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Major reversal in ocean circulation detected in the Southern Ocean
10 months ago
- Satellite data processing algorithms by ICM-CSIC detected a reversal in the Southern Ocean's circulation.
- The study, led by the National Oceanographic Center (NOC), was published in PNAS.
- Since 2016, increased surface salinity indicates a reversal of the SMOC (Southern Meridional Overturning Circulation).
- Deep, warm, CO₂-rich waters are rising, accelerating Antarctic sea ice melting.
- This reversal could double atmospheric CO₂ levels by releasing stored carbon.
- The Barcelona Expert Center (BEC) developed a new SMOS satellite processor for polar regions.
- The findings redefine the Southern Ocean's role in global climate regulation.
- New ESA-funded projects (ARCTIC-FLOW and CCI OSHF) aim to monitor climate change effects.
Five million years of Antarctic Circumpolar Current strength variability (2024)
10 months ago
- The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the world's largest ocean-current system, influencing global ocean circulation, climate, and Antarctic ice-sheet stability.
- ACC dynamics are controlled by atmospheric forcing, oceanic density gradients, and eddy activity, with no linear long-term trend in strength over the past 5.3 million years.
- A reversal in ACC strength occurred from increasing during Pliocene global cooling to decreasing with further Early Pleistocene cooling, linked to Southern Ocean reconfiguration.
- ACC strength changes are closely tied to 400,000-year eccentricity cycles, influenced by tropical Pacific temperature variability and precessional changes in the South Pacific jet stream.
- A persistent link between weaker ACC flow, equatorward-shifted opal deposition, and reduced atmospheric CO2 during glacial periods emerged during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT).
- The strongest ACC flow occurred during warmer-than-present intervals of the Plio-Pleistocene, suggesting potential future increases in ACC flow with climate warming.
- ACC strength variations are relevant for Antarctic ice-sheet stability, with weaker ACC linked to ice-sheet advances and stronger ACC associated with retreats.
- The study provides geological evidence supporting future ACC acceleration under continued global warming, with implications for Southern Ocean carbon uptake.
The Real GenAI Issue
10 months ago
- GenAI has seen hundreds of billions in investments, primarily aimed at replacing human employees with AI to cut costs.
- Business leaders investing in GenAI believe it will reduce payrolls, not necessarily improve products or workflows.
- The potential societal cost includes massive job losses and increased inequality, with middle-class jobs at risk.
- GenAI's environmental impact is significant, with data centers contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions amidst ongoing climate crises.
- The push for GenAI is driven by profit motives, with little regard for societal or environmental consequences.
Tropical forest collapse linked to prolonged ancient global warming
10 months ago
- New research highlights the importance of tropical forests in preventing prolonged global warming.
- The Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction, or 'Great Dying,' led to massive loss of marine species and terrestrial plants and animals.
- Intense global warming during the event was triggered by volcanic activity in Siberia, known as the Siberian Traps.
- The collapse of tropical forests limited carbon sequestration, leading to prolonged high CO2 levels.
- Researchers used fossil records and rock formations to reconstruct changes in plant productivity during the extinction.
- Findings suggest thresholds in Earth’s climate-carbon system can amplify warming when crossed.
- China’s geological record provided crucial data for the study, gathered over decades by Chinese geologists.
- Simulations confirm that loss of tropical vegetation aligns with subsequent warming patterns.
- Current tropical forest collapse could similarly prevent climate cooling even if CO2 emissions stop.
- The study underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to understand and mitigate climate change.
'Great Dying' wiped out 90% of life, then came 5M years of lethal heat
10 months ago
- The 'Great Dying' mass extinction event occurred around 252 million years ago, wiping out 90% of life on Earth.
- The planet remained lethally hot for 5 million years after the event, a phenomenon that puzzled scientists.
- Researchers attribute the prolonged heat to the collapse of tropical forests, which reduced the planet's ability to store carbon.
- The study used fossil data from China to reconstruct past climate conditions and vegetation maps.
- Loss of vegetation during the extinction event significantly reduced carbon storage, leaving high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.
- Forests play a crucial role in carbon cycling and silicate weathering, processes that remove carbon from the atmosphere.
- The research suggests a climate tipping point where forest loss becomes irreversible on ecological time scales.
- The findings warn of potential future consequences if current rainforests collapse due to global warming.
- Even if human carbon emissions stop, the Earth may not cool, and warming could accelerate.
- Current tropical forests might be more resilient to high temperatures than those before the Great Dying, offering some hope.
The Texas Flooding Tragedy: Could It Have Been Avoided?
10 months ago
- Heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, resulting in at least fifty deaths.
- The National Weather Service (NWS) provided accurate warnings and forecasts before the event, but no evacuation was attempted.
- Weather models predicted the heavy precipitation event days in advance, yet local authorities failed to act.
- The flooding occurred around 4 AM on July 4, with prior warnings issued by the NWS, including flash flood alerts.
- Local county (Kerr) lacks a flood warning system, and no evacuation was ordered despite clear warnings.
- The event is not linked to climate change, as data shows no upward trend in extreme precipitation for the region.
- Criticism is directed at local authorities for negligence, with calls for political repercussions.
- Comparisons are made to other disasters (Maui wildfires, LA wildfires, Hurricane Helene) where warnings were ignored.
- Media and advocacy groups are criticized for falsely linking the event to climate change for political reasons.
- Suggestions include improving emergency alert systems and ensuring local authorities act on NWS warnings.
In a First, Solar Was Europe's Biggest Source of Power Last Month
10 months ago
- Solar power was the largest source of electricity in the EU in June, supplying 22% of the bloc's power.
- 13 countries set new monthly highs for solar output, with the Netherlands and Greece leading at over 40% and 35% respectively.
- Nuclear was the second-largest electricity source, followed by wind, natural gas, and hydropower; coal hit a record low of 6%.
- 15 EU countries are now coal-free, including Austria, Belgium, and Ireland, which closed its last coal plant.
- Solar power helped Europe manage a brutal heat wave by meeting peak midday demand for air conditioning, preventing blackouts.
- June was the warmest on record in Europe, with climate change tripling heat-related deaths due to fossil fuel emissions.
Nuclear Explosion for Carbon Sequestration
10 months ago
- Proposes using buried nuclear explosions in remote basaltic seabeds to pulverize basalt for carbon sequestration.
- Aims to accelerate carbon sequestration through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) on a large scale.
- Focuses on confining debris, radiation, and energy while ensuring rapid rock weathering.
- Highlights the need for gigaton-scale yields to achieve global climate impact.
- Discusses feasibility, including safety, ecosystem preservation, political considerations, and financial viability.
- Advocates reimagining nuclear technology as a tool for decarbonization.
Hungary's oldest library fighting to save 100k books from a beetle infestation
10 months ago
- