A dangerous wave of wildfires is spreading across the tropics, and the Amazon rainforest is now facing a growing crisis. Fueled by severe drought linked to El Niño, fires are sweeping through parts of Brazil, filling cities with smoke and threatening forests already damaged by previous fire seasons. Unlike tornadoes or thunderstorms, which can cause […]
Forest soils are playing a surprisingly powerful role in removing methane from the atmosphere, and new findings suggest that certain effects of climate change could make them even better at it. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, but microorganisms living in the soil can break it down before it builds […]
A major Atlantic Ocean circulation system that plays a central role in regulating Earth’s climate has been weakening across a broad region for nearly two decades, according to new research. The trend could have important consequences for weather, rainfall, storms, and sea level in regions around the Atlantic and beyond. The study, led by researchers […]
Anyone who has ever heated a pot of water knows that temperature depends on more than how hot something gets. Time matters too. Yet marine heatwaves (MHWs) have traditionally been studied as distinct events with clearly defined beginnings and endings. New research led by William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School suggests that approach may […]
A powerful eruption at Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau sent ash high into the atmosphere, disrupting thousands of flights and worsening air quality across parts of the country. Anak Krakatau is a small but highly active volcano located between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. Its eruptions are often relatively modest, but the volcano is also […]
New research from Colorado State University suggests that irrigating U.S. crops may deliver a surprisingly large climate benefit by allowing farmers to produce more food without converting additional natural land into agriculture. Irrigation increases crop yields, which means the same amount of food can be grown on a smaller area. According to the researchers, if […]
When Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted beneath the South Pacific in January 2022, the explosion ranked among the most powerful volcanic events of the modern era. But researchers have now uncovered an unexpected consequence of that eruption: the enormous volcanic cloud appears to have helped destroy some of the methane pollution produced by the volcano itself. […]
“For too long a sense has prevailed that solutions to the climate and nature are out of reach. This new research explodes that myth once and for all.” The world risks irreversible damage as our reliance on planet-heating fossil fuels pushes ecosystems towards catastrophic climate tipping points. A recent report from the United Nations Environment […]
“If humanity doesn’t cut the fossil fuel pollution baking our planet, this summer’s brutal heat, fires and droughts will seem mild compared to the permanent climate nightmare that will follow,” said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary. “Europe’s summer has been hot as hell. This is the price of global fossil fuel addiction hitting […]
The world has experienced its joint-hottest month since records began, with August pushing the planet’s average global temperature to more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, data shows. Extreme weather and climate-related disasters raged around the world last month. Scientists have said climate change likely played a role in the landslides and flash floods that killed […]
