Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Researchers pinpoint abrupt onset of modern day Indian Ocean monsoon system

A new study reveals the exact timing of the modern monsoon pattern in the Maldives 12.9 million years ago, linking it to past climate changes and coral reefs. The analysis of sediment cores provides direct physical evidence of environmental conditions that sparked the monsoon system still affecting the Indian subcontinent today.

Reading the weather from inside a seashell

A study analyzing fossil brachiopod shells from West Virginia and Ohio found minimal seasonal variation in temperature and rainfall during the latest Pennsylvanian (~300 million years ago). The findings may help resolve a paleoclimate debate about monsoonality and sea level, providing insights into ancient mega-continent climates.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalACM SIGSAM Bulletin·DateSep 29, 2015

Asian monsoon rains drove mammal evolution

A recent study published in Nature journal Scientific Reports found that the Asian monsoon played a crucial role in the evolution of African mole rats and bamboo rats. The researchers discovered that changes in monsoon strength over 24 million years influenced the rodents' teeth, head shape, and digging behavior.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 11, 2015

First year student publishes monsoon study

A first-year Environmental Science student at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus published a literature review on the Southeast Asian monsoon in Geoscience Frontiers. The study found that future climate warming could lead to a 15-day delay in the monsoon onset by the start of the next century.

SourceUniversity of Nottingham·JournalGeoscience Frontiers·DateMay 13, 2014

The Asian monsoon is getting predictable

Researchers found a strong correlation between summer monsoon and climate patterns that preceded it, enabling forecasts to predict the monsoon a few months in advance. The study discovered that El Niño's influence on the Indian Ocean temperature and atmospheric anomalies in the western Pacific amplifies each other.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 23, 2013

Natural climate swings contribute more to increased monsoon rainfall than global warming

The Northern Hemisphere monsoon has intensified, with a 9.5% increase in rainfall, due to natural climate swings rather than global warming alone. Natural long-term climate swings, such as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, contribute significantly more to this intensification.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii ‑ SOEST·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 20, 2013

Monsoon failure key to long droughts in Southwest

A new study led by the University of Arizona has found that monsoon failure plays a significant role in prolonged droughts in the Southwest. The researchers used tree-ring analysis to reconstruct summer precipitation patterns over a 470-year period, revealing that dry summers coincided with severe winter droughts.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 11, 2013

Prediction of Asian summer monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity close at hand

Researchers at the University of Hawaii's International Pacific Research Center have made a breakthrough in predicting Asian summer monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity. By analyzing fluctuations in the western Pacific Subtropical High, they achieved substantially improved skills in forecasting these weather phenomena.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii ‑ SOEST·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 22, 2013

Climate change led to collapse of ancient Indus civilization, study finds

A new study combines archaeology and geoscience to reveal that climate change was a key factor in the collapse of the ancient Indus civilization around 4000 years ago. The research suggests that weakened monsoon rains led to reduced river dynamics, contributing to the decline of cities and the shift towards small farming communities.

SourceWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 28, 2012

Global monsoon drives long-term carbon cycles in the ocean

A new review reveals that global monsoons have been driving the long-term cyclicity of oceanic carbon reservoirs for at least 600 million years. The study found a 400,000-year cycle related to the 'long eccentricity' of Earth's orbit, which is linked to changes in oceanic carbon reservoirs and has implications for climate prediction.

SourceScience China Press·JournalChinese Science Bulletin·DateMay 7, 2009

Purdue study projects weakened monsoon season in South Asia

A Purdue University study projects a weakened summer monsoon season in South Asia, potentially causing delayed onset and reduced precipitation. The research suggests that climate change could exacerbate seasonal flood risks and impact agricultural production, water availability, and hydroelectric power generation.

SourcePurdue University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateFeb 27, 2009

AGU Journal Highlights -- May 14, 2008

Researchers find global sea level acceleration may have started in the 18th century, causing a 6 cm rise during the 19th century and 19 cm during the 20th century. The US east coast also subsided since the Eocene, with wind-launched ocean eddies triggering formation and propagation in the South China Sea.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMay 14, 2008

AGU journal highlights -- Feb. 26, 2008

A study on Mercury's gravity reveals a comet-like tail extending over 2.5 million kilometers away from the planet. Meanwhile, research finds that rising carbon dioxide levels are linked to increased ground-level ozone concentrations, harming lung function and respiratory systems.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateFeb 26, 2008

A nursery for hurricanes

University of Utah meteorologist Ed Zipser leads a NASA mission to study African weather disturbances that intensify into hurricanes. The study aims to improve hurricane prediction and understanding of extreme events like category 5 storms.