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The latest news on earth sciences and the environment
Updated: 1 day 22 hours ago

Satellite images reveal positive effects of restoration in northern hemisphere peatlands

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 18:06
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.

More phytoplankton in Southern Ocean can help combat global warming

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 16:41
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.

Teeth record hidden history of your childhood climate and diet

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 16:38
The climate we live in affects our lives in profound ways: hot summers, cold winters, dry spells and wet weather all leave their mark.

Climate change and aerosols drive persistent drought and lower rainfall in Southwest, study finds

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 16:28
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?

Model developed for more effective wildfire evacuation

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 15:06
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.

Study reveals the extent to which nanoplastic pollutes the North Atlantic

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 15:00
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.

Aquifer system faces decline in multiple regions, study shows

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 13:40
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.

Ancient shell data reveal shifts in tropical cyclone patterns over 3,000 years

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 13:20
Tropical cyclones (TCs) rank among the most destructive weather phenomena, often bringing intense winds, heavy rainfall, and massive storm surges.

Ice melt linked to monsoon changes

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 12:12
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.

How the wind shapes the waves: Laser measurements reveal previously hidden interactions above the ocean

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 12:01
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.

Jadarite: The real-life kryptonite with super potential

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 11:30
Described as "Earth's kryptonite twin," jadarite is a rare and fascinating mineral that quickly caught the attention of scientists and Superman fans alike.

Sewage spills and coastal winds may be sending airborne microplastics into cities

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 10:51
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.

Tree pollen reveals 150,000 years of monsoon history—and a warning for Australia's northern rainfall

Wed, 07/09/2025 - 10:41
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.

How lakes connect to groundwater critical for resilience to climate change, research finds

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 23:00
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.

Tracking ice, tracking change: Satellite data reveal how melting glaciers reshape landscapes

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 20:26
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.

Heat wave duration is accelerating faster than global warming, researchers find

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 19:43
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.

Satellites reveal tropical wetland flooding did not cause methane surge

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 19:43
A large increase in atmospheric methane between 2020 and 2022 raised concerns that tropical wetland emissions had surged in response to a changing climate, but a study led by the University of Michigan shows that this was not the case. The methane must have come from somewhere else.

Daily mismatch between temperature and humidity helps shield cloud forests from dryness

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 17:35
A daily mismatch between temperature and humidity, observed in certain mountain and waterside regions, helps regulate atmospheric dryness. According to a new study published in Science Advances, this protective effect may weaken under global warming.

Water storage in dams has caused minute shifts in Earth's poles, study finds

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 17:23
Over the past two centuries, humans have locked up enough water in dams to shift Earth's poles slightly away from the planet's axis of rotation, according to recent research.

Decade-long study shows reduced winter snowpack impairs forests' ability to store carbon

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 17:00
Forests are a crucial resource for carbon mitigation, currently offsetting around 20% of North American carbon emissions. As temperatures continue to rise, scientists are rushing to understand how climate change is affecting forests and their carbon sequestering abilities. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides some valuable insight into how warmer winters might hinder the ability of trees to store carbon—despite warmer summers encouraging their growth.

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