As these events become more common at midlatitudes, a phenomenon called an atmospheric inversion will determine how long they last.
This Little Trout Died of Decompression Sickness – a Sign of Hydropower’s Hidden Problem
Hundreds of Norwegian hydropower plants threaten fish and bottom-dwelling animals by exposing them to water that is oversaturated with air.
A NASA satellite caught a giant tsunami doing something scientists didn’t expect
When a huge earthquake struck near Kamchatka, the SWOT satellite captured an unprecedented, high-resolution view of the resulting tsunami as it crossed the Pacific. The data revealed the waves were far more complex and scattered than scientists expected, overturning the idea that large tsunamis travel as a single, stable wave....
A Greenland glacier is cracking open in real time
A meltwater lake that formed in the mid-1990s on Greenland’s 79°N Glacier has been draining in sudden, dramatic bursts through cracks and vertical ice shafts. These events have accelerated in recent years, creating strange triangular fracture patterns and flooding the glacier’s base with water in just hours. Some drainages even...
Atmospheric River Research Flights Go Global
The UC San Diego-led program joins forces with research programs across the world to improve forecasts of extreme weather events.
Research Team Develops EPICC Air Quality Model for Complex Pollution Problem
A large Chinese research team has developed an air quality model called EPICC (Emission and atmospheric Processes Integrated and Coupled Community Model) that demonstrates improved accuracy in its representations of ozone and particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less.
Study Reveals Thirdhand Smoke as Hidden Indoor Air Pollutants
A new study published in the scientific journal Building and Environment reveals a persistent and evolving threat to indoor air quality known as "thirdhand smoke."
Plants can’t absorb as much CO2 as climate models predicted
CO2 can stimulate plant growth, but only when enough nitrogen is available—and that key ingredient has been seriously miscalculated. A new study finds that natural nitrogen fixation has been overestimated by about 50 percent in major climate models. This means the climate-cooling benefits of plant growth under high CO2 are...
A legendary fossil is forcing scientists to rethink human origins
One of the most complete human ancestor fossils ever found may belong to an entirely new species, according to an international research team. The famous “Little Foot” skeleton from South Africa has long been debated, but new analysis suggests it doesn’t truly match any known Australopithecus species. Instead, researchers say...
Coral reefs could feed millions if we let them rebuild
Overfished coral reefs are producing far less food than they could. Researchers found that letting reef fish populations recover could boost sustainable fish yields by nearly 50%, creating millions of extra meals each year. Countries with high hunger and nutrient deficiencies would benefit the most. Rebuilding reefs could turn ocean...