Climate

Humans

World could heat up 4 degrees C in 50 years

Immediate and substantial action to reduce emissions would be needed to meet climate negotiators' goal of holding warming to a 2 degree Celsius increase, a new package of scientific papers concludes.

Earth

Lakes are warming across the globe

Throughout the past quarter-century, inland lakes have been experiencing a small, steadily rising nighttime fever. Globally, the average increase has hovered around 0.045 degrees Celsius per year, but in some regions the increase has been more than twice that — or about 1 °C per decade.

Earth

Warm spell spurred tropical biodiversity

The number of plant species exploded in South America as atmospheric carbon dioxide, and temperatures, rose abruptly about 56 million years ago.

Earth

Mining the maritime past for clues to climate’s future

Researchers collect data through a mashup of 19th century ship records and 21st century crowdsourcing.

Humans

Climate researcher speaks out

BLOG: Michael Mann says scientists have lost control of the public message about climate change, Alexandra Witze reports from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing meeting.

Earth

Hurricane forecasts can be made years in advance

Climate modelers say they can push Atlantic predictions beyond a single season.

Tech

Election projections for science investments

The November 2, mid-term election results are in (mostly) and pundits are billing it as a historic turnabout. With a divided Congress, passing legislation — never an easy task — risks becoming harder still. And with fiscal austerity having been a leading campaign issue for the newbies, R&D is unlikely to see a major boost in federal funding during the next two years.

Earth

Arctic lake yields climate record

A Siberian drilling project goes to great lengths to capture an ancient climate record in a 3.6 million-year-old crater.

Humans

When to welcome ‘invading’ species

As climate changes, some environments are becoming hostile to the flora and fauna that long nurtured them. Species that can migrate have begun to move into regions where temperatures and humidity are more hospitable. And that can prove a conundrum for officials charged with halting the invasion of non-native species, notes Jon Jarvis, a biologist who for the past year has headed the National Park Service.

Humans

GNP’s glaciers: Going, going . . .

Climate warming will eliminate them within a generation, data indicate.

Animals

Wolverine: Climate warming threatens comeback

BLOG: New data point to unexpected sociability and filial behavior in carnivore.

Earth

Warming is accelerating global water cycle

Fresh water evaporates from the oceans, rains out over land and then runs back into the seas. A new study finds evidence that global warming has been speeding up this hydrological cycle recently, a change that could lead to more violent storms. It could also alter where precipitation falls — drying temperate areas, those places where most people now live.