Add BrightSurf on Google Email

When it comes to monarchs, fall migration matters

Researchers at Michigan State University found that a critical piece of the monarch butterfly's annual cycle was missing - the fall migration. The team built a multi-scale model and included environmental factors like temperature and landscape greenness to account for year-to-year variations.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 18, 2019

When green 'fixes' actually increase the carbon footprint

A study by University of Pennsylvania sociologists found that high-income residents moving into tech-enabled neighborhoods increase carbon emissions, displacing low-income populations. The research highlights the need for affordable housing and sustainable planning to counteract gentrification's negative effects.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Research·DateMar 11, 2019

Vast record of past climate fluctuations now available thanks to laser imaging of shells

A new method using rapid laser imaging has expanded the number of analyzed shell records, allowing for greater accuracy and longer time periods in reconstructed records. This technique enables researchers to study human and ecological responses to past climate changes, gaining insights into future climate change impacts.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Geoanthropology·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 6, 2019

North Pacific jet stream, moisture and fires change with fire suppression

Recent widespread fires in California suggest a shift in climate-fire relationships, where increased temperatures and drier summers will override the dynamical influence of the North Pacific Jet. The researchers reconstructed over 400 years of North Pacific Jet variability, finding that fire suppression may be responsible for this change.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 4, 2019

International research collaboration computes climate past, present, and future

Researchers from Canada and Germany used a supercomputer to simulate climate trends in Quebec and Bavaria from 1950 to 2100, providing insights into severe flooding dynamics under changing climate conditions. The study's results showed good agreement with historical climate data, confirming the predictive power of the simulations.

SourceGauss Centre for Supercomputing·JournalJournal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology·DateFeb 18, 2019

As citizen scientists, farmers can make important contributions to climate adaptation

A new study by Bioversity International shows that crowdsourced citizen science can improve and accelerate crop variety recommendations, enabling farmers to adapt to climate change. The approach, called tricot, uses farmer-generated data to generate recommendations that are representative of local conditions.

SourceBioversity International·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Predicting climate change

The Crowther Lab's research uses global datasets to understand the global forest system and identify regions of high priority for biodiversity conservation. They find that warming soil will lead to increased carbon emissions, particularly in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, threatening climate change mitigation efforts.

New research is using drones to tackle climate change

A team of Nottingham scientists is using drones to survey woody climbing plants and better understand how they may affect the carbon balance of tropical rainforests. The findings have been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, highlighting the potential problems caused by lianas and their impact on global warming.

SourceUniversity of Nottingham·JournalJournal of Applied Ecology·DateJan 9, 2019

'Pause' in global warming was never real, new research proves

A team of climate researchers reviewed existing data and concluded there has never been a statistically significant 'pause' in global warming. The studies, published in Environmental Research Letters, reassessed the data and put it into historical context to find no evidence for a divergence between model projections and observations.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateDec 18, 2018

Climate change imperils Midwest ag production

A Cornell University-led study finds that Midwest agriculture is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with a clear escalation in climate sensitivity between the 1960s and '70s and more recent years. The region's reliance on rain-fed crops and specialization in crop production contribute to this vulnerability.

SourceCornell University·JournalScience Advances·DateDec 12, 2018

How will the winds of climate change affect migratory birds?

A new study from Cornell University suggests that climate change could have both positive and negative impacts on migratory birds. The research estimates how wind assistance is expected to change during this century under global climate change, with stronger winds from the south expected in spring and fall migration periods.

SourceCornell University·JournalGlobal Change Biology·DateDec 10, 2018

Sea level rise and climate variability

A recent study analyzed climate simulations and found that sea-level rise trends are largely driven by external factors such as aerosols and greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers used satellite altimetry data to calculate the forced response in sea level, which showed significant correlation with internal variability.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 3, 2018

Location, location, location

A team of scientists has found that translocating frogs from recovering populations to sites where the species was previously driven to extinction can lead to population recovery. The researchers tracked the health and survival of translocated frogs over several years, uncovering key insights into how disease and climate influence popu...

Half of the world's annual precipitation falls in just 12 days, new study finds

Researchers analyzed data from over 185 ground stations and found that half of the world's measured precipitation falls within a 12-day period, set to become even more skewed under climate change. This uneven distribution could lead to increased flooding and damage associated with extreme weather events.

Violent crime rates rise in warmer winters

A CU Boulder study found a surprisingly strong correlation between warmer winters and higher violent crime rates in the US. The research used powerful climate analysis techniques to investigate year-to-year fluctuations in climate and crime rates, revealing a strong relationship between temperature and crime in winter months.

SourceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder·JournalGeoHealth·DateNov 13, 2018

New weather model could increase tornado-warning times

Researchers at Penn State have developed a new weather model that incorporates data from next-generation satellites to improve tornado forecasting. The model was able to forecast supercell thunderstorms with high accuracy and suggests that lead times for tornado warnings can be extended beyond 30 minutes.

SourcePenn State·JournalMonthly Weather Review·DateOct 1, 2018