Feed aggregator
Polar bears' exposure to pathogens is increasing as their environment changes
As the Arctic warms, polar bears now face a greater risk of contracting several pathogens than bears three decades ago, according to a new study.
'Paleo-robots' to help scientists understand how fish started to walk on land
The transition from water to land is one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Now, a team of roboticists, palaeontologists and biologists is using robots to study how the ancestors of modern land animals transitioned from swimming to walking, about 390 million years ago.
Ethical framework aims to counter risks of geoengineering research
A new report says any research into large-scale interventions in Earth's climate system must be grounded in sound ethical principles so society can make informed choices about whether to deploy them.
Paws of polar bears sustaining ice-related injuries in a warming Arctic
Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet. The changes appear to be an unexpected consequence of climate change, related to changing conditions in a warming Arctic.
New ice core data provides insight into climate 'tipping points' during the last Ice Age
New research from multiple ice cores collected across Greenland with data spanning up to 120,000 years provides new understanding of abrupt Dansgaard-Oeschger events, how they unfold and what that might mean for the future.
Loss of lake ice has wide-ranging environmental and societal consequences
The world's freshwater lakes are freezing over for shorter periods of time due to climate change. This shift has major implications for human safety, as well as water quality, biodiversity, and global nutrient cycles.
Catastrophically warm predictions are more plausible than we thought
Researchers developed a rating system to evaluate the plausibility of climate model simulations in the IPCC's latest report, and show that models that lead to potentially catastrophic warming are to be taken seriously.
Snowflake dance analysis could improve rain forecasts
Research observing the physical motion of falling ice crystals could help scientists better estimate where and when these crystals will melt into raindrops.
Researchers develop new technique to measure previously undetected airborne PFAS
For decades, scientists knew there was a huge swath of undetected and unaccounted for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the atmosphere, often referred to as PFAS dark matter, but no one knew how much was missing or how to measure them. Now, an atmospheric chemistry research team has devised a way to test for one of the most ubiquitous elements of these potent greenhouse gases.
Heavy metals in the ocean become more toxic
Toxic trace elements such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium naturally occur in small quantities in coastal seas. However, human activities, such as industry and agriculture, contribute significantly larger amounts. A new study has examined how climate change already affects the distribution and accumulation of these elements and how it could impact them in the future. One of the findings: Climate-related natural events are releasing more contaminants, which pose a risk to both human and animal health. However, there is still insufficient knowledge about how these contaminants will behave in the future.
El Niño linked to accelerated ice loss in tropics
Natural climate patterns such as El Nino are causing tropical glaciers to lose their ice at an alarming rate, a new study has found.
Antarctic 'greening' at dramatic rate
Vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold over the last four decades, new research shows.
Iron nuggets in the Pinnacles unlock secrets of ancient and future climates
Small iron-rich formations found within Western Australia's Pinnacles, which are part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone belt spanning more than 1000km, have provided new insights into Earth's ancient climate and changing landscape.
Ancient sunken seafloor reveals earth's deep secrets
Geologists discover a mysterious subduction zone deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, reshaping our understanding of Earth's interior.
Ice cores show pollution's impact on Arctic atmosphere
A new study on ice cores from Alaska and Greenland found that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels reaches the remote Arctic in amounts large enough to alter its fundamental atmospheric chemistry. The researchers unexpectedly found pollution's footprint in levels of an airborne byproduct of marine phytoplankton activity, which plummeted as soon as widespread fossil fuel usage began in the industrial era. The findings illustrate the long reach of fossil fuel emissions.
One in two El Niño events could be extreme by mid-century
Climate change from greenhouse gas emissions could make extreme El Nino events more frequent, according to new research.
Ancient reef-builders dodged extinction -- at least temporarily
Scientists discovered that ancient reef-building stromatoporoids survived the Late Devonian extinction, contrary to previous beliefs, and continued to thrive. The findings reveal how these organisms adapted to past environmental changes, offering valuable insights into the resilience of marine ecosystems and lessons for modern conservation efforts.
Ice age clues point to more extreme weather patterns in our future
A new study combines data from ancient shells with advanced climate modeling to shed light on how El Ni o weather patterns might change in a warming world.
Harvests, wildfires, epidemics: How the jet stream has shaped extreme weather in Europe for centuries
Tree-ring data reveal that periodic shifts in strong winds high above the Earth's surface have driven opposite climates in different parts of Europe for the past 700 years and likely much longer, resulting in contrasting patterns in weather, agricultural and societal extremes.
Atmospheric blocking slows ocean-driven melting of Greenland's largest glacier tongue
Northeast Greenland is home to the 79 N Glacier -- the country's largest floating glacier tongue, but also one seriously threatened by global warming: warm water from the Atlantic is melting it from below. Experts have however now determined that the temperature of the water flowing into the glacier cavern declined from 2018 to 2021, even though the ocean has steadily warmed in the region over the past several decades. This could be due to temporarily changed atmospheric circulation patterns. Researchers now discuss how this affects the ocean and what it could mean for the future of Greenland's glaciers.
Pages
