Phys.org Earth Science

• On water recycling, Nevada leads other states, report finds

  When it comes to recycling the most precious resource in the Colorado River Basin, Nevada leads six other states, a new report has confirmed.

• What you do before and during a tornado could mean the difference between life and death

  With new innovations and technology, scientists have learned from major tornado outbreaks over the years how to improve safety guidance. During tornado season, forecasters try to get the word out about staying safe during a storm—but also planning for it ahead of time.

• When heavy rainfall threatens flooding, you can protect yourself. Here's how

  Extreme weather is dangerous weather, and that's particularly true for the heavy rainfall events that experts say are becoming more frequent with climate change. The powerful storms can pose threats ranging from falling limbs to downed power lines to drowning.

• Anesthetic gas emissions have dropped by 27% in last decade, but there's room for improvement

  Gases used in anesthesia are potent greenhouse gases, and their total global impact has not previously been known. A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health led by Lund University shows that greenhouse gas emissions from anesthetic gases have decreased by 27% over the last 10 years. By swapping out the anesthetic gas with the highest climate impact, the climate impact of anesthetic gases could have been reduced by a further 69%.

• Storing CO₂ beneath the German North Sea: Interim report

  Captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) could be stored deep beneath the German North Sea. However, due to limited storage capacity and potential environmental risks, this option should only be used for residual emissions that remain unavoidable—even under ambitious climate policies.

• Proceed with caution: Emerging marine-climate projects outpacing effective governance

  Oceans are at the forefront of many new climate-related projects, but the speed that these projects are being developed and expanded is outpacing the ability to govern them effectively—and manage their potential impacts on marine ecosystems and communities.

• Imagining what the world could look like without fossil fuels spurs people to action

  Human activity has already warmed the planet by more than one degree Celsius, fueling forest fires, exacerbating floods, super-powering storms and increasing the frequency of deadly heat waves.

• AI model can predict lightning-induced wildfires with unprecedented accuracy

  A new artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by Israeli researchers promises to revolutionize wildfire prediction, with a particular focus on lightning-induced blazes that are growing increasingly common due to climate change. The new AI model can predict where and when lightning strikes are most likely to cause wildfires, achieving more than 90% accuracy—a first in wildfire forecasting.

• How much microplastic is generated during mountain biking?

  Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have, for the first time, provided concrete figures on the abrasion of mountain bike tires in off-road conditions. Their findings, published in Science of The Total Environment contribute to a better understanding of the global microplastic cycle.

• Why not every saltwater inflow benefits the Baltic Sea equally

  Eutrophication and oxygen depletion are well-known threats to the ecological balance of the Baltic Sea, which is increasingly under pressure due to climate change. In this context, large saltwater inflows from the North Sea play a crucial role. They transport oxygen-rich water into the deeper layers of the Baltic Sea, counteracting oxygen deficiency and so-called dead zones.

• What Donald Trump's dramatic US trade war means for global climate action

  US President Donald Trump's new trade war will not only send shockwaves through the global economy—it also upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change.

• Smoke from US fires linked to 20,000 premature deaths and $200 billion in health damages in 2017

  Since the end of the 20th century, air pollution from most U.S. sources has decreased, but emissions from wildland fires have risen. In a new study, researchers estimated that smoke from wildfires and prescribed burns caused $200 billion in health damages in 2017, and that these were associated with 20,000 premature deaths. Senior citizens were harmed the most, and Native American and Black communities experienced the greatest damages per capita.

• Long-term measurements reveal cloud sensitivity to changes in atmospheric aerosol concentrations

  An international study led by the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Meteorological Institute has demonstrated that the formation and properties of lower-atmosphere clouds are highly sensitive to changes in atmospheric aerosol concentrations.

• A novel approach to assess sources and spatial-temporal variations of atmospheric mercury

  A research team, led by Professor Sung-Deuk Choi from the Department of Civil, Urban, Earth, and Environmental Engineering at UNIST, has developed a novel assessment technique to accurately identify the sources and spatial-temporal distribution of atmospheric mercury. The study has been published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

• Research finds 39% less plastic waste around Australian coastal cities than a decade ago

  Picture this: you're lounging on a beautiful beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the waves. You run your hands through the warm sand, only to find a cigarette butt. Gross, right?

• Invisible losses: Thousands of plant species are missing from places they could thrive—humans are the reason

  If you go walking in the wild, you might expect that what you're seeing is natural. All around you are trees, shrubs and grasses growing in their natural habitat.

• How hidden lakes threaten Antarctic ice sheet stability

  For decades, satellites have played a crucial role in our understanding of the remote polar regions. The ongoing loss of Antarctic ice, due to the climate crisis, is, sadly, no longer surprising. However, satellites do more than just track the accelerating flow of glaciers toward the ocean and measure ice thickness.

• Climate disasters are on the rise: Some states want to make oil companies pay

  For many California residents, the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year were the latest and most searing example of the devastating effects of climate change. Some estimates have pegged the damages and economic losses from the fires at more than $250 billion.

• Ocean mixing intensifies central Pacific ENSO via diabatic heating, study reveals

  The El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is one of the most influential interannual climate phenomena in the global ocean-atmospheric system, with profound impacts on weather patterns, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Australia sweats through hottest 12 months on record: Official data

  Australia has just sweltered through its hottest 12 months on record, a weather official said Thursday, a period of drenching floods, tropical cyclones and mass coral bleaching.

• Bye-bye, Helene, Milton and Beryl. Names from those nasty hurricanes are now retired

  Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Beryl were so nasty last year that their names are being retired.

• This is what forecasters mean when they talk about a 100-year flood

  Weather forecasters sometimes warn of storms that unleash rains so unusual they are described as 100-year or even 500-year floods.

• Research reveals that Northern Ireland is feeling strain of climate change

  Warm temperatures and erratic rainfall due to climate change are taking a toll on Northern Ireland's health and farming industry, a new study published in Climate Risk Management reveals.

• For the first time in 25 years, California has a snowpack trifecta

  The year may have started with a dry spell, but the end of California's storm season has brought more fresh snow to the Sierra Nevada, pushing the state's snowpack to 96% of average on April 1, when the snow season typically reaches its peak.

• Helicopter-mounted sensor reveals volcanic CO₂ emissions could be three times higher than anticipated

  Estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from volcanoes may have been significantly underestimated, according to new research by The University of Manchester.