A global assessment found that nearly half of the world's largest lakes have lost resilience, with dense populations and pollution being major contributors. However, wealthier regions had healthier lakes, suggesting costly conservation efforts may pay off. Lakes in eastern North America and northern Europe were hit hardest.
Nearly 40% of US households will exceed safety recommendations for lead-contaminated soil, with remediation costs potentially exceeding $1 trillion. The study found that approximately 29 million households are affected by elevated lead levels in their yards.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter has persisted for at least 190 years, with its formation likely occurring after the 17th-century astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini's observation. The spot's longevity is due to an instability in Jupiter's intense atmospheric winds, producing a long-lasting atmospheric cell.
The launch of thousands of satellites may jeopardize the recovery of the ozone hole. Aluminum oxides, formed when old satellites burn up in Earth's atmosphere, destroy stratospheric ozone. A new study estimates that by 2027, every year will release around 912 metric tons of aluminum into space.
Climate change is driving sudden onset of drying in South America and southern Africa, while Central Asia sees increased moisture due to warming temperatures
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found that active fires in west and central Africa's wet, tropical forests increased by up to 400% over 18 years, primarily caused by hot and dry conditions and human impact on forests.
A new study finds that warming climate is causing a doubling of copper, zinc, and sulfate concentrations in metal sulfide-rich watersheds in Colorado's mountains. The greatest increases are seen at high altitudes, where natural chemical weathering of bedrock is the source of rising acidity and metals.
Oasis growth and loss have been tracked globally over 25 years, with significant increases in Asia due to intentional expansion. However, desertification has led to a substantial loss of approximately 134,000 square kilometers of oasis land worldwide.
Over the past 35 years, dams and land reclamation activities converted 250,000 acres of estuary — an area roughly 17 times the size of Manhattan — to urban land or agricultural fields. Most land conversion and estuary loss in rapidly developing countries.
The TESS24 conference will focus on the impact of space weather on various systems, including satellites, GPS, and power grids. Experts will discuss new predictions for Solar Cycle 25's peak intensity and the possibility of superflares happening every 6,000 years.
A group of coastal Alaska Native tribes have successfully taken the lead on shellfish toxin testing, filling a critical gap in public health protection. However, securing stable funding and improving outreach has been limited, threatening the effectiveness of the program.
A new study finds that emergency atmospheric geoengineering would not be able to reverse changes to ocean currents, even with stratospheric aerosol injection. Gradual injections can maintain current temperatures and circulation patterns, but abrupt injections fail to restore critical ocean circulation patterns.
Researchers tracked bowhead whale migrations using acoustic data, revealing shifts in winter departure times and increased summer presence in the Chukchi Sea. Climate-driven changes may push whales into shipping lanes, posing risks to both humans and animals.
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has announced the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024, featuring panel discussions on climate interventions and ocean-based carbon dioxide removal. Researchers will also explore using shipwrecks to study changing coastlines and oceans.
A century of reforestation in the eastern US led to significant cooling effects, with forests lowering land surface temperatures by 1-2 degrees Celsius annually. The study found that forest cover can influence ground surface temperatures and near-surface air temperatures, providing relief from heatwaves.
A new study proposes that the Seattle fault zone originated from an ancient tear in the continent, with forces exerted by tectonic deformation shaping its history. The researchers mapped bedrock across western Washington and used gravity and magnetic data to test existing hypotheses of the fault's geometry.
Researchers have found that Titan's 'magic islands' are likely formed by floating chunks of porous, frozen organic solids, explaining their ephemeral nature. The discovery sheds light on the fate of simple organics on Titan's surface and provides insights into the moon's unique environment.
According to a new study, African countries saw an 80% increase in people moving to rivers and cities during or after droughts, leading to increased flood risk. This resettlement pattern is expected to intensify due to climate change, exacerbating drought's impact on vulnerable populations.
Researchers propose that early Americans used a 'sea ice highway' to migrate into North America along the Pacific coastline, traveling on winter sea ice between 24,500-22,000 years ago and 16,400-14,800 years ago. This theory provides a new framework for understanding human migration without a land bridge or easy ocean travel.
Researchers found San Francisco's SFO airport runways sinking at nearly 10mm/year, the fastest in the nation. Los Angeles LAX had the slowest subsidence rate. The study suggests prioritizing infrastructure to address climate change.
The AGU Annual Meeting 2023 press event schedule and topical tipsheets are now live, featuring curated abstracts on various topics such as groundwater and galaxies. The meeting will be held from December 11-15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) was published today, with AGU congratulating its contributors. The assessment reports on record global temperatures, wildfires, droughts, and flooding disasters aggravated by human-driven climate change.
A new study suggests that some modern earthquakes in the central and eastern United States could be long-lived aftershocks of past quakes, rather than foreshocks or background seismicity. The researchers analyzed earthquake data from three historic events in the 1800s to determine whether recent earthquakes were likely to be aftershocks.
A new study finds that compressor stations emit pollutants like particulates and VOCs, impacting nearby community health. Continuous air quality monitoring, stricter standards, and community-specific assessments are recommended to protect vulnerable populations.
A new UN-led study reveals that Bitcoin mining has a significant impact on land and water resources, with China and the US having the largest footprints. The study found that Bitcoin mining consumed 173 terawatt hours of electricity in 2020-2021, emitting 86 megatons of carbon.
The 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting brings together 5,000 scientists to discuss breaking research and critical issues affecting ocean sustainability. The biennial event will feature an online-only scientific session on Wednesday 21 February.
