A 2022 drone image of the Yukon River and its floodplain downstream from Beaver, Alaska, shows accumulations of sediments, which harbor the toxic metal mercury. Credit: Michael P. Lamb. The Yukon River flows west across Alaska toward the Bering Sea, eroding Arctic permafrost along its banks and transporting sediment downstream. Within that sediment lurks a…
Category: Earth
The earliest traces of life on Earth—researchers explore carbon in 3.9-billion-year-old Canadian rocks
Credit: University of Ottawa The isotopic composition of carbon in iron formations from the Saglek-Hebron Complex in Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) has been seen as evidence of the earliest traces of life on Earth. But a new study by the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and University College London suggests otherwise. The study shows that the…
First-of-its-kind analysis reveals importance of storms in air–sea carbon exchange in Southern Ocean
A new study by MBARI researchers from the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project and their collaborators has revealed that storms trigger the release of carbon dioxide from the ocean. This work will help improve models used for forecasting our changing climate. Credit: SOCCOM The ocean has a major influence on…
Study finds impacts of 4.2 ka climate event no big deal, actually
Spatial expression of the 8.2 ka and 4.2 ka climate excursions. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50886-w A megadrought that occurred 4,200 years ago had catastrophic impacts, potentially wiping out early empires and leading to large-scale changes worldwide. It was so significant it marked a turning point in the Earth’s geologic history. Or was it?…
Climate change raised the odds of unprecedented wildfires in 2023–24, say scientists
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Unprecedented wildfires in Canada and parts of Amazonia last year were at least three times more likely due to climate change and contributed to high levels of CO2 emissions from burning globally, according to the first edition of a new systematic annual review. The State of Wildfires report takes stock of…
Weather 'whiplash' in Antarctica may help predict effects of future climate change
A satellite image of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. Credit: J.E. “Jeb” Barrett The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica live up to their name. The region is one of the driest places on Earth—mountains form a wall around the valleys and prevent melting glacier water from intruding, humidity is extremely low, and no rain…
New model framework aims to predict postfire debris flow behavior before a fire occurs
Landslides often occur with little warning. Los Alamos Scientists are working to improve prediction technology to improve safety for communities and ecosystems alike. Credit: Luke McGuire New research from a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory is improving landslide prediction capabilities, making simulations faster and more accurate, which in turn will improve safety for communities…
Hailstone library to improve extreme weather forecasting
A hailstone, flecked with black paint to assist in 3D scanning, is weighed as part of processing for the library. Credit: The University of Queensland A University of Queensland library—full of hailstones instead of books—is helping researchers to better understand and predict damaging storms. Dr. Joshua Soderholm, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow from UQ’s School…
Rising mercury pollution in soil could be related to climate change, study suggests
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain In 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury went into effect, designed to help curb mercury emissions and limit exposure across the globe. However, a new study of mercury levels in soil suggests that the treaty’s provisions might not be enough. A study published in Environmental Science & Technology estimates that soil…
Alaskan land eroding faster due to climate change
Field photos of the Koyukuk River, Alaska. (a) Map of Alaska with the Yukon River system shown in light blue and the Koyukuk River in dark blue. (b) Aerial image showing scroll bar complexes outlined by vegetation across the Koyukuk River floodplain near Huslia, Alaska. Boat for scale (white circle) is the same boat depicted…