Emergency planners in coastal cities such as Shanghai and New York City are under increasing pressure to protect elderly citizens from the devastating impact of coastal flooding caused by storms and cyclones. A recent study has revealed that both cities are highly exposed to storm-induced flooding, highlighting the urgent need for efficient evacuation plans to
Earth
The impact of climate change on biodiversity and the necessity for clean, renewable energy are two pressing issues that demand attention. However, these aspects are often viewed in isolation, without considering their interconnectedness. The question arises: how can we develop clean energy projects without compromising the future habitat of endangered species? A study conducted by
Throughout the history of the Earth, the surface temperature has remained relatively stable, fluctuating by only about 20 degrees Celsius. This stability has been crucial for the development and sustenance of life on our planet. The key to maintaining this stable temperature lies in Earth’s ability to regulate the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide over
The Earth’s atmosphere is a complex system with many layers, but the troposphere is where 85% of its air resides. Understanding the atmospheric chemistry that drives changes in the troposphere’s composition is crucial. One area of particular importance is the formation and prevalence of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), which can have significant impacts on the
Understanding the water cycle is crucial for managing the impacts of climate change and human activities. The complexities of floods and droughts make accurate predictions challenging. However, recent advancements in technology and data collection have paved the way for more detailed and sophisticated water modeling techniques. Scientists have recently developed the most detailed models to
A recent analysis of freshwater resources worldwide has uncovered some startling revelations. According to the research published in Nature Water, the planetary boundary for freshwater change has been exceeded as far back as the mid-twentieth century. This means that human activities over the past century have significantly impacted the Earth’s freshwater system, pushing it beyond
The Labor Day wildfires in 2020 were not only devastating in terms of the destruction they caused but also due to the extreme weather conditions that fueled them. A recent study conducted by Portland State University sheds light on the meteorological factors that led to the wildfires and the wider impacts of such extreme weather
Glacier-fed streams around the world are experiencing significant changes due to the ongoing process of glacier shrinkage. A team of scientists from EPFL and Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, conducted expeditions to major mountain ranges as part of the Vanishing Glaciers project. The researchers collected samples from 154 glacier-fed streams and found that as
The ongoing El Niño phenomenon is expected to have a significant impact on global surface air temperatures in the coming years. Areas such as the Bay of Bengal, the Philippines, and the Caribbean Sea are likely to experience record-breaking average surface air temperatures, according to modeling results published in Scientific Reports. This phenomenon, known as
The looming threat of rising sea levels due to the melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica is a major concern for scientists worldwide. The big question mark lies in the unpredictability of how these massive glaciers will behave in the coming decades, particularly because the fracture physics of glaciers remain a mystery. One pivotal
In a groundbreaking discovery, two researchers from the University of Saskatchewan have unearthed evidence of a prehistoric tsunami that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago in what is now Western Canada and parts of the northern United States. Dr. Brian Pratt and Dr. Colin Sproat, both from USask’s College of Arts and Science, published
Researchers at the University of Calgary have made a significant discovery regarding the link between radon exposure in rural homes and their proximity to drilled groundwater wells. This transdisciplinary team, consisting of experts from the faculties of medicine, science, and architecture, delved into the issue of elevated radon levels in rural communities compared to urban
Earthquake effects are not only limited to human impact, such as fatalities and infrastructure damage, but they also have a significant environmental toll. Recent research published in Nature Geoscience indicates that forest recovery after earthquakes may take decades to fully restore. The study reveals that after the 1950 Zayu-Medog earthquake in Tibet, it took 45
Recent research conducted by the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna has shed light on the relationship between soil temperature and microbial diversity. This study challenges the conventional wisdom that higher soil temperatures lead to increased microbial growth and carbon release into the atmosphere. Microorganisms play a crucial
Understanding the complex patterns of clouds in our changing climate is crucial for accurately predicting their effects on both society and nature. Scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology recently conducted a study published in the journal Science Advances. This study utilized a high-resolution global climate model