A team of scientists suggests that shifting winds in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica may have triggered a rapid increase in carbon dioxide levels at the end of the last ice age. This mechanism could amplify manmade warming and has been supported by sediment core analysis, but other climate models disagree.
A study led by UCF scientist Wade Winterhalter uses cricket reproduction patterns to predict the impact of global warming on humans. The research combines global warming models with biological predictions, simulating daily and seasonal temperature changes in crickets over a six-degree Celsius increase.
Climate scientist Andrew Dessler explains that warmer temperatures lead to higher humidity, causing additional warming through the water vapor feedback mechanism. This process is responsible for significant predicted warming over the next century, with potential devastating long-term consequences.
The observed ocean warming has contributed significantly to global average sea level rise, with a 20mm increase over the past 53 years. The thermosteric component of sea level change is one of several factors affecting sea level, including glacier melting and freshwater transfer.
Unchecked global warming would lead to a dramatic expansion of low-oxygen areas in the ocean, affecting fisheries and ecosystems for thousands of years. The team's projections show that these oxygen minimum zones could expand much more still and invade the deep ocean.
A new study reveals that most of Antarctica has been warming at a rate comparable to the rest of the world, contrary to previous findings on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The research used satellite data and weather station measurements to estimate temperature trends and found that West Antarctica warmed more than East Antarctica.
A survey of 3,146 earth scientists found consensus on the reality of climate change, with climatologists showing strongest agreement. Petroleum geologists and meteorologists were among the biggest doubters, but most still acknowledge human involvement in global warming.
A recent study analyzing satellite data reveals a significant link between drought and deforestation in equatorial Asia, leading to increased global warming. The practice of using fire to clear forests releases substantial amounts of climate-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Researchers used NASA satellite data to estimate the heat-trapping effect of water vapor, validating its critical component role in climate change. The study found that increasing water vapor leads to a spiraling cycle of warming and increased absorption, amplifying the warming effect of other greenhouse gases.
Researchers found that global warming may not be the primary cause of widespread amphibian declines, contradicting previous widely-held views. The study suggests alternative factors, such as a fungal infection and pesticide use, may be driving these extinctions.
A new study by UC Irvine finds that fungi in dry spruce forests produce less carbon dioxide when soil is warmed, potentially slowing climate change. This discovery could influence global climate change predictions and policy.
A University of East Anglia study demonstrates that human influence is responsible for warming in both Arctic and Antarctic regions. The findings contradict previous observations and the IPCC's previous stance on Antarctica.
After eight years of near-zero growth, global methane concentrations have resumed their increase, potentially offsetting the slowing growth rate of carbon dioxide. Methane is a key greenhouse gas, accounting for nearly 20% of global warming since the industrial revolution.
Studies reveal that solar forcing has negligible impact on recent global warming, while a declining Arctic sea ice cover threatens an ice-free North Pole. A new model also explains the behavior of slow earthquakes by simulating random fault slip.
Global warming may threaten tropical plant and animal species living in mountainous regions, forcing them to move uphill in search of suitable climates. This could lead to the extinction of half of the studied species in Costa Rican lowlands unless they develop tolerances for higher temperatures.
Researchers excavated 12-ton soil monoliths in Oklahoma to study warming effects on grasslands. Warming by 4 degrees Celsius suppressed plant growth and land carbon absorption for two years.
The thawing of permafrost is expected to release a significant amount of carbon dioxide, potentially doubling current atmospheric levels. This could lead to a substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions and further accelerate global warming.
A new study suggests that grazing animals in the Arctic can reduce the expected expansion of shrub growth, which would otherwise help mitigate climate change by absorbing more carbon dioxide. The researchers found that muskoxen and caribou reduced shrub growth by 19-46% in plots with increased temperatures.
A new analysis of ice cores reveals that West Antarctica's climate is influenced by atmospheric and oceanic changes in the tropical Pacific, with dramatic year-to-year temperature swings and a century-long warming trend. The findings show the connection between global warming and periodic events like El Niño.
Researchers at Arizona State University have made a breakthrough in understanding the effect of brown carbon on climate change by developing a novel technique to measure its optical properties. This discovery could lead to more accurate forecasting of global warming activity, as current models often overlook this key component.
A new study finds global warming could lead to larger changes in snowmelt in the western US, increasing wildfire risk and creating new water management challenges. The critical surface temperature feedback is twice as strong as projected, potentially accelerating warming.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center predict that global warming will cause a 30% growth in kidney-stone cases by 2050, with an additional 1.6-2.2 million new cases. Dehydration is a major risk factor for kidney stones, and warmer temperatures are expected to exacerbate this effect.
A new survey of Floridians reveals a strong consensus on climate change: most believe it's happening now and will have dangerous impacts. The majority also supports policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even if it affects their pocketbooks.
A UCR-led research team found that an abrupt release of methane triggered global warming and ended the last 'snowball' ice age. The study suggests that methane clathrate destabilization acted as a runaway feedback to increased warming.
Researchers predict a rise in kidney stone disease due to global warming, with a potential cost of $1 billion annually by 2050. The southern US is expected to see an expansion of the
A new analysis combining decades of data from all continents shows that human-caused warming is changing life on a global scale. The study found that physical and biological systems are being affected, including changes in tree leafing, bird migrations, and ocean plankton and fish communities.
Tropical species will experience reduced health and population growth rates due to global warming, while high-latitude species may benefit slightly from warmer temperatures. The impacts of global warming on species in the tropics will be more detrimental than those in high latitudes.
A study by Eric Post at Penn State has found that global warming is causing trophic mismatch in West Greenland's caribou population, where plant growth is advancing ahead of animal births. This phenomenon, linked to climate change, may hinder the species' ability to adapt and persist.
Climate experts weigh in on An Inconvenient Truth, agreeing it raises public awareness but contains weaknesses and exaggerations. The film's main weakness is its reliance on individual extreme events to prove global warming.
A new study published in Environmental Research Letters finds no correlation between cosmic rays and cloud cover, contradicting a 2007 TV program that suggested global warming is caused by a decrease in cosmic rays. The researchers from Lancaster and Durham Universities analyzed data and found no reliable connection between the two.
A recent study by Texas A&M University researchers found that increased knowledge about global warming is linked to decreased concern and sense of responsibility among Americans. The study suggests that high levels of confidence in scientists may be contributing to this phenomenon.
A recent survey conducted by University of Missouri professor David Konisky found that Americans are more concerned about local environmental issues than global warming. The top three priorities for government action are protecting community drinking water, reducing pollution of US rivers and lakes, and improving urban air pollution.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that natural variability in the Earth's atmosphere is masking the overall effect of global warming in the North Atlantic Ocean. Heat stored in the North Atlantic has a complex pattern, suggesting that natural changes in the atmosphere also play a role.
A new study by George Mason University finds that Democrats and Republicans take similar numbers of environmentally friendly actions, with only a slight difference in perception of global warming's severity. Beliefs about climate change are more closely linked to environmental action than party affiliation.
Recent research found California's temperatures have jumped statewide by more than 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit between 1915 and 2000, with the warming being fastest in late winter and early spring. The study suggests that natural causes alone cannot explain this trend and points to greenhouse gases and urbanization as contributing factors.
NASA researchers found that 2007 was tied with 1998 for the second-warmest year on record, with significant warming in the Arctic region. The study used temperature data from various sources and confirmed a strong trend of global warming over the past 30 years.
A Duke University-led study found that North Atlantic Ocean surface waters warmed from 1950 to 2000 due to natural wind patterns called the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), not human-caused global warming. The subpolar regions cooled while subtropical and tropical waters warmed
A recent study published in Nature reveals that northern terrestrial ecosystems are losing more carbon dioxide through autumnal warming than they gain during spring, offsetting nearly 90% of increased carbon uptake. This finding highlights the critical role of autumn temperatures in determining the carbon balance of these ecosystems.
Researchers from NOAA and University of Miami found that natural climate variations can impact hurricane intensity. They discovered that regions with warmer oceans have increased potential intensity, while others experience decreased potential intensity.
A new study found that leading global climate models do an unsatisfactory job of mimicking climate change, particularly in the lower and middle atmosphere. The researchers compared the models' output with actual climate data and found discrepancies, casting doubt on the reliability of these models for predicting future climate changes.
A new study suggests that deep-sea temperatures warmed about 1,300 years before the tropical surface ocean and well before the rise in atmospheric CO2. The finding indicates that rising greenhouse gas was likely a result of warming and may have accelerated the meltdown, but was not its main cause.
A study analyzing sediments from a British bog found that methane emissions increased due to intense global warming around 55 million years ago. The team discovered that carbon isotope values of hopanoids suddenly decreased, indicating a shift in the diet of bacteria from carbon-based compounds to methane.
A new study published in Nature finds that increasing surface ozone near the Earth's surface can lead to significant reductions in regional plant production and crop yields. This could undermine the ability of plants and soil to slow down global warming, as they currently store about a quarter of human carbon dioxide emissions.
An analysis of US city-specific weather data reveals that global warming will lead to more deaths in summer due to extreme temperatures. Deaths from all causes are known to rise when temperatures go up, and heart attacks and cardiac arrests are more likely when it is very cold.
The Arctic has seen its spring arrive significantly earlier than it did just a decade ago, with flowering dates advancing by up to 30 days in some species. This rapid change is considered one of the clearest signals of biological response to rising temperatures, and offers an early warning of global warming's effects.
Researchers Philip Mote and Georg Kaser attribute Kilimanjaro's ice decline primarily to solar radiation and sublimation, rather than atmospheric warming. The decrease in snowfall and energy absorption by the ice also contribute to its shrinking size.
Research at University of California - Irvine reveals that dirty snow can explain up to 19% of the Arctic warming attributed to greenhouse gases. Soot-infused snow absorbs sunlight and causes heating.
Climate models predict the West Antarctic ice sheet and Arctic sea ice will collapse due to continued global warming. The researchers estimate that additional global warming of 1ºC above 2000 levels is likely to be 'dangerous'.
Research from Arizona State University highlights how global warming will drastically alter the world's fisheries, threatening human nutrition and species health. The study finds that changes in ocean temperatures and atmospheric conditions will affect fish stocks and habitats, leading to potential extinction of certain species.
Researchers confirmed a direct link between volcanic eruptions and global warming, with sea surface temperatures rising by up to six degrees in the Arctic. The study analyzed ash layers and marine fossil records to establish this connection about 55 million years ago.
Climate model simulations indicate a robust increase in wind shear in the tropical Atlantic, which could counteract global warming's effects on hurricane intensity. The study suggests that increased wind shear may inhibit both hurricane development and intensification.
A new study suggests that tropical rainforests are crucial in slowing down global warming, while planting trees in mid- and high-latitude locations could exacerbate climate change. The research confirms that forests in these regions would not only fail to mitigate the effects of global warming but also potentially increase temperatures.
A team of international scientists, including Case Western Reserve University's Matthew Sobel, has proposed eight ways to improve biodiversity forecasting in the face of global warming. The researchers aim to provide more accurate predictions and reduce misinformation that can divert resources away from other areas. By acknowledging th...
A new study by Carnegie Institution and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reveals that global warming has already affected global food supply, with average yield drops of 3-5% for every 1 degree F increase in temperature. The study estimates annual losses of $5 billion for major food crops.
A new NASA study finds that Earth's 'sunscreen' of aerosols has declined since the early 1990s, which could have given a boost to global warming. The finding sheds light on recent climate change trends and may lead to improved understanding of the forces at work.
A team of researchers calls for better forecasting of extinction rates due to global warming. They argue that current models overestimate extinction risks and propose eight recommendations to improve forecasts, including clarifying biodiversity definitions and testing existing models more rigorously.
Researchers discovered that ants in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, have adapted to higher temperatures. The findings suggest a link between urban heat islands and the physiological adjustments of species.
A majority of Americans agree with most scientists that the Earth is getting warmer, but they are uncertain about the seriousness of the problem. The uncertainty stems from a belief that scientists disagree about global warming, despite being on the same wavelength with the scientific community about the basics of the issue.
A national survey found that most Americans acknowledge global warming's reality but rank it as a moderate risk. They generally support climate change policies, yet resist carbon taxes on energy sources. The study also identified distinct groups of 'alarmists' and 'naysayers' with differing views on the issue.
Researchers found that Antarctic temperatures did not increase as predicted by climate models, despite a global warming trend. The continent's vast size and limited data availability contribute to the discrepancy.