Austrian glaciers disintegrating due to climate change, say scientists
Austrian glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to climate change, which threatens the region's water supply and ecosystems.
news
Earth & Environment
Earth systems, ecosystems, and environmental change.
Latest
At dusk in Kenya’s caves, scientists study the hidden lives of bats
Kenyan scientists are studying bats emerging from coastal caves to learn more about these little-known creatures and how they interact with their environment, which could have implications for conservation.
news
What on Earth is AlphaEarth? Hierarchical structure and functional interpretability for global land cover
Researchers developed a new model called AlphaEarth that can map global land cover with high accuracy, providing insights into the state of the planet that could inform environmental policies and decision-making.
preprint
Hawaii's worst flooding in 20 years threatens dam, prompts evacuations
Heavy rainfall in Hawaii caused severe flooding, threatening a nearby dam and forcing evacuations. This extreme weather event underscores the growing threat of climate change-driven natural disasters that can put communities at risk.
news
Submerged bumblebee queens breathe underwater
Bumblebee queens can breathe underwater, which may help them survive floods and natural disasters that threaten their hives and colonies.
news
Global insect rescue plan requires new technology to ensure success
Scientists are using new camera and AI technology to better track progress in global efforts to protect endangered insects, which are crucial for healthy ecosystems.
news
Paul Ehrlich, ‘Population Bomb’ ecologist, dies at 93
Influential ecologist Paul Ehrlich, known for warning about overpopulation, has died at age 93. His controversial predictions about population growth and resource scarcity sparked important debates about sustainability and public policy.
news
Australia’s “Red Centre” Turns Green
Abundant rain turned Australia's arid "Red Centre" into a lush green landscape. This rare event highlights how climate change can rapidly transform ecosystems, with potential impacts on local wildlife and communities.
report
Local agricultural transition, crisis and migration in the Southern Andes
Farmers in the Andes had to adapt or migrate when their maize-based agriculture faced crisis, revealing the vulnerability of local food systems to environmental changes.
peer reviewed
Dishwashing with side effects: Kitchen sponges release microplastics
Kitchen sponges release microplastics during use, which can contribute to household pollution and end up in the environment, raising concerns about potential health and environmental impacts.
news
Two marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found alive in Indonesian Papua
Scientists discovered two mammal species in Indonesia that were thought extinct for 6,000 years, giving hope for uncovering more hidden biodiversity.
news
Predictions from $s$-process AGB models of the isotopic variations of zirconium and neodymium for comparison to bulk meteorites
Measurements of certain elements in meteorites reveal new insights into how heavy elements are formed in dying stars. This information helps us better understand the chemical origins of the solar system.
preprint
Climate-resilient housing models slow to gain ground in disaster-prone Bangladesh
Bangladeshi housing models designed to withstand climate disasters are not being widely adopted, leaving many vulnerable to recurring floods, storms, and erosion.
news
Mayor of Paris removed parking spaces, "drastically" reduced the number of cars
The mayor of Paris removed many parking spaces to drastically reduce the number of cars, which aims to lower pollution and make the city more livable for residents.
news
A student volunteer and a mesh suit helped us figure out how mosquitoes reach their targets
A volunteer in a mesh suit helped researchers observe how mosquitoes target and reach their hosts, providing insights into mosquito sensory and feeding behavior that could inform better mosquito control methods.
news
Critically endangered monkey gives birth after surgery saves her foot
A critically endangered monkey gave birth after surgery saved its foot, offering hope for the species' recovery and demonstrating the power of veterinary care to protect vulnerable wildlife.
news
Argentine fossil rewrites evolutionary history of a baffling dinosaur clade
Paleontologists discovered a well-preserved dinosaur skeleton in Argentina that sheds new light on the evolution of a puzzling group of small, specialized dinosaurs known as alvarezsauroids.
peer reviewed
March heat surges past 100 in California and Arizona, smashing records
Record-breaking March heat waves scorch the American Southwest, posing dangerous health risks and highlighting the intensifying impacts of climate change.
news
Intracluster globular clusters as tracers of the mass assembly of the Hydra I galaxy cluster
Astronomers found that globular star clusters floating freely between galaxies in galaxy clusters can reveal how those galaxy clusters formed over time. This helps scientists better understand the overall structure and evolution of galaxy clusters.
preprint
Geography According to ChatGPT -- How Generative AI Represents and Reasons about Geography
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT can now represent and reason about geography, which could impact how people understand and interact with physical spaces through these AI tools.
