A new study finds that solar storm-induced electricity blackouts could have a significant impact on the US economy, with indirect costs accounting for over half of the total loss. The potential macroeconomic cost could reach $41.5 billion per day in extreme scenarios.
Random temperature fluctuations in the mantle and on the surface could be the reason Earth is a habitable world, while other terrestrial planets are inhospitable. Additionally, commercial oyster farming can restore biodiversity by cleaning polluted waterways.
New research predicts that aquifers in parts of India, southern Europe, and the US could be depleted within 2040-2060, affecting up to 1.8 billion people. Heavy irrigation regions in dry climates face the greatest threat of depletion.
New research on Mars suggests that finger-like rock structures could be evidence of ancient microbes, potentially harboring past life. Thousands of geese have died due to toxic waters in Montana's Berkeley Pit, highlighting the spread of heavy metals and acid into groundwater.
Scientists discovered remnants of freshwater plants and animals in the Atacama's salt flats, indicating the presence of lakes and wetlands between 9,000 and 25,000 years ago. The findings suggest an alternative path for early settlers through the desert, potentially providing homes and sustenance.
New research highlights the importance of including physical, political, cultural and socio-economic factors in natural hazard risk assessments. Syrian refugees living in seismically active regions of Turkey could boost the death toll from a major earthquake by up to 20 percent.
A new study found that 10-50% of iceberg melting occurs in Greenland's fjords, outweighing the amount of freshwater coming from the island's glaciers. This discovery could help scientists better understand how Greenland melts and its impact on ocean circulation and climate.
A new study confirms that the entire 2,400-kilometer Himalayan mountain range is seismogenic and can produce large earthquakes. Researchers discovered a major earthquake in Bhutan in 1714 using historical records and geologic data, shedding light on the region's potential for natural hazards.
Researchers have discovered liquid methane-filled canyons hundreds of meters deep with walls as steep as ski slopes etched into Titan's surface. The findings provide the first direct evidence of these features and could give scientists insights into Titan's origins and similar geologic processes on Earth.
A solar storm in May 1967 jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War, prompting a potential military conflict. However, thanks to the U.S. Air Force's space weather forecasting efforts, the military action was prevented, and the nation avoided a disastrous nuclear exchange.
A US military base in Greenland, built during the Cold War, could re-release frozen hazardous waste into the environment as its ice cover melts. The site, known as Camp Century, contains an estimated 200,000 liters of diesel fuel and toxic pollutants like PCBs.
A recent study published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles reveals that the Amazon Basin's carbon sink was completely shut down by a severe drought. Meanwhile, an international team is working to provide an up-to-date assessment of polar ice mass losses and their contributions to global sea level rise.
New research from AGU explores the effects of The Blob and El Niño on West Coast productivity, while a Jovian moon dust study may aid future space missions. Meanwhile, a Sahara Desert study reveals electric forces lifting 10 times more dust into the air than winds alone.
Ocean currents intensifying will cause warmer and stormier weather along eastern coasts of South Africa, Asia, Australasia, and South America over the next 100 years. A new study suggests capping global warming at 2 degrees Celsius would require net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2085.
Researchers analyzed nearly three decades of air samples from Alaska's North Slope and found little change in long-term methane emissions. The findings suggest that processes regulating methane emissions need more study, as the Arctic warms faster than other regions.
New research reveals an 'electric wind' strong enough to remove water components from Venus' upper atmosphere, stripping it of its oceans. This powerful electric field accelerates oxygen ions to escape speeds, contributing to the loss of atmospheric gases.
Researchers found that permafrost beneath shallow Arctic lakes is warming due to warmer winters and increased snowfall, leading to sub-lake permafrost thaw. This phenomenon is similar to terrestrial permafrost thaw but occurs sooner due to lakebed temperatures rising above freezing.
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory found that Europa's ocean could have a comparable balance of hydrogen and oxygen to Earth's oceans, suggesting the presence of a habitable environment. This discovery draws attention to the complexity of Europa's rocky interior and its potential for supporting life.
Research reveals that nitrogen-rich fertilizers and animal waste combine with combustion emissions to form solid particles causing disease and death. The good news is that declining combustion emissions may reduce fine-particle pollution even if fertilizer use doubles.
Researchers study concentrated storms causing extreme flooding in urban areas and high methane emissions from the Bakken oil field. Scientists also investigate black carbon in oceans and its impact on marine life. Additionally, a new study reveals that half of streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin originates as groundwater.
A new study reveals that leftover warm water from a stalled El Niño event in 2014 contributed to the formation of a monster El Niño in 2015. The researchers found that easterly winds prevented the warm water from being transported poleward, allowing it to act as a reservoir of heat for the following year.
A new study predicts that unhealthy ozone days could rise by 3-9 days per year in the US by 2050, primarily affecting California, Southwest, and Northeast. This increase may exacerbate respiratory illnesses, particularly among vulnerable populations like children, seniors, and those with asthma.
The winter storms in 2013-14 were the most energetic in almost seven decades, with extreme wave conditions occurring up to five times more frequently. This trend has the potential to dramatically change beaches along the western side of Europe.
A new study reveals that human-induced climate change has triggered the last 16 record-breaking hot years globally, with an impact dating back to 1937. The researchers found that industrial aerosols masked this effect in many areas until recently.
Research found that wastewater treatment plants are a significant source of microplastics in rivers, with particles traveling up to 2 kilometers downstream. The microplastics were home to potentially harmful bacterial communities, highlighting the need for improved filters and treatment processes.
