Category: Earth

  • The Secret Behind Gold & Platinum in Earth’s Mantle?

    The Secret Behind Gold & Platinum in Earth’s Mantle?

    Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Simone Marchi collaborated on a new study finding the first geophysically plausible scenario to explain the abundance of certain precious metals — including gold and platinum — in the Earth’s mantle. Based on these simulations, scientists found an impact-driven mixing of mantle materials scenarios that could prevent the metals from completely…

  • Cleaner snow boosts future snowpack predictions

    Cleaner snow boosts future snowpack predictions

    The future snowpack in high mountains like the Himalayas is expected to diminish in the future, but clean snow will help reduce the loss, according to a new study. Credit: Eugene Ga | Shutterstock.com Less pollution settling into snow should help cut the decline of snowpack in the Northern Hemisphere later this century. Though the…

  • Inferring wildfire intensity from quartz luminescence

    Inferring wildfire intensity from quartz luminescence

    Phinney collecting her soil cores in a high burn intensity region of the 2020 Mangum Fire, Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona. Credit: April Phinney On 8 June 2020, the Mangum Fire ignited 16 miles north of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. By the time it was mostly contained, about a month later,…

  • Arctic Changes Triggered Significant Gray Whale Die-Offs Since the 1980s

    Arctic Changes Triggered Significant Gray Whale Die-Offs Since the 1980s

    Gray whales migrating south between their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic and wintering lagoons in Mexico. Permit number 14097. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/SWFSC/MMTD. Dynamic Arctic conditions have caused major die-offs in gray whales since the 1980s. Despite their adaptability, climate change presents new challenges, affecting their prey and potentially future population sizes. Dynamic and changing…

  • Close connectivity within the North Atlantic current system identified

    Close connectivity within the North Atlantic current system identified

    Schematic representation of the most important North Atlantic currents. Red (blue) arrows show the upper (deep) circulation paths. Credit: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; S. Wett. Researchers from the University of Bremen and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency have compared long-term data on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation from…

  • Here’s what’s driving the record autumn heat (it’s not just carbon emissions)

    Here’s what’s driving the record autumn heat (it’s not just carbon emissions)

    Long-term changes in emissions are more important than the effect of recent measures. Credit: BNMK 0819/Shutterstock Climate scientists have detected a striking jump in global temperatures during 2023. September was 1.75°C above Earth’s pre-industrial average temperature and a whole half-degree Celsius warmer than the previous hottest September. These observations have been variously described as “

  • New Antarctic observing system proposed

    New Antarctic observing system proposed

    Remote sensing instruments on autonomous underwater vehicles will play a role in the Ross Sea far East Antarctic observing system. Credit: ROV team Scientists have proposed a new ocean–sea ice–atmosphere observing system between the Ross Sea and Casey station, to monitor changes in this understudied part of Antarctica’s ice-covered marine environment. Australian Antarctic Program sea-ice……

  • The Missing Link in Adaptation Efforts

    The Missing Link in Adaptation Efforts

    Globally, individuals and households are the main entities adapting to climate change, with a notable lack of systematic collaboration among affected groups, according to a meta-study conducted by researchers from Universität Hamburg’s CLICCS and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Around the Globe, Climate Adaptation Lacks Coordination A meta-study shows that individuals and households are leading climate change adaptation…

  • Likelihood of hail in Australia has changed substantially over the last four decades

    Likelihood of hail in Australia has changed substantially over the last four decades

    This map shows the changes in annual hail-prone days per decade. The black dots (“stippling”) show where the trend was considered to be statistically significant. Credit: University of New South Wales Understanding how hailstorm frequency has changed over time can help us build resilience against future hail events. By studying atmospheric patterns across Australia over…

  • Anthropogenic aerosols could delay enhanced monsoon precipitation by decades

    Anthropogenic aerosols could delay enhanced monsoon precipitation by decades

    Modeled spatial pattern of precipitation changes during the monsoon and the pre- and post-monsoon periods. Credit: Singh et al. 2023. Earth’s atmosphere contains fine particles suspended in the air, known as aerosols, occurring from natural sources, such as dust from deserts, volcanic ash, smoke from forest fires, sea salt from ocean spray and organic compounds…