Droughts self-propagate, just like wildfires
Up to 30% of the rainfall deficit can be caused by "drought self-propagation," the DRY–2–DRY European Research Council (ERC) project shows......»»
Infernos rage from Texas to Australia as fire season kicks off early
After a year of deadly wildfires around the globe, the world is burning again from Texas to Australia—and in some regions, the blazes are igniting early......»»
New "digital twin" Earth technology could help predict water-based natural disasters before they strike
The water cycle looks simple in theory—but human impacts, climate change, and complicated geography mean that in practice, floods and droughts remain hard to predict. To model water on Earth, you need incredibly high-resolution data across an immen.....»»
New study sheds light on 2020 extreme weather event that brought fires and snow to western US
The same weather system that led to the spread of the devastating Labor Day wildfires in 2020 brought record-breaking cold and early-season snowfall to parts of the Rocky Mountains. Now, new research from Portland State is shedding light on the meteo.....»»
Study finds drought fuels invasive species after wildfires
In a study recently published in the journal Ecology, University of California, Irvine scientists uncover the intricate dance between drought, wildfires and invasive species in Southern California's coastal sage scrub ecosystems......»»
African great apes predicted to see frequent extreme climate events in the next 30 years
African apes are already being exposed to climate change impacts, and will experience extreme events such as wildfires, heat waves and flooding more frequently in the next 30 years, according to a study published February 28 in the open-access journa.....»»
US nuclear weapons plant says open as normal after wildfires closure
A nuclear weapons plant in the US state of Texas said it would be open as usual on Wednesday after raging wildfires caused it to pause operations and led to evacuations in the area......»»
Black carbon sensor could fill massive monitoring gaps
Black carbon is the most dangerous air pollutant you've never heard of. Its two main sources, diesel exhaust and wood smoke from wildfires and household heating, produce ultrafine air particles that are up to 25 times more of a health hazard per unit.....»»
Scientists simulate Lahaina Fire to improve prediction of wildland-urban fires
Scientists have successfully applied a pair of advanced computer models to simulate last year's wildfire that devastated the Hawaiian town of Lahaina. The development could lay the groundwork for more detailed predictions of wildfires that advance in.....»»
More frequent extreme droughts result in significant crop losses, say researchers
Climate change has resulted in increasingly extreme weather events worldwide. NIBIO research scientist Pål Thorvaldsen is among the many scientists who participated in a large international drought experiment initiated by the University of Michigan,.....»»
How do oceans start to close? New study suggests the Atlantic may "soon" enter its declining phase
A new study, resorting to computational models, predicts that a subduction zone currently below the Gibraltar Strait will propagate further inside the Atlantic and contribute to forming an Atlantic subduction system—an Atlantic ring of fire. This w.....»»
Study measures the psychological toll of wildfires
Wildfires in Southeast Asia significantly affect peoples' moods, especially if the fires originate outside a person's own country, according to a new study......»»
Drought may drive deadly amphibian disease, researchers find
Pumpkin toadlets are in trouble. Progressively severe droughts are disrupting the microbiomes of the thumbnail-sized orange frogs, potentially leaving them vulnerable to a deadly fungal disease, according to a new study by an international research t.....»»
In Chile, huge wildfires have killed at least 131 people, but one village was untouched
Chile has experienced one of the worst fire-related disasters in its history. A series of huge forest fires burned from February 1 to 5, leaving at least 131 people dead—and this number will probably increase as charred bodies are collected and sev.....»»
Women train to fight fire with fire in Portugal
Women from around the world gathered in northwest Portugal this week to practice a traditional technique of deliberately burning land to prevent the kind of wildfires—intensified by climate change—that have killed hundreds across Europe......»»
Burning question: what can we expect in a 1.5C world?
Massive wildfires exposing millions to toxic smoke, drought shriveling crops and key waterways, destructive storms supercharged by record ocean temperatures—in the last year the world has had a taste of what to expect with warming of 1.5C......»»
Chile"s deadly wildfires extinguished
Firefighters said Wednesday they had extinguished all wildfires in Chile's coastal region of Valparaiso, where flames razed entire communities and left 131 dead......»»
2023: A year of climate extremes
The year 2023 was full of climate extremes. The global average temperature this year was 1.48 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. At the same time, there were exceptional heat waves and droughts, extreme storms and catastrophic rainfall.....»»
How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile"s
At least 112 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. The devastation comes soon after Colombia declared a disaster over wildfires. Scientists say climate change makes the.....»»
The limits of weather forecasting: How far into the future can we look?
Weather-related disasters and climatological extremes, including rivers bursting their banks and flooding as well as heat waves and droughts, cause tragic loss of life and cost billions of dollars in property damage each year......»»
What to know about Chile"s voracious wildfires
Coming in the middle of a fierce heat wave, Chile's forest fires engulfed communities with a destructive speed that has stunned the nation......»»