The significant surge in wetland methane emissions has emerged as a critical yet underreported factor in global climate dynamics. Recent findings indicate that methane released from wetlands—particularly tropical ones such as the Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon—is higher than ever, with emissions from these regions largely overlooked by national and global climate models. …
The burgeoning field of climate attribution science has significantly advanced our understanding of the extent to which the climate crisis is responsible for extreme weather events that claim lives and devastate communities globally. These studies employ methodologies that rigorously compare historical data with current climatic events to elucidate the influence of human-induced global heating on …
Scientists are exploring the role of sand and dust particles in our climate and weather systems, focusing on a surprising location: Iceland. Unlike typical deserts with orange sandy dunes, Iceland’s vast desert areas—covering 44,000 km²—are flat expanses of black volcanic dust. These areas produce particles known as HLD (High-Latitude Dust), which originate near the Arctic …
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As efficient as electronic data storage systems are, they pale in comparison to nature’s own method—DNA data storage. A new technique has emerged that writes data to DNA much like a printing press, significantly accelerating the process and simplifying it to the point where it could be accessible to anyone. Traditional methods of DNA data …
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Cataclysmic volcanic eruptions are rare but inevitable, and their potential global consequences make them a critical focus for preparedness. The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia serves as a stark reminder of the devastation such events can cause. Tambora killed 90,000 people locally and led to severe global climate disruptions. The Northern Hemisphere experienced …
A significant decline in Earth’s freshwater levels began abruptly in May 2014 and has persisted ever since, according to an international study published in Surveys in Geophysics. Using data from NASA-German GRACE satellites, scientists discovered that from 2015 to 2023, the average amount of freshwater stored on land—including surface water, groundwater, and soil moisture—was 290 …
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The Ocean Genome Atlas Project (OGAP) is conducting pioneering research off Greenland’s coast, using a sailboat to sequence plankton DNA and explore Earth’s evolutionary past. Led by neuroscientist Leonid Moroz and expedition leader Peter Molnar, OGAP is on a mission to catalog and map 80% of the ocean’s smallest life forms. Their aim is to …
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In January 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted with record-breaking force, devastating the island, triggering evacuations, and resulting in fatalities. The sudden eruption left scientists searching for ways to better predict such events. Recently, researchers identified a seismic wave precursor—a subtle Rayleigh wave signal that traveled across Earth’s surface about 15 minutes before the …
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of modern science, exemplified by the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Physics, where all winners utilized AI in their work. This recognition underscores how pivotal AI in scientific research has become, heralded by experts as a transformative force. One laureate even described it as “one of the …
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Phytoplankton are microscopic, plant-like organisms that form the base of the marine food web, sustaining a wide range of marine life from tiny fish to massive whales. Additionally, they play a significant role in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Monitoring phytoplankton biomass is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change and evaluating potential …
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