Research on measuring and modeling the climate. Covers climate extremes, carbon sequestration, monitoring methods, and urban heat exposure.
Gathering data on specific questions is the most effective way to support SDGs, says Keith Shepherd and colleagues. They propose five key principles: replacing targets with measures of return on investment and modeling intervention decisions.
A recent study published in Science Advances found that temperature changes are the primary environmental influence on bird species distribution in Mexico. The researchers analyzed historical data and current distributions of 115 bird species to find that only temperature change had significant impacts on avifaunal turnover.
Researchers found that recent years have seen three of the stormiest seasons on record, with the summer of 2012 being the 'stormiest' since at least 1871. A 142-year climate data study confirms a strong relationship between seasonal precipitation totals and cyclone frequency in the region.
Two Antarctic roundworm species, A. isokaryoni and P. paradoxus, have been studied in detail for the first time using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The research revealed new information on their morphology and taxonomic position, including peculiarities of their lip region and vulva shape.
Fred Ogden's discovery answers a long-standing question about water movement in the vadose zone, crucial for agriculture, hydrology, and climate science. The new equation improves the accuracy and computing power of hundreds of important water models.
Research teams from GEOMAR and CAU discover the Southeast Pacific has been significantly underestimated as a source of nitrous oxide. Continuous measurement data show the region emits up to 1.4 megatons of nitrous oxide each year, exceeding similar areas in other tropical oceans.
The Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal has launched new features to expand pathways for participation and collaboration. The platform now includes Ocean Stories, Map Groups, and enhanced organization tools, empowering stakeholders to share their perspectives and work together on ocean planning challenges.
Researchers found that jet contrails depress daytime-highs and nighttime-lows, mimicking the effect of ordinary clouds, with a 5-6 degree Fahrenheit reduction in daily temperature range in regions like the South and Midwest.
The Aquarius instrument successfully completed its primary three-year mission in November 2014, achieving its science objectives and providing valuable data on ocean dynamics and climate models. The loss of onboard power regulation and spacecraft attitude stabilization led to the end of operations.
A third of the world's biggest groundwater basins are under stress, with many running out quickly without reliable data. The studies found major discrepancies in projected 'time to depletion' and highlighted the need for a coordinated global effort to determine remaining water reserves.
UCSB, UC Davis, and PowWow Energy receive $2.3 million in funding to deploy a method to measure groundwater use and provide irrigation best practices for California's major crops such as alfalfa, almonds, pistachios, and tomatoes. The project aims to optimize agricultural water and energy efficiency during drought years.
A study published in PNAS found that strictly protected areas, like parks and reserves, have lower incidences of malaria, acute respiratory infections, and diarrhea. By preserving biodiversity, these areas can act as a barrier to disease transmission, suggesting a potential double win for public health benefits.
Researchers studied the western Grand Canyon and found that it must be younger than a fault slip that occurred 18 to 12 million years ago. The data also suggest that the notion of the canyon starting to erode about six million years ago is still the best scientific idea for its age.
A recent study published in Conservation Biology makes a strong case for using detailed wildlife density data to inform conservation planning. The research found that prioritizing areas with higher species richness led to the protection of more individuals of each species.
Dr. Carl Wunsch, a pioneer in ocean acoustic tomography, is recognized for his distinguished research on sound and the sea. His work has greatly improved our understanding of sound propagation in the ocean.
DSCOVR will provide enhanced measurements of solar wind conditions to warn of potentially harmful solar activity, predicting geomagnetic storm magnitude on a regional basis. The satellite's unique vantage point at Lagrange point 1 allows for early warnings of large magnetic eruptions from the sun.
A new study reveals that the rise of the Rocky Mountains predisposed North American mammals to adapt to a cold, dry world during the Grande Coupure event. This led to better survival rates compared to European mammal species, which were overrun by Asian mammals already adapted to colder conditions.
A study published in Nature reveals that ocean circulation is driving decadal-scale climatic change, with a potential half-degree cooler phase bringing drier summers in Britain and Ireland. The Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) influences temperature, rainfall, drought, and hurricane frequency worldwide.
The UN Secretary-General's Scientific Advisory Board has identified key scientific challenges for sustainable development, including a Blue Economy, biodiversity, climate change, and access to water. The board recommends investing in research and education to address these issues and ensure a better future for humanity.
The GOES-R satellite has begun environmental testing to simulate the harsh conditions of launch and the space environment. This includes vibration, acoustics, and temperature testing to ensure the satellite is properly protected from electromagnetic phenomena in space.
A new research paper demonstrates how XML markup can address challenges presented by unstructured legacy data, extracting primary biodiversity data from such sources. The project visualizes these data as standard charts to reveal key information about species and their habitats.
Researchers found that climate change, specifically warmer soil temperatures and increased southerly flow, led to lower ozone levels in the Houston area. The study suggests that this trend may be applicable to other coastal regions globally.
Researchers confirm strong warming in the upper troposphere, known as the tropospheric hotspot, using publicly available temperature and wind data set. The study reveals a 10% increase in winds over the Southern Ocean, suggesting ozone depletion may be responsible.
A study by University of Maryland researchers found that climate warming has made potato leafhoppers arrive an average of 10 days earlier and cause more severe infestations. The pests cause significant economic damage to farmers across the eastern US, with losses estimated in millions of dollars.
Researchers mapped regional droughts and land degradation using satellites, revealing improved land conditions across much of West Africa between 1982-2012. Soil moisture observations provided more accurate results than rainfall data, showing the importance of this factor in understanding vegetation dynamics.
Declines in Pacific herring and surf smelt have been observed in the most densely populated areas of Puget Sound, while jellyfish blooms have increased, diverting energy away from highly productive forage species. This shift may affect larger fish, birds, and marine mammals, highlighting the need for habitat protection and restoration.
A new study published in Nature Climate Change finds that high mountain regions are warming at a rate faster than lower elevations, posing significant risks to alpine flora and fauna. The research team calls for improved observations, satellite-based remote sensing, and climate model simulations to better understand this phenomenon.
The Carnegie Airborne Observatory-3 (CAO-3) is a cutting-edge aircraft-based mapping system that can gather global data on ecosystem structure, biomass, and biodiversity. The new laboratory features advanced sensor capabilities, allowing for more flights and increased flexibility in operational decisions.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has ended its 17-year mission, providing critical rainfall data for tropical cyclone monitoring, flood detection, drought monitoring, and disease monitoring. TRMM's legacy lives on through the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which succeeds and improves upon the TRMM project.
A new set of global forest maps provide a more accurate view of forests, combining recent remote sensing data, statistics, and citizen scientist input. The maps are freely available for exploration and download on the Geo-Wiki Web site.
A recent study published in Nature Plants found that climate change is reducing soybean yields across the United States, with an average decline of 2.4% for every one-degree rise in temperature. The study suggests that soybean farmers can minimize yield losses by adopting practices such as earlier planting and no-till farming.
A new study reveals that the thickness of Antarctica's floating ice shelves has decreased by as much as 18 percent in certain areas over nearly two decades. The accelerated losses are attributed to climate change, with some ice shelves losing up to half their volume within the next 200 years.
A new global database of lake surface temperatures has been developed to study the ecological effects of climate change. The database, led by Professor Sapna Sharma at York University, includes data from 291 lakes and reservoirs worldwide, doubling the available satellite-collected data.
A new method applied to European temperature data reveals subtle changes in climate regularity, with time scales longer than a year showing less predictability. The study provides a map visualisation of the entropy results, highlighting the time scales which have changed most.
Satellite data shows that growing periods worldwide are changing, with earlier springs and later autumns, impacting agriculture, species interactions, and ecosystem functioning.
Researchers at ETH Zurich found that rain falls most frequently in areas with lower soil moisture, which warms air and allows water vapor to rise higher. High soil moisture, on the other hand, can lead to more evaporation and precipitation, but the relationship is complex and still not fully understood.
Hyongki Lee, a University of Houston researcher, is training South Asian government officials to independently manage their water resources. With the help of a novel software toolbox, these officials can better predict and prepare for floods and monsoons, saving lives and reducing devastation.
A new study published in The Cryosphere reveals a significant thinning of Arctic sea ice over the past four decades. The research, led by University of Washington climatologist Ron Lindsay, shows that September ice thickness has decreased by 85% between 1975 and 2012.
A new forecasting method, empirical dynamic modeling (EDM), has improved predictions for Fraser River sockeye salmon in British Columbia. The EDM technique uses archives of field data to drive predictions, outperforming traditional management forecast tools with a smaller error margin.
The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instrument has provided a detailed profile of the atmosphere above Africa, revealing particles in the air at different heights. The data will help scientists model dust plumes and interactions with clouds and aerosols, improving our understanding of climate change.