preprint
In Focus in this category
Observing the tidal pulse of rivers from wide-swath satellite altimetry
New satellite data maps tidal pulses in rivers, revealing how far inland ocean tides reach - key for coastal communities' flood planning.
peer reviewed
Argentine fossil rewrites evolutionary history of a baffling dinosaur clade
Paleontologists discovered a well-preserved dinosaur skeleton in Argentina that sheds new light on the evolution of a puzzling group of small, specialized dinosaurs known as alvarezsauroids.
peer reviewed
What on Earth is AlphaEarth? Hierarchical structure and functional interpretability for global land cover
Researchers developed a new model called AlphaEarth that can map global land cover with high accuracy, providing insights into the state of the planet that could inform environmental policies and decision-making.
preprint
Predictions from $s$-process AGB models of the isotopic variations of zirconium and neodymium for comparison to bulk meteorites
Measurements of certain elements in meteorites reveal new insights into how heavy elements are formed in dying stars. This information helps us better understand the chemical origins of the solar system.
preprint
Forest-Chat: Adapting Vision-Language Agents for Interactive Forest Change Analysis
New AI system helps analyze satellite images to track forest changes, improving monitoring of deforestation and environmental conservation efforts.
preprint
Investigation of Venus' thermal history, crustal evolution, and core dynamics with a coupled interior-lithosphere-atmosphere model
A new model simulates how Venus' internal heat, crust, and atmosphere evolved over time, providing insights into the planet's mysterious history and potential for volcanic activity.
preprint
Contrasting thermophilization among forests, grasslands and alpine summits
Forests, grasslands, and alpine areas are seeing changes in their plant and animal communities as the climate warms, with potential impacts on ecosystem services like food production and tourism.
peer reviewed
AI-driven Dispensing of Coral Reseeding Devices for Broad-scale Restoration of the Great Barrier Reef
Researchers developed AI-powered devices that can plant coral reefs on a large scale, which could help restore the dying Great Barrier Reef and protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.
preprint
MST-Direct: Matching via Sinkhorn Transport for Multivariate Geostatistical Simulation with Complex Non-Linear Dependencies
Scientists created a new algorithm to better simulate complex geological data, which could help with tasks like mining and energy exploration.
preprint
Enhancing the Parameterization of Reservoir Properties for Data Assimilation Using Deep VAE-GAN
Researchers developed a new algorithm to improve how computers model underground oil and gas reservoirs, which could lead to more accurate predictions about how much fuel is available and where it's located.
preprint
Microscopic Origin of Temperature-Dependent Anisotropic Heat Transport in Ultrawide-Bandgap Rutile GeO2
Researchers found that the heat flow in a promising semiconductor material called rutile GeO2 varies with temperature, which is important for designing efficient power electronics that can dissipate heat well.
preprint
In situ U Pb chronology and chemistry of zirconolite in the andesitic meteorite Erg Chech 002
Researchers studied a rare meteorite fragment, finding that its mineral composition provides a precise timeline of its formation and evolution billions of years ago. This gives new insights into the early history of our solar system.
preprint
End-to-end data-driven prediction of urban airflow and pollutant dispersion
Researchers developed a new system that can accurately predict airflow and pollution levels in cities, helping urban planners improve air quality and reduce public health risks.
preprint
Intracluster globular clusters as tracers of the mass assembly of the Hydra I galaxy cluster
Astronomers found that globular star clusters floating freely between galaxies in galaxy clusters can reveal how those galaxy clusters formed over time. This helps scientists better understand the overall structure and evolution of galaxy clusters.
preprint
Spectropolarimetric Constraints on the Maunder Minimum Analog HD 166620: Evidence for Weakened Magnetic Braking
Astronomers find evidence that a star similar to our Sun experienced a long period of unusually low magnetic activity, which could provide insights into past changes in the Earth's climate.
preprint
Observing the tidal pulse of rivers from wide-swath satellite altimetry
Scientists have used satellite data to map tidal patterns in rivers, which can help understand how climate impacts coastal regions.
peer reviewed
The edge of the Milky Way's star-forming disc: Evidence from a 'U-shaped' stellar age profile
New analysis of Milky Way stars reveals the edge of our galaxy's star-forming region, providing insights into how galaxy discs form and evolve over time.
preprint
End-to-end data-driven prediction of urban airflow and pollutant dispersion
Researchers developed a new computer model to predict urban air flow and pollution levels, which could help cities improve air quality and protect public health.
preprint
Turbulence destroys thermal lobes around Mars-sized planetary embryos
Large Mars-sized objects in forming planetary systems can disrupt their own local environment through turbulence, limiting the effectiveness of the thermal forces that shape their orbits.
preprint