A study analyzing nearly 80 years of lake ice data found ice-free years have become more than three times more frequent since 1978, with 11% of lakes experiencing at least one completely ice-free year. Warmer winter temperatures are driving this trend, and the researchers project it will continue due to climate change.
Climate scientists analyzed an ice core to reconstruct WWI environmental conditions, finding unusual ocean air influxes caused torrential rains and cold temperatures. This may have accelerated the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus among humans by water contaminated with bird fecal droppings.
A new study provides a global analysis of storm surge footprints, showing they are more dependent on storm track direction than intensity. This information can improve coastal risk analysis, emergency plans, and adaptation measures, highlighting the importance of inter-state and international collaboration for disaster preparedness.
Climate change may lead to increased sedimentation (39-69%) and higher peak streamflows carrying more pollutants into the Bay-Delta. The added sediment could also support wetland habitats and native species as sea levels rise.
A new study models trade growth and port demand until 2050 under different climate policy scenarios, finding that port expansion will be necessary to meet increasing demand. The cost of building new port capacity is projected to exceed sea-level rise adaptation costs, with estimated costs ranging from $750 billion.
A new study finds tropical expansion is primarily driven by ocean warming caused by climate change, not atmospheric changes. The Southern Hemisphere, with more ocean surface area, experiences the most significant expansion.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant reduction in commercial flights, causing less accurate weather forecasts worldwide. Weather forecasts are crucial for daily life, impacting agriculture and the energy sector.
Lockdowns led to significant reductions in nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter pollution globally, with decreases of up to 60% in some regions. However, surface ozone levels increased by a factor of 1.5-2 in northern China due to decreased nitrogen dioxide pollution.
A new study of fossil mollusk shells from the late Cretaceous period found that a day lasted 23.5 hours, with ocean temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius in summer and exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in winter. The ancient shell revealed unprecedented detail about the animal's growth rate and water conditions.
Researchers found that warmer waters increase the frequency and intensity of snapping shrimp sounds, which could dominate coastal ocean soundscapes. This might impact fish communication, human sonar instruments, and even Navy mine detection systems.
New research suggests that rising sea surface temperatures and acidic waters could eliminate nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100. The study found that few to zero suitable coral habitats will remain by 2100, with only small portions of Baja California and the Red Sea being viable locations for coral reefs.
Researchers observe a high-speed ice feature forming on a Russian glacier, which could indicate the transition from a glacial surge to an ice stream. The study suggests this phenomenon may be more common than previously thought and could impact predictions for global sea level rise.
Researchers used a fiber optic network to detect thunderquakes, allowing them to track lightning storms and potentially image the Earth's interior. The study found that fiber optic cables can pick up a wider range of frequencies than traditional seismometers.
New research reveals the last remaining Arctic ice refuge is disappearing due to increased ocean currents and atmospheric winds, with the oldest ice declining twice as fast as the rest. The Last Ice Area will soon be gone, threatening wildlife survival and potentially leading to the loss of species.
Researchers have discovered a new phenomenon where strong storms can produce vibrations in the ocean floor as strong as a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. The study found over 10,000 stormquakes occurring from 2006 to 2019 offshore of various locations, including New England and Florida.
A new study predicts climate change will cause Valley fever's range to more than double in size this century, reaching previously unaffected areas across the western U.S. The disease is expected to become more widespread in states like Colorado, Idaho and Oklahoma.
New research reveals that bacteria from Arctic algae blooms can travel to the atmosphere and seed clouds, impacting global weather patterns. The particles help accelerate ice crystal formation, influencing climate and precipitation patterns.
A new study finds Europe's summers are becoming hotter and winters colder, with extreme heat days tripling since 1950. This accelerates the region's warming, impacting cities unprepared for rising temperatures.
A new study projects that future summers in Saudi Arabia will reach extreme danger heat-stress threshold, posing a significant threat to pilgrims. Climate change mitigation initiatives can help reduce the frequency of such events, but adaptations are still necessary to ensure safe Hajj.
Consecutive low snow years may become six times more common in the Western United States, leading to ecological and economic challenges. The study projects that year-to-year variability of peak snowpack will decrease, mostly in areas transitioning from snow- to rain-dominated precipitation.
A new study finds that US water management systems use outdated design guidelines, leading to more frequent and severe flooding. The researchers analyzed data from over 900 weather stations and found that extreme rainstorms are happening 85% more often in the eastern US than in 1950.
A new study explains why salt crystals are piling up on the Dead Sea's floor by proposing a 'salt fingering' process where tiny disturbances create channels for salt to flow down. This finding helps understand the formation of massive salt deposits found in Earth's crust, including those beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
Research finds that common types of mold spores on the International Space Station can survive high doses of ionizing radiation, raising concerns about contamination and planetary protection protocols. The findings also suggest that fungi could be used to produce important compounds like antibiotics and vitamins in space.
Researchers model how octopus arms make decisions, finding a bottom-up decision mechanism that coordinates actions without brain input. The study sheds light on the diversity of cognition in the world and the universe.
Scientists have discovered new compounds and minerals on Saturn's moon Titan, including a co-crystal made of solid acetylene and butane. This finding suggests that the bathtub rings suspected to exist around Titan's hydrocarbon lakes may be formed by these alien crystals.
The Enabling FAIR Data project calls on all scientific disciplines to adopt a set of principles ensuring data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. This shift in research culture could increase opportunities for new research outcomes, enabling scientists to spend more time on research.
