Climate
- Climate
The last 30 years were the hottest on record for the United States
Typical temps across large swaths of the country are now 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than their 20th-century averages.
- Climate
‘Tree farts’ contribute about a fifth of greenhouse gases from ghost forests
Greenhouse gases from dead trees play an important role in the overall environmental impact of ghost forests, a new study suggests.
- Climate
‘Zombie’ forest fires may become more common with climate change
Wildfires that survive winter underground can flare up after warm summers and account for more than one-third of the scorched ground in some regions.
- Climate
Climate change disinformation is evolving. So are efforts to fight back
Researchers discuss effective ways to counter the changing tactics of climate denial.
- Climate
Rivers might not be as resilient to drought as once thought
Seven years after Australia’s Millennium drought, water flow in many rivers isn’t returning to predrought levels.
- Climate
Mangrove forests on the Yucatan Peninsula store record amounts of carbon
Dense tangles of roots and natural water-filled sinkholes join forces to stockpile as much as 2,800 metric tons of carbon per hectare in the soil.
- Microbes
These climate-friendly microbes recycle carbon without producing methane
A newly discovered group of single-celled archaea break down decaying plants without adding the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere.
- Climate
Climate change may have changed the direction of the North Pole’s drift
A mid-1990s shift in the movement of the pole was driven by glacial melt, in part caused by climate change, among other factors, a new study reports.
- Climate
A trek under Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf reveals specific risks of warm water
An underwater autonomous craft collected the first data on the chemistry of seawater eroding the icy underbelly of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.
- Earth
A spike in Arctic lightning strikes may be linked to climate change
Global warming may be revving up summer thunderstorms in the Arctic, leading to skyrocketing numbers of lightning strikes.
- Ecosystems
How kelp forests off California are responding to an urchin takeover
A pair of studies reports 95 percent loss of kelp forests along the northern coast while sea otters are helping maintain surviving kelp farther south.
- Environment
The world wasted nearly 1 billion metric tons of food in 2019
A new United Nations global food waste report shows where waste can be reduced, which would decrease hunger and greenhouse gas emissions.
