Phys.org: Earth science

New research from the University of St Andrews has found that some coastal areas will become much more acidic than previously anticipated. With added atmospheric CO2, these areas are acidifying more quickly than thought, posing an existential threat to coastal economies around the world.

Emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from lakes and reservoirs risk doubling by the end of the century due to climate change, according to a new study from Linköping University, Sweden, and NASA Ames Research Center in the US. This in turn could raise Earth's temperature more than suggested by the UN climate panel IPCC's current worst-case scenario.

Climate change and the associated rising temperatures are melting more and more frozen ground in the Arctic. This dissolved matter contains large amounts of organic carbon which is flowing into the central Arctic Ocean.

A large research study by an international team of scientists led by Christoph Böttner from Aarhus University shows clear evidence of extensive natural hydrocarbon seepage along the Northeast Greenland margin—one of the least explored continental margins on Earth.

Under the influence of global warming, the Arctic is transitioning from a state dominated by multi-year thick ice to a "New Arctic" characterized predominantly by first-year thin ice. This younger ice is more fragile and prone to melting, which not only exacerbates the instability of the ice cover but also introduces new challenges for sea-ice prediction.

When water penetrates rock crevices in permafrost, it transports heat deep underground, where it causes the frozen rock to thaw. Researchers at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) have explored which processes destabilize rock to the point of collapse using a high-profile example.

New research has revealed for the first time the full extent of how "Artificial Light At Night" (ALAN) is increasing carbon released by plants and animals across continents—without any increase in the carbon they absorb. The result is reduced carbon storage in ecosystems—which has major implications for climate models and global carbon budgets.

Thanks to their use of a unique methodology, a McGill-led research team has obtained new insights into how boulders affect snow melt in mountainous northern environments, with implications for local water resources.

Melting ice in the Arctic is causing an increasing amount of freshwater to enter the North Atlantic, which is expected to result in a weakening of the Atlantic overturning circulation. However, many modeling studies make unrealistic assumptions about how this water enters the ocean. A new study published in Ocean Modelling shows that the timing, location, and source of freshwater input can have a considerable impact on its eventual fate and should therefore be taken into account in future model experiments.

A new paper published in Biological Reviews has revealed the potential of desert ecosystems in the global fight against climate change. The review, led by Prof. Zeng Fanjiang from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, synthesizes evidence showing that deserts can function as vital carbon sinks through innovative management and technology.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an ocean current system that transports heat from the tropics to the North Atlantic, plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. Most climate models project a decline in AMOC strength under anthropogenic greenhouse gas warming. However, it remains unclear whether the AMOC has slowed over the past century, and if so, when this slowdown began.

They power green energy, enhance defense systems, and drive the future of microelectronics. Known as critical minerals, elements like lithium, cobalt, and nickel are vital to national security and innovation. Yet the U.S. faces a growing challenge: securing stable, domestic supplies for critical minerals. Today, the nation remains heavily reliant on imports, often from geopolitically unstable or adversarial regions.

Berry Glacier, a tributary of the Getz Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, has deteriorated dramatically in the past three decades, according to researchers in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine.

Climate change is accelerating continental rifting, the geological process where landmasses slowly pull apart. According to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the East African Rift System (EARS) became more tectonically active after its major lakes shrank due to a drier climate 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. This could have caused more frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Dr. Peter Shi from Macquarie Business School explains how low-carbon supply chain finance helps businesses reduce emissions, unlock green funding and build resilient, profitable networks amid global climate challenges.

Earth scientists have discovered how continents are slowly peeled from beneath, fueling volcanic activity in an unexpected place: the oceans.

The way clusters of differently sized water droplet populations are distributed within clouds affects larger-scale cloud properties, such as how light is scattered and how quickly precipitation forms. Studying and simulating cloud droplet microphysical structure is difficult. But recent field observations have provided crucial, centimeter-scale data on cloud droplet size distributions in stratocumulus clouds, giving researchers an opportunity to better match their models to reality.

Mining is a controversial topic: On one hand, we need raw materials such as copper for the transition to climate-friendly technologies, but on the other hand, exploration and raw material extraction are primarily associated with environmental pollution and exploitation.

Climate change is leading to stronger flood disasters. TU Wien and Joanneum Research have developed a new model that shows how private and public protection measures interact.

No one knows when the next major earthquake will strike. In the meantime, researchers are working to understand how these events could disrupt access to health care in densely populated regions—and how best to prepare for them.