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A new force of nature is reshaping this planet

Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems, argues that human societies have developed unprecedented capabilities to scale up and transform ecological systems. However, these advancements often come with negative environmental consequences, such as climate change and species extinctions.

SourceUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateDec 14, 2023

Beef farming that keeps cattle on lifelong grass diets may have higher carbon footprint

A recent study found that beef operations with lifelong grass-based diets may produce a 42% higher carbon footprint when considering soil carbon sequestration and carbon opportunity costs. This is in contrast to grain-finished operations, which have been previously shown to have a lower environmental impact. The study's findings emphas...

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeObservational study·DateDec 13, 2023

Shuqing Xu receives ERC Consolidator Grant for his research on the evolution in ecological communities in response to climate change

Professor Shuqing Xu's research aims to investigate the connections between species interactions and evolutionary responses to climate change. He will create aquatic pond systems with hundreds of species to study how organisms respond to temperature increases, with potential findings on coevolution and ecosystem functions.

Riding the whims of the wind

Researchers develop a mathematical model that analyzes the future survival of plants in a changing climate by studying how far wind can carry seeds. The model provides fast and reliable predictions of seed movement, considering factors like seed type, plant height, and wind speed.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalEcological Modelling·DateNov 30, 2023

Faster Arctic warming hastens 2C rise by eight years

A new modelling study led by UCL researchers finds that faster Arctic warming will breach the global 1.5C and 2C temperature thresholds five and eight years earlier than expected. This accelerated warming adds substantial uncertainty to climate forecasts, highlighting the need for more extensive monitoring of temperatures in the region.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalEarth System Dynamics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 13, 2023

New research maps 14 potential evolutionary dead ends for humanity and ways to avoid them

A new landmark study identifies 14 evolutionary traps that human societies are at risk of getting stuck in, including global climate tipping points, misaligned AI, and chemical pollution. To avoid these dead ends, the researchers emphasize the need for collective human agency and design settings where it can flourish.

SourceStockholm Resilience Centre·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (B )·TypeObservational study·DateNov 12, 2023

UBC Okanagan researchers hope to prevent catastrophes with next-generation sensors

UBC Okanagan researchers have developed sensors that can detect erosion and breaches in protective coatings, reducing inspection time and error risk. The AI-enabled sensors can also distinguish individual layer erosion within multi-layer coatings, enabling proactive monitoring and addressing of equipment degradation.

SourceUniversity of British Columbia Okanagan campus·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 18, 2023

Close connectivity within the North Atlantic Current system identified

A long-term study compares data from two North Atlantic Current observation systems, revealing statistical connections and implications for regional temperature patterns. The findings suggest that a 25-year observational record provides a crucial foundation for future models of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

Study identifies jet-stream pattern that locks in extreme winter cold, wet spells

Researchers have identified a new pattern in the global jet stream that locks in extreme winter cold or wet conditions over North America and Europe. The study found that this pattern, known as wave-4, triples the chances of extreme cold or wet, while also causing abnormally warm or dry conditions.

SourceColumbia Climate School·JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society·TypeObservational study·DateOct 4, 2023

Laser-based ice-core sampling for studying climate change

A new laser-based sampling system allows for higher depth resolution, enabling scientists to reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes thousands of years ago. The LMS system overcomes previous limitations in sampling ice cores, preserving critical oxygen and hydrogen isotopes needed to infer past temperatures.

SourceRIKEN·JournalJournal of Glaciology·DateSep 19, 2023

Fewer but more intense tropical storms predicted over the Ganges and Mekong

Climate experts predict a decline in tropical storm frequency by 50% by 2050 across the Ganges and Mekong basins, but an increase in intensity, with high-resolution models showing significant increases for intense storms. This shift could impact disaster risk mitigation and climate adaptation strategies.

SourceNewcastle University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 12, 2023

Heat related illnesses dramatically on the rise among US Veterans

A statistically significant increase in heat-related illnesses was found among patients at US Department of Veteran Affairs facilities between 2002 and 2019. Specific groups, such as those with existing health conditions and certain ethnic groups, were more vulnerable to heat-related illness.

SourceElsevier·JournalThe Journal of Climate Change and Health·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 22, 2023

The health impact of climate change is not adequately recorded: study

A Monash University-led study proposes standardizing medical terminology to capture climate-driven disaster events impacting human health. The research highlights the need for comprehensive clinical terminologies, particularly those linked to environmental factors, to improve disaster preparedness and response efforts.

SourceMonash University·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 10, 2023

Winter storms over Labrador Sea influence Gulf Stream system

A recent study by GEOMAR researchers found that fluctuations in the Labrador Sea can significantly influence the strength of sinking processes east of Greenland. This phenomenon affects the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial climate system that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to Europe.

SourceHelmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 3, 2023

Gloomy climate calculation: Scientists predict a collapse of the Atlantic ocean current to happen mid-century

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen predict the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) will collapse between 2025 and 2095, with major consequences for Earth's climate. The study contradicts the latest IPCC report and highlights the importance of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 25, 2023

The carbon cycle is speeding up

A recent study found that warming in Northern ecosystems leads to a massive loss of carbon in the soil, with up to 40% released into the atmosphere within years after warming. The research team also discovered that plant productivity becomes nitrogen limited under warming conditions, reducing the ecosystem's ability to store carbon.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalGlobal Change Biology·TypeObservational study·DateJul 18, 2023

New radar technique lets scientists probe invisible ice sheet region on Earth and icy worlds

Scientists have developed a new radar technique that can image hidden features within the upper few feet of ice sheets, including melting glaciers on Earth and potentially habitable environments on Jupiter's moon Europa. The technique boosts resolution by combining two different radar bandwidths and looking for discrepancies.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalThe Cryosphere·TypeImaging analysis·DateJul 12, 2023

Do warmer temperatures make turtles better mothers?

New research from Duke University reveals that warmer temperatures increase the number of germ cells, which play a crucial role in determining the sex of turtles. This finding may explain why temperature-dependent sex determination persists in many animals, despite seeming like a risky strategy.

SourceDuke University·JournalCurrent Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 23, 2023