A new study found that 24% of West Antarctic ice is now unstable due to rapid ocean melting. The ice sheet has thinned by up to 122 meters in places, with the most rapid changes occurring in West Antarctica.
New research using tree ring records reveals a 80-year decline in Asian summer monsoon rainfall, resulting in regional droughts and hardships. The study attributes the decline to man-made atmospheric pollutants, specifically sulfate aerosols, which coincide with industrial development and emissions in China.
A new study finds radioactive carbon from nuclear bomb tests has reached the deepest parts of the ocean, contaminating crustaceans' muscle tissues and affecting their longevity. The study suggests human pollution can quickly enter the food web and make its way to the deep ocean.
Researchers found the Great Whirl, a massive whirlpool off East Africa, is larger and longer-lived than previously thought. It can grow to over 275,000 square kilometers in area and persist for about 200 days.
Researchers found STEVE's source region in space and identified two mechanisms that cause it, with the reddish arc caused by heating of charged particles higher up in the atmosphere. The picket fence is powered by energetic electrons streaming from space thousands of kilometers above Earth, creating a unique aurora-like phenomenon.
Two new studies warn that countries like the US, China, and EU will struggle to meet their emissions targets without significant reductions. The research suggests that even if these high-emitting countries strengthen their commitments, other nations would need to achieve near-zero emissions by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degree...
Researchers found evidence of a solid inner core in Mercury, approximately 1,260 miles wide and making up half the planet's core. This discovery helps scientists better understand Mercury's interior and offers clues about how rocky planets change over time.
A new study finds that Hurricane Maria's extreme rainfall was due to human-caused climate warming, making a storm of its magnitude nearly five times more likely to form now than during the 1950s. The research analyzed Puerto Rico's hurricane history and found that Maria produced the largest maximum daily rainfall of those 129 storms.
A team of planetary scientists used Hubble images to track the growth of a new Great Dark Spot on Neptune, finding that dark spots originate deeper in the planet's atmosphere than previously thought. The study also revealed that these storms occur with a frequency of every four to six years and last up to six years.
Scientists have observed that asteroid Bennu's rotation period is getting shorter by about 1 second every 100 years, a change that could lead to dramatic changes in the space rock. This acceleration is likely due to the YORP effect, which causes asteroids to spin faster or slower as sunlight hits them.
A new study predicts the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summer as early as 2030, with climate models suggesting a shift towards an ice-free Arctic on the earlier side of forecasts. The study used long-term temperature cycles in the tropical Pacific to narrow the uncertainty range of when the first ice-free Arctic summer will occur.
Scientists warn that human carbon emissions could match those of the last major greenhouse warming event in fewer than five generations. If current trends continue, Earth's atmosphere could reach PETM-like carbon levels as early as 2159.
A new study argues that recent magmatic activity must have occurred underneath the surface of Mars for liquid water to exist beneath the kilometer-and-a-half thick ice cap. The research suggests that volcanic activity in the planet's subsurface could be providing heat to generate liquid water today.
A new study from the American Geophysical Union confirms evidence of rainfall on Titan's north pole, providing insight into the moon's changing seasons. The findings suggest that sunlight reflecting off a wet surface likely resulted in the observed reflective feature.
A new study published in GeoHealth suggests that warmer winter temperatures increase the likelihood of violent and property crimes. The relationship between climate and crime rates is thought to be linked to how climate alters people's daily activities.
A new study finds that strong Indian monsoons can push Atlantic Ocean hurricanes westward, increasing the likelihood they'll make landfall in the Americas. This newly-discovered relationship could help scientists better predict hurricane paths, especially during late summer months.
Scientists have discovered that winds blowing across Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf cause it to vibrate, producing a near-constant set of seismic tones. The vibrations can be used to monitor changes in the ice shelf from afar and may provide insights into climate change.
New research reveals Arctic phytoplankton blooms are expanding northward at a rate of 1 degree of latitude per decade. The decline in sea ice creates open water areas where phytoplankton can thrive, leading to increased primary productivity and potential changes to the food web.
A new study simulates the effects of wildfire smoke on human health, predicting that deaths from chronic inhalation of wildfire smoke could increase to over 40,000 per year by the end of the 21st century. The number of fire-related particulate matter deaths is expected to more than double in the worst-case-scenario prediction model.
A new study found evidence of exposure to phthalates in 71% of bottlenose dolphins tested in Sarasota Bay, Florida. The presence of byproducts of the chemicals in the animals' urine indicates they have remained in the body long enough to process them.
Researchers found STEVE to be an entirely new optical phenomenon produced by a different atmospheric process than the aurora. The study used satellite data and ground-based cameras to analyze a STEVE event in March 2008.
A class X-2.2 and major class X-9.3 solar flare erupted on the morning of September 6, causing a strong radio blackout over most of the sunlit side of Earth, including the Caribbean. The disruption affected shortwave radio communications used by amateurs and professionals in emergency response efforts.
Researchers found that increased greenhouse gas emissions have led to a significant increase in noctilucent cloud formation and visibility. The study suggests that human-caused climate change is affecting the middle atmosphere and making these clouds more visible.
A study found that a volcano's geometry impacts its sound waves, allowing scientists to better monitor activity and detect changes. Researchers believe listening to Kilauea's infrasound could help forecast potential eruptive hazards.