Drylands cover nearly half of the world’s land surface, comprising deserts, shrublands, grasslands, and savanna woodlands. These regions are characterized by water scarcity, causing significant effects on natural ecosystems and human-managed landscapes like agriculture and forestry. Climate change and land management practices have long been known to contribute to dryland expansion, but new research reveals
Earth
Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) recently made a groundbreaking discovery deep within Earth’s liquid core – a doughnut-shaped region thousands of kilometers beneath our feet. This structure, previously unknown to researchers, sits parallel to the equator and is found only at low latitudes. While the Earth’s core consists of two layers – the
In a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Southampton, the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, the National Oceanography Center, and Stockholm University, the crucial role of the mixing of Atlantic and Arctic waters in sustaining the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been highlighted. This circulation system plays a vital role in
Canada experienced extreme forest fires in 2023, fueled by the warmest and driest conditions in decades. The fires released approximately 640 million metric tons of carbon, which is comparable to the annual fossil fuel emissions of a large industrialized nation. These wildfires burned an area roughly the size of North Dakota from May to September
Global warming, exacerbated by human activities, has resulted in escalating average temperatures worldwide. Although the entire planet is experiencing the effects of climate change, Greenland is undergoing even more rapid warming, leading to accelerated melting of its ice sheets. This intensified warming in the northern regions, known as Arctic Amplification, poses a significant threat to
The year 2024 has been marked by a series of significant events, including a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day. This earthquake, along with the subsequent seismic swarms, has provided valuable insights into the role of fault barriers in earthquake genesis. Fault barriers, also known as asperities, play a
In a recent international study led by the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), the sensitivity of terrestrial ecosystems to global change factors was examined. The study revealed that as the number of environmental stressors increases, the resistance of ecosystems to global change decreases significantly. This has important implications for the services
In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science, an international research team conducted a comprehensive global evaluation of 1,500 climate policy measures from 41 countries across six continents. The study, led by researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC),
Predicting the path and intensity of tropical cyclones is crucial for ensuring the safety of communities at risk. The current forecasting capabilities provide a lead time of up to five days, but a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research proposes a hybrid model that could extend this lead time to two weeks.
Recent research conducted by Western Sydney University has uncovered concerning levels of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) chemical contamination in the livers of deceased platypuses across eastern New South Wales. PFOS, a type of PFAS (per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), was detected in liver samples from nine deceased platypuses collected over a two-and-a-half-year period. Lead researcher Katherine Warwick from
Color Vision Deficiency (CVD), often referred to as color blindness, affects nearly 8% of genetic males and 0.5% of genetic females. Individuals with CVD have a decreased ability to discern between particular colors, which can impact their daily tasks, including their work. In the weather radar community, where scientists rely heavily on visual data to
The discovery of seismic signals known as PKP precursors has puzzled scientists for decades. These signals bounce off regions in Earth’s lower mantle and return to the surface as PKP waves, traveling at varying speeds. The source of these precursor signals, which arrive before the main seismic waves passing through Earth’s core, has long been
Understanding and predicting damaging storms is crucial for the safety of individuals and the protection of various industries. A recent study conducted by Dr. Joshua Soderholm and Ph.D. candidate Yuzhu Lin has shed new light on the role of hailstone shape in storm modeling, leading to significant findings that could revolutionize our approach to weather
Protecting biodiversity in the Southern Ocean has become a crucial task as human activities continue to pose a threat to native wildlife in the region. A recent study led by a team of scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder has identified 30 new areas that are essential for conserving biodiversity in the Antarctic. These
Massif-type anorthosites have long been a mystery to scientists due to conflicting theories about their origins. These plagioclase-rich igneous rock formations cover vast areas and hold key insights into Earth’s history. A recent study published in Science Advances sheds new light on the formation of these enigmatic rocks, providing a deeper understanding of Earth’s mantle