A NASA satellite has quantified in three dimensions how much dust makes its trans-Atlantic journey from the Sahara to the Amazon rain forest. An estimated 22,000 tons of phosphorus-rich Saharan dust are carried across the ocean each year, equivalent to about the same amount lost from rain and flooding.
Typhoon Higos strengthened under NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite observation, with powerful thunderstorms circling its center. The storm is expected to intensify before weakening due to increased vertical wind shear.
Researchers found major changes in algae consistent with water warming, indicating physical structure changes in tropical high-mountain lakes. The findings have far-reaching consequences for Andean water resources as the lakes provide 60% of drinking water for Cuenca, Ecuador.
A NASA engineer is developing a low-cost, off-the-shelf solution to track stars during the day, enabling science operations through the day. The precision attitude sensor uses near-infrared wavelength bands and cameras with filtering capabilities to process data in real-time.
Researchers have reconstructed the development of winter temperatures in Russia's Lena River Delta, revealing a clear trend: warming winters over the past 7,000 years. The study used oxygen isotope analysis on ice wedges to access temperature information stored in the ice and compile it into a climate curve.
A recent study found that California's forest structure is undergoing changes due to a warmer, drier climate, resulting in the decline of larger trees and an increase in smaller trees. This trend is observed across all regions of the state, with oaks becoming more dominant as pines decline.
Scientists will gather data on atmospheric rivers, which produce up to 50% of California's precipitation, and explore how to predict when and where they will hit land. The study aims to improve climate models and inform water management decisions during droughts and floods.
A recent study by University of Montana researcher Jared Oyler found that sensor changes have significantly biased temperature observations from the Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) station network. High-elevation minimum temperatures were warming only slightly more than minimum temperatures at lower elevations.
The study provides comprehensive tracking of maize origin in the Southwest, showing it entered via highland route around 4,100 years ago and later via coastal route about 2,000 years ago. Researchers also identified genes responsible for adaptation to drought and changes in starch composition.
The Deep Space Climate Observatory will capture the entire sunlit side of Earth in one image, providing unprecedented atmospheric data and insights into global weather patterns. The launch marks a significant improvement in solar wind speed measurement and complement NASA's larger missions.
Two new mobile apps, SatCam and WxSat, utilize satellite data to capture observations and provide real-time weather information. SatCam enables users to submit cloud product quality assessments and receive satellite images, while WxSat displays and animates full-resolution satellite data for global weather forecasting.
Laboratory experiments by Iowa State University glaciologists found that glacier beds can grow more slippery as the ice slides faster. This effect can improve predictions of future sea-level rise and ice volume loss. The results challenge traditional mathematical models, which had predicted the opposite relationship.
Scientists using NASA data have produced a comprehensive study of the Greenland Ice Sheet's hidden plumbing and melt water flow. The research suggests that current ice sheet modeling is too simplistic to accurately predict future ice loss, and may underestimate contributions to sea level rise.
Climate change has buffered against measures to protect the Baltic Sea, despite efforts to reduce eutrophication. The Boknis Eck time series station data shows that nutrient concentrations have decreased since the 1980s, but oxygen levels remain low due to rising seawater temperatures.
The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instrument on the International Space Station measures aerosols and cloud layers, providing data to improve air quality forecasts and track hazardous events like wildfires. This information will also feed into climate models to better understand Earth's energy balance.
A study by Michigan State University sociologists found that political orientation is the most influential factor in shaping perceptions about climate change. Climate extremes such as droughts and record temperatures do not change people's minds about global warming.
The GOCE satellite provided accurate gravity field measurements, enabling scientists to image the planet in a new way. Researchers are sharpening the picture of our dynamic planet with studies in geophysics, ocean circulation, climate change, and civil engineering.
A new study reveals that Mediterranean sea levels have risen by over 1mm per year since 1989, with the trend being positive in winter and negative in summer. The researchers analyzed data from 1948 to 2009 and compared it with real-time measurements to validate their results.
Researchers found that groundwater temperatures have warmed significantly over the past forty years, echoing global warming trends. The warming is attributed to climate change and has been observed in groundwater close to the surface, with a certain time lag.
A new study shows that sea surface temperatures reconstructed from climate archives vary to a much greater extent on long time scales than simulated by climate models. The researchers found that conventional climate models underestimated the variations of sea surface temperatures by a factor of 50 on a millennial time scale.