the Northwest Pacific Ocean. In recent years, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events—such as heat waves, droughts, and heavy rains—have been increasingly linked to rising sea surface temperatures (SST).

Taking carbon out of the atmosphere is essential for slowing global warming—and a team of Cornell University researchers has estimated "huge" potential for carbon capture using a method that is low-tech, sustainable and relatively simple: burying wood, especially the debris from managed forests.

A recent study by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) reveals a looming climate crisis: the world could face heightened risks of "precipitation whiplashes"—violent swings between extreme droughts and floods—as early as 2028.

In a first-of-its-kind study, Stanford researchers have measured how the abundance of ocean life has changed over the past half-billion years of Earth's history.

As Britain's first heat wave of 2025 hits with temperatures climbing above 30°C, Yorkshire has joined the northwest in official drought status.

A study published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that glaciers in western Canada, the United States, and Switzerland lost around 12% of their ice between 2021 and 2024.

The past year of 2024 was characterized by repeated runs of extreme rainfall and floods worldwide. Among these, one of the most devastating events was the Central Asian flood in the spring of 2024.