Western forests, snowpack, and wildfires appear trapped in vicious climate cycle
Extreme 2020 wildfires affected the water cycle in key mountain forests. Enlarge / On the last day of summer, fall colors contrast with the burnt landscape of the Cameron Peak Fire on Sept. 21, 2021, in Larimer County, Colorado. (cre.....»»
Study reveals large ocean heat storage efficiency during the last deglaciation
As one of the largest heat reservoirs in the climate system, the global ocean absorbs more than 90% of the excess energy from ongoing anthropogenic warming. In the last century, the greatest warming in the ocean has occurred in the upper 500 m, with.....»»
Methane is pitched as a climate villain—could changing how we think about it make it a savior?
Surging methane emissions put our ability to meet Paris agreement climate targets in jeopardy. But a timely new book presents the scientific, policy and technological challenges and solutions for achieving rapid climate gains by addressing this once.....»»
Algorithm used on Mars rover helps scientists on Earth see data in a new way
A new algorithm tested on NASA's Perseverance Rover on Mars may lead to better forecasting of hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that impact millions globally......»»
Study shows organonitrates in atmospheric particles vary with altitude
While atmospheric particles directly affect climate (e.g., cloud formation), sampling atmospheric particles aloft is practically challenging. Therefore, a full understanding of how particle composition is linked to environmental function remains limi.....»»
New study takes the Earth’s temperature over a half-billion years
With one exception, a strong link between carbon dioxide and global temperatures. Enlarge / The cycle of building and breaking up of supercontinents seems to drive long-term climate trends. (credit: Walter Myers/Stocktrek Images).....»»
United Nations wants to treat AI with same urgency as climate change
UN report: Organization should take much more active role in AI monitoring, oversight. Enlarge (credit: Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty) A United Nations report released Thursday proposes having the international body oversee.....»»
The Multiple Ways Climate Change Threatens to Make Migraines Worse
Migraine sufferers are often triggered by the weather, and research suggests warming temperatures and more extreme weather events worsen attacks......»»
Location, location, location: Snowpack storage and runoff timing in burn scars depend on site and terrain
Increasingly severe wildfires at high elevations are impacting snowpack—an important reservoir for the U.S. West. The altered landscape makes it more challenging to predict when snow will melt and how much water will be available for use......»»
iOS 18 is out, iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10 reviewed
iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18 are finally out for public consumption. Benjamin and Chance go through some of their favorite features from this OS cycle, and initial impressions on how the changes are being received. Plus, they react t.....»»
Droughts likely to be even longer in the future due to climate change
Major climate reports may be underselling the risks of rising emissions. (credit: USGS) Droughts in the coming decades could be longer than projected by current climate models, a new study published Wednesday in Nature w.....»»
Global assessment: How to make climate adaptation a success
Climate change is forcing people to adapt to changing environmental conditions. But what really makes the difference is how they do it. The recently published "Hamburg Climate Futures Outlook 2024" by 73 authors shows that, in the long run, only sust.....»»
Study reveals that future climate change may reduce the Amazon rainforest"s ability to act as a carbon sink
The Amazon, often called the "lungs of the planet," is the world's largest tropical forest, playing a crucial role in the global climate system due to its vast carbon storage. While it is typically warm and humid all year round, continued climate cha.....»»
Plant pathogen battle: A tomato protein"s dual role in defense and susceptibility
Tomatoes, a staple crop worldwide, are increasingly threatened by biotic stressors such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria, with the effects worsening under climate change. These challenges lead to reduced yields and compromised nutritional quality, hig.....»»
Arctic warming may fuel ice formation in clouds, observations suggest
The Arctic frequently experiences temperatures that support the formation of mixed-phase clouds that contain supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals. The composition of such clouds plays a crucial role in the region's energy balance and climate.....»»
How the Tibetan Plateau is helping us to understand the current and future climate
Imagine the conductor of a vast orchestra stood not at the front, but in the middle of all the musicians, dictating how they work together and the music they produce. The musicians are not stationary; they move past each other and interact, but all t.....»»
Vast France building project sunk by sea level rise fears
An ambitious housing project in the northwestern French city of Caen has run aground over worries that rising waters driven by climate change could make the area unlivable within the century......»»
Reducing floodplain development doesn"t need to be complex, say researchers
A paper, titled "How local governments avoid floodplain development through consistent implementation of routine municipal ordinances, plans, and programs," published in Oxford Open Climate Change uncovers evidence suggesting that, contrary to expect.....»»
Retired Hawaii lawmaker fights order to pay maintenance fees for condo that burned down in Lahaina wildfires
Retired Hawaii lawmaker fights order to pay maintenance fees for condo that burned down in Lahaina wildfires.....»»
Greenhouse gains: Cucumbers genetic upgrade through innovative pollen tech
Genetic modification in horticultural crops, particularly within the Cucurbitaceae family, is often hindered by complex tissue culture requirements and environmental pressures such as climate change. Traditional transformation techniques, like Agroba.....»»
What the jet stream and climate change had to do with the hottest summer on record
Summer 2024 was officially the Northern Hemisphere's hottest on record. In the United States, fierce heat waves seemed to hit somewhere almost every day......»»