The current global coral bleaching event, started in 2014, could extend into 2017 due to record ocean temperatures caused by El Niño. Corals are stressed when expelling symbiotic algae, leading to erosion and destruction of fish habitats.
New research reveals that Gulf of Mexico historic shipwrecks are significantly altered by oil spills, affecting microbial communities and ecosystems. The study also explores the potential for shipwrecks to monitor deep-ocean ecosystem health.
Researchers tracked over 300 individual Sand Tiger sharks and found complex social networks with fission-fusion behavior, similar to mammals. The study sheds light on shark interactions in the open ocean and has implications for conservation efforts.
Scientists have discovered a distinct low-frequency hum associated with the daily migrations of deep-sea fish and squid. The sound could help scientists better understand this mysterious ecosystem and potentially inform our understanding of climate change's impact on ocean food webs.
A new study shows the Arctic tundra now releases more carbon than it gains during winter, resulting in a net loss to the atmosphere. Meanwhile, a training initiative in Europe supports young atmospheric researchers with unique skills and collaboration opportunities.
A new study suggests that real-time GPS data can be used to estimate how an earthquake deforms the sea floor, cutting tsunami warning times by nearly 20 minutes. This allows for more accurate warnings to be issued within two to three minutes, potentially saving lives.
A new study cautions that exceeding critical temperature limits in the Southern Ocean could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, posing a significant threat to sea levels. Meanwhile, advancements in climate model development aim to improve forecast accuracy and speed up decision-making.
New research reveals Greenland's ice sheet is releasing 400,000 metric tons of phosphorus annually, enriching Arctic Ocean waters and potentially stimulating growth of marine food chain. The nutrient could impact birds, fish, and marine mammals higher up the food chain.
Scientists have discovered geological evidence of frequent large tsunamis in the Aleutian Islands, posing a new hazard to the Pacific basin. The study reveals that a creeping section of the Aleutian Subduction Zone fault could generate earthquakes great enough to trigger devastating tsunamis.
A new analysis helps consumers choose energy-efficient appliances to save money and water. Meanwhile, a Himalayan glacial lake threatens to flood a Buddhist holy city due to melting ice and rock barriers. Ocean sounds are also being used to measure stratospheric winds with precise data analysis.
New research shows that groundwater beneath northern Iceland may hold the key to predicting future earthquakes, while parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are more susceptible to droughts than previously thought. Additionally, researchers have a plan to recharge California's dwindling aquifers using storm runoff.
Icequakes in Arctic glaciers may help predict future ice flow and sea level rise. New research finds that the Sabatier process can create life at cooler temperatures than previously thought.
A new study predicts that continued deforestation in the Amazon could lead to annual rainfall of less than drought years by 2050. Deforestation rates would need to revert back to pre-2004 levels to achieve this decline, according to researchers.
The Fundao Dam failure in Brazil's Samarco mine disaster may have been caused by its structural failure. An integrated approach to detecting and characterizing cyanobacteria blooms could reduce human health risks and direct field resources more effectively.
Annual snow accumulation on West Antarctica's coastal ice sheet rose dramatically during the 20th century, increasing by 30% between 1900 and 2010. The research found that this increase is attributed to an intensification of regional low pressure systems and more storms in the region.
Scientists have discovered that chemicals widely used as refrigerants can degrade in the atmosphere to form a potent greenhouse gas called carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), lasting up to 50,000 years. This finding highlights the need for understanding the chemistry of compounds used in industry to mitigate long-lived atmospheric effects.
New studies reveal that human-produced aerosols could lead to up to 40% of future Arctic sea ice loss and formation of coastal sea ice drives North Pacific ocean circulation. Meanwhile, scientists face challenges in predicting sea level rise from West Antarctica's melting ice sheet.
New research reveals that comets could have created Europa's chaos terrain, while a study identifies areas vulnerable to global ocean acidification. Meanwhile, contaminated sediments pose a challenge in restoring rivers to their free-flowing state.
A new study reveals a sudden drop in the atmospheric concentration of a human-made ozone-destruction gas: HCFC-133a. Researchers explore the causes behind this decline and examine recent developments in U.S. policy addressing geomagnetically induced currents, as well as space weather and earthquakes.
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown process of warm Gulf Stream water and continental shelf exchange. Researchers also explored the effects of Saturn's magnetospheric dynamics on Titan's ionosphere.
Scientists have discovered a 'bucket brigade' that brings liquid to Titan's north pole, creating lakes and seas. Meanwhile, NASA's Kepler telescope has opened up possibilities for exoplanet studies. Research also explores abrupt shifts in phenology and vegetation productivity under climate extremes.
A new study finds India's monsoonal rainfall is 12% below average due to El Niño and La Niña fluctuations. Asteroids cause fractures up to 25 kilometers below the moon's surface, according to a Geophysical Research Letters study. Scientists will use a community fleet of drones for Earth monitoring
New studies reveal that the Southern Ocean has increasingly removed more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere since 2002. The research, compiled from millions of ship-based observations, suggests that the Southern Ocean's carbon sink is strengthening, contrary to previous findings.
New insights into Mercury's movements and interactions with the solar system reveal its unique composition. Researchers reevaluate New Zealand's Alpine Fault after seismic data showed it becomes flatter at depth, providing new information for geological studies.
Researchers have discovered a way to manage high water tables to boost crop yields, while 3D maps reveal the formation of the Hangai Dome in Mongolia. New satellite radar technology provides precise wind speed maps for coastal communities to prepare for wind-related hazards.