Phys.org Earth Science

• Relief from drought in southwest U.S. likely isn't coming, according to new research

  The Southwest United States is currently facing its worst megadrought of the past 1,200 years. According to a recent study by the University of Texas at Austin, the drought could continue at least until the end of the century, if not longer.

• The anatomy of a flash flood: Why the Texas flood was so deadly

  Between July 3 and 6, Texas Hill Country experienced catastrophic flash flooding along the Guadalupe River system. The floods claimed at least 130 lives, with over 96 fatalities in Kerr County alone. More than 160 people were missing as of July 12, including children attending camps along the river.

• Two dead in New Jersey as soaked US northeast braces for more rain

  Two people were killed in New Jersey following flash flooding in the northeastern United States that caused travel chaos, authorities said Tuesday, as the region braced for more heavy rain.

• A warning from the future: The risk if NZ gets climate adaptation policy wrong today

  New Zealand 2050: On the morning of February 27, the sea surged through the dunes south of the small town of Te Taone, riding on the back of Cyclone Harita's swollen rivers and 200mm of overnight rainfall.

• Preliminary findings from Hurricane Maria investigation released

  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a video update and press release on its study of Hurricane Maria's impacts on Puerto Rico.

• Sugars from the salty ocean are responsible for a large part of the ice nuclei over southern hemisphere

  Current climate models have so far been unable to adequately reproduce the clouds over the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. An international team has now taken an important step toward filling this gap. The researchers were able to prove that the majority of ice nuclei in the atmosphere there are due to sugar compounds from marine microorganisms in the seawater.

• Thousands of years of climate data refined to better predict future environmental changes

  A collaborative effort between the universities of Cordoba and Granada improved the spatial resolution of monthly climate data from 22,000 years ago to the year 2100, enabling more localized and detailed studies.

• Researchers develop satellite-based method to boost accuracy of coal plant CO₂ emission estimates

  A new satellite-based method developed by Chinese researchers improves the accuracy of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission estimates from coal-fired power plants, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology.

• The hidden health risks of wood-burning and eco stoves in homes

  Households are being warned about the dangers of wood-burning stoves, including modern eco-design models, as a new study by the University of Surrey's Global Center for Clean Air Research (GCARE) has found that the use of woodstoves results in short-term exposures to high concentrations of toxic pollutants.

• New insights into the jet stream make better climate predictions possible

  Jet streams are often referred to as the "motor" of global weather: High-altitude wind currents steer areas of high and low pressure, playing a crucial role in shaping our weather. However, how these atmospheric flows are affected by climate change remains uncertain.

• Melting Arctic ice bolstering North Atlantic Ocean currents, for now

  From more frequent wildfires to rising sea levels, climate change is disrupting ecosystems and upending once-stable weather patterns. One particularly alarming consequence of rising global temperatures is the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a conveyor-belt-like system of ocean currents driven by the sinking of cold, salty waters in the North Atlantic.

• UK air quality has improved since 2015, but targets are still being missed

  Air pollution across the UK dropped between 2015 and 2024, but dangerous levels are still reached too often, shows new research published in Environmental Science: Atmospheres.

• Spreading Grand Canyon fire destroys historic lodge

  A growing wildfire at the Grand Canyon's North Rim has now charred at least 50 structures, including a historic lodge inside the popular US tourist site and natural wonder, authorities said Monday.

• Q&A: Researcher discusses how AI is used to 'democratize' how we predict the weather

  Weather prediction systems provide critical information about dangerous storms, deadly heat waves and potential droughts, among other climate emergencies.

• An earthquake with a preliminary 6.2 magnitude shakes Panama, with no immediate reports of damage

  An earthquake with a preliminary 6.2 magnitude struck off the Pacific coast of Panama on Monday, authorities said. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.

• Smarter tools for policymakers: Researchers target urban carbon emissions, building by building

  Carbon emissions continue to increase at record levels, fueling climate instability and worsening air quality conditions for billions in cities worldwide. Yet despite global commitments to carbon neutrality, urban policymakers still struggle to implement effective mitigation strategies at the city scale.

• Agro-pastoral activities accelerated mountain soil erosion for 3,800 years, study finds

  Over the last 3,800 years, agro-pastoral activities have accelerated alpine soil erosion at a pace four to 10 times faster than their natural formation. The history of this erosion has just been revealed for the first time by a research team led by a CNRS scientist.

• Unprecedented acidification expected for corals in Hawaiʻi waters

  Across the globe, oceans are acidifying as they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, threatening coral reefs and many other marine organisms.

• New mapping system helps target emergency aid after hurricane flooding in rural areas

  In the fall of 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the southeastern U.S., later downgrading to a tropical storm causing strong winds, flooding and major destruction throughout Appalachia. Now, researchers and public health officials in Environmental Science & Technology Letters provide a debrief about how their mapping of key locations, including private wells, septic systems and service facilities, helped distribute disaster relief in North Carolina—a part of Appalachia hit particularly hard by the hurricane.

• Study finds cities with proactive, risk-tolerant governing styles most likely to have ambitious climate strategies

  A new study led by two researchers with the School of Public Affairs & Administration at the University of Kansas finds that cities with proactive, learning-oriented and risk-tolerant governance styles are significantly more likely to implement ambitious climate resilience strategies.

• A close look at recreational boating on German lakes

  Researchers from the University of Konstanz's Limnological Institute and the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment closely studied the effects of growing motorboat usage on lakes and developed recommendations to make boating more environmentally friendly. In the research project SuBoLakes (Sustainable Boating on Lakes in Germany), which was conducted between 2021 and 2025, the team investigated the impact of boating on several lake districts in Germany. The results of this project have now been published in a detailed report.

• Fossilized oysters hold key to mass extinction: Study finds event triggered by ocean pH drop

  In the first and only reconstruction of ocean pH ever carried out, new research from the University of St Andrews and the University of Birmingham has discovered that a rapid acidification of oceans, due to a massive and sudden rise in atmospheric CO2, caused a mass extinction event 201 million years ago.

• 2026 FIFA World Cup expansion will have a big climate footprint, with matches from Mexico to Canada

  When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of sports fans will be traveling among venues spread across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

• Berg winds in South Africa: the winter weather pattern that increases wildfire risks

  Winter in some parts of South Africa is a time of low (or no) rainfall and high fire danger. Sheldon Strydom studies the relationship between weather and fire, in particular how Berg winds, also known as mountain flow events, are linked to periods of enhanced fire danger. Mid-July is typically a high risk period. He shares what he has learned during his research in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa, close to the country's largest mountain range, the Drakensberg.

• FEMA's flood maps often miss dangerous flash flood risks, leaving homeowners unprepared

  Deadly and destructive flash flooding in Texas and several other states in July 2025 is raising questions about the nation's flood maps and their ability to ensure that communities and homeowners can prepare for rising risks.