Science Daily

Subscribe to Science Daily feed Science Daily
Read science articles on the ice age, glaciation and climatology. Discover the connection between ice ages and global warming.
Updated: 1 hour 11 min ago

Thousands of animal species threatened by climate change

Tue, 05/20/2025 - 11:11
A novel analysis suggests more than 3,500 animal species are threatened by climate change and also sheds light on huge gaps in fully understanding the risk to the animal kingdom.

Research team traces evolutionary history of bacterial circadian clock on ancient Earth

Tue, 05/20/2025 - 00:27
To better understand the circadian clock in modern-day cyanobacteria, a research team has studied ancient timekeeping systems. They examined the oscillation of the clock proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC (Kai-proteins) in modern cyanobacteria, comparing it to the function of ancestral Kai proteins.

Cover crops may not be solution for both crop yield, carbon sequestration

Mon, 05/19/2025 - 12:15
People have assumed climate change solutions that sequester carbon from the air into soils will also benefit crop yields. But a new study finds that most regenerative farming practices to build soil organic carbon -- such as planting cover crops, leaving stems and leaves on the ground and not tilling -- actually reduce yields in many situations.

Glaciers will take centuries to recover even if global warming is reversed, scientists warn

Mon, 05/19/2025 - 12:15
New research reveals mountain glaciers across the globe will not recover for centuries -- even if human intervention cools the planet back to the 1.5 C limit, having exceeded it.

Rising temperatures lead to unexpectedly rapid carbon release from soils

Fri, 05/16/2025 - 12:45
How sensitively does organic carbon stored in soils react to changes in temperature and humidity?

Ancient ocean sediments link changes in currents to cooling of Northern Hemisphere 3.6 million years ago

Fri, 05/16/2025 - 12:44
New research from an international group looking at ancient sediment cores in the North Atlantic has for the first time shown a strong correlation between sediment changes and a marked period of global cooling that occurred in the Northern Hemisphere some 3.6 million years ago. The changes in sediments imply profound changes in the circulation of deep water currents occurred at this time. This crucial piece of work, which showed sediments changed in multiple sites east of the mid-Atlantic ridge but not west of that important geographical feature, opens multiple doors to future research aimed at better understanding the link between deep water currents, Atlantic Ocean heat and salt distribution and ice-sheet expansion, and climatic change.

A vicious cycle: How methane emissions from warming wetlands could exacerbate climate change

Thu, 05/15/2025 - 18:12
The latest study finds that emissions of the potent greenhouse gas might be higher than previously estimated.

Amazon could survive long-term drought but at a high cost

Thu, 05/15/2025 - 12:21
The Amazon rainforest may be able to survive long-term drought caused by climate change, but adjusting to a drier, warmer world would exact a heavy toll, a study suggests.

Dual associations with two fungi improve tree fitness

Thu, 05/15/2025 - 12:20
When trees and soil fungi form close associations with each other, both partners benefit. Many tree species have further enhanced this cooperation by forming a concurrent symbiosis with two different groups of mycorrhizal fungi. Those trees cope better with water and nutrient scarcity, which is an important trait for forestry in the face of climate warming.

What behavioral strategies motivate environmental action?

Wed, 05/14/2025 - 17:07
A collaborative study tested 17 strategies in an 'intervention tournament.' Interventions targeting future thinking, such as writing a letter for a child to read in the future, are the most effective ways to motivate climate action.

Sharp depletion in soil moisture drives land water to flow into oceans, contributing to sea level rise

Wed, 05/14/2025 - 14:53
The increasing frequency of once-in-a-decade agricultural and ecological drought has underscored the urgency of studying hydrological changes. A research team has analyzed the estimated changes in land water storage over the past 40 years by utilizing space geodetic observation technology and global hydrological change data. This innovative method has revealed a rapid depletion in global soil moisture, resulting in a significant amount of water flowing into the oceans, leading to a rise in sea levels. The research provides new insights into the driving factors behind the alarming reduction in terrestrial water storage and rise in sea levels.

Satellites observe glacier committing 'ice piracy'

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 10:31
A glacier in Antarctica is committing 'ice piracy' -- stealing ice from a neighbor -- in a phenomenon that has never been observed in such a short time frame, say scientists.

Waxing and waning prairie: New study unravels causes of ancient climate changes

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 10:31
A long period of drought in North America has been recognized by scientists for decades. A new study links the severe climate to a change in Earth's orbit.

All of the biggest U.S. cities are sinking

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 10:26
A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in the interior. Furthermore, using newly granular data, the study finds that some cities are sinking at different rates in different spots, or sinking in some places and rising in others, potentially introducing stresses that could affect buildings and other infrastructure.

Warming climate making fine particulate matter from wildfires more deadly and expensive

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 13:11
Scientists say human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional early deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States during the 15-year period ending in 2020.

The world's wealthiest 10% caused two thirds of global warming since 1990

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 12:05
Wealthy individuals have a higher carbon footprint. A new study quantifies the climate outcomes of these inequalities. It finds that the world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for two thirds of observed global warming since 1990 and the resulting increases in climate extremes such as heatwaves and droughts.

Climate change: Future of today's young people

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 11:58
Climate scientists reveal that millions of today's young people will live through unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves, crop failures, river floods, droughts, wildfires and tropical storms under current climate policies. If global temperatures rise by 3.5 C by 2100, 92% of children born in 2020 will experience unprecedented heatwave exposure over their lifetime, affecting 111 million children. Meeting the Paris Agreement's 1.5 C target could protect 49 million children from this risk. This is only for one birth year; when instead taking into account all children who are between 5 and 18 years old today, this adds up to 1.5 billion children affected under a 3.5 C scenario, and with 654 million children that can be protected by remaining under the 1.5 C threshold.

Heat and drought are quietly hurting crop yields

Tue, 05/06/2025 - 14:22
A new study reveals how climate change has altered growing conditions for the world's five major crops over the past half century and is reshaping agriculture. The impacts corroborate climate models used to predict impacts, with a couple of important exceptions according to the researchers.

2024 sea level 'report cards' map futures of US coastal communities

Tue, 05/06/2025 - 12:57
Researchers have released their 2024 U.S. sea level 'report cards,' providing updated analyses of sea level trends and projections for 36 coastal communities. Encompassing 55 years of historical data in a new, interactive dashboard, the report cards aid planning and adaptation efforts by forecasting rates of sea level rise to 2050.

Biological particles may be crucial for inducing heavy rain

Mon, 05/05/2025 - 11:18
Atmospheric and climate scientists show that biological particles may induce rain events that could contribute to flooding and snowstorms, owing to their ability to precipitate ice formation in clouds. They call for an update of meteorological and climate models.

Pages