-
Phosphorus Pollution Reaching Dangerous Levels Worldwide, New Study Finds
Man-made phosphorus pollution is reaching dangerously high levels in freshwater basins around the world, according to new research.
-
Algae Growth Reduces Reflectivity, Enhances Greenland Ice Sheet Melting
New research shows algae growing on the Greenland ice sheet, the Earth’s second-largest ice sheet, significantly reduce the surface reflectivity of the ice sheet’s bare ice area and contribute more to its melting than dust or black carbon. The new findings could influence scientists’ understanding of ice sheet melting and projections of future sea level…
-
Human-Caused Warming Likely Intensified Hurricane Harvey's Rains
New research shows human-induced climate change increased the amount and intensity of Hurricane Harvey’s unprecedented rainfall. The new findings are being published in two separate studies and being presented in a press conference today at the 2017 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, along with additional new findings about recent Atlantic Ocean hurricanes.
-
Groundwater Depletion Could be Significant Source of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Humans may be adding large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by using groundwater faster than it is replenished, according to new research. This process, known as groundwater depletion, releases a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that has until now been overlooked by scientists in calculating carbon sources, according to the…
-
Scientists Determine Source of World's Largest Mud Eruption
On May 29, 2006, mud started erupting from several sites on the Indonesian island of Java. Boiling mud, water, rocks and gas poured from newly-created vents in the ground, burying entire towns and compelling many Indonesians to flee. By September 2006, the largest eruption site reached a peak, and enough mud gushed on the surface…
-
Combination of El Niño and 2016 Ecuador Earthquake Likely Worsened Zika Outbreak
A Zika virus outbreak in coastal Ecuador in 2016 was likely worsened by a strong El Niño and a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the region in April, according to a new study.
-
Caspian Sea evaporating as temperatures rise
Earth’s largest inland body of water has been slowly evaporating for the past two decades due to rising temperatures associated with climate change, a new study finds.
-
Increase in Extreme Sea Levels Could Endanger European Coastal Communities
Massive coastal flooding in northern Europe that now occurs once every century could happen every year if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, according to a new study.New projections considering changes in sea level rise, tides, waves and storm surge over the 21st century find global warming could cause extreme sea levels to increase significantly…
-
Extreme Space Weather-Induced Electricity Blackouts Could Cost U.S. More Than $40 Billion Daily
New study finds more than half the loss occurs outside the blackout zone.The daily U.S. economic cost from solar storm-induced electricity blackouts could be in the tens of billions of dollars, with more than half the loss from indirect costs outside the blackout zone, according to a new study.
-
Melting glaciers feed Antarctic food chain
Nutrient-rich water from melting Antarctic glaciers nourishes the ocean food chain, creating feeding “hot spots” in large gaps in the sea ice, according to a new study. New research finds that iron stored in the region’s glaciers is being shuttled by melting water to open areas of the ocean, called polynyas, where it stimulates growth of…