A new study finds that superbolts, which are less than 1% of total lightning but pack a powerful punch, tend to cluster over areas with short gaps between the electrical charging zone and land or water surface. This allows for higher-energy bolts to form due to reduced electrical resistance.
A new study finds that global warming will lead to an increase in compound climate extremes such as heavy rainfall and heatwaves, which will have devastating impacts on communities. The regions most affected are already prone to geologic hazards and produce many of the world's crops.
A new study finds that most coastal communities will experience 100-year floods annually by the end of the century, even under a moderate carbon emission scenario. Rising sea levels will lead to an increase in extreme flood events worldwide.
Historically underserved communities are more likely to live behind subpar levees with fewer resources to maintain infrastructure. The study highlights the need for targeted funding to address these disparities and reduce the risk of catastrophic levee failure.
A new study suggests that applying crushed volcanic rocks to agricultural fields can draw down 217 gigatons of carbon dioxide, meeting the lower end of the IPCC's 2100 target. The method, called enhanced rock weathering, is more efficient in hot and wet tropical regions and works well in warmer temperatures.
Scientists have found evidence of impacts over 3.5 billion years ago but can't find the actual craters. Erosion and geological processes have erased mega-craters, leaving only a few remnants. Researchers studied the Vredefort crater, one of the oldest known impact structures, and found that even large craters can be swept away by erosion.
Researchers found that prolonged droughts have led to Steamboat Geyser's dry spells by clogging pathways for trees to respire and grow. The team matched tree growth periods to regional climate records, revealing a connection between environmental conditions and reduced water supply.
The Colorado River Basin has lost approximately 40 trillion liters of water between 2000 and 2021 due to climate change, equivalent to the entire storage capacity of Lake Mead. The rapid reduction in runoff is largely responsible for this water loss, with warming temperatures leading to a 10.3% decrease in flow rates.
Researchers found a strong association between increased maximum daily air temperatures and venomous snake bites in Georgia. The study suggests that snakes become more active during warmer springs, leading to a higher likelihood of bites.
The January 15, 2022, eruption of Hunga Volcano in Tonga created a 'supercharged' thunderstorm that produced nearly 200,000 lightning flashes. Scientists analyzed high-resolution lightning data to gain insights into the eruption's timeline and behavior.
A new study reveals that human activities such as groundwater withdrawal have shifted the Earth's rotational pole nearly a meter over two decades. This shift is caused by the redistribution of mass due to water movement, with implications for climate change and sea level rise.
A new study published in Earth's Future predicts that adopting sustainable 'no-till' or 'low-till' practices can stop Midwest topsoil loss in its tracks, reducing erosion by 95% over the next 100 years. This could save billions of dollars and mitigate crop productivity losses due to soil erosion.
A new study finds that Arctic shipping is plagued by increasing fog, which reduces visibility and causes costly delays. Ships crossing the Northwest Passage are more likely to encounter fog than those in the Northern Sea Route, leading to increased sailing times and costs.
A new study reveals that beaver ponds with deeper sediments can store up to 15% of the nitrogen that enters them. This finding is crucial for understanding nitrogen pollution in rivers and streams, where beavers play a key role in shaping ecosystems.
A new study finds that communities with high proportions of elderly residents and those living in mobile homes or group homes are at greater risk of groundwater contamination from fracking. Higher-income households were more likely to have access to mitigation strategies, while lower-income households faced greater risks.
Scientists have mapped the largest known woody deposit in the Mackenzie River Delta, finding it stores about 3.4 million tons of carbon. The deposit, covering 51 square kilometers, is an important part of the carbon cycle and has significant implications for climate change.
Salt marshes along the US East Coast have accumulated soil more quickly over the past century to keep up with rising waters. However, this rate of growth will eventually slow down as sea levels continue to rise, and many coastal wetlands may not be able to adapt in time.
A new study suggests that releasing 1000 gigatons of carbon will cause the southern portion of the ice sheet to melt irreversibly, while 2500 gigatons could lead to permanent loss of nearly the entire ice sheet. The researchers' findings indicate that we are nearing the first tipping point and may not be able to reverse it.
A new study introduces a scale to measure atmospheric river intensity, enabling the identification of hotspots for the most intense events worldwide. The scale helps communities prepare for both beneficial and destructive effects of these storms, with AR-5 events occurring only once every two to three years.
Humans have added approximately 900 square miles of land to urban coastlines since 2000, primarily for industrial ports and luxury residential areas. The study found that coastal wetlands are particularly hard-hit, with more than half of tidal flats lost in the Yellow Sea due to reclamation.
A new study finds that many US coastal communities rely on low estimates of sea level rise, omitting high-end scenarios that could result in costly and dangerous underestimates. The study's authors hope to identify and address gaps in how communities use the most recent assessments of sea level rise in their policy decisions.
A new study using high-resolution land elevation data finds the biggest increases in inundation will occur after the first 2 meters of sea level rise, covering more than twice as much land as older elevation models predicted. Coastal communities have less time to prepare for sea level rise than expected.
A new study found that schools with more students of color and those who receive free or reduced-price lunches have higher concentrations of pollutants, exacerbating health issues such as asthma and heart disease. Long-term exposure to these pollutants can result in increased risk of hospitalization or death.
A new study predicts that climate change will make dangerous heat commonplace during the Arba'een pilgrimage by the end of the 21st century. Pilgrims may be exposed to extreme temperatures exceeding 24 degrees Celsius, posing a significant risk to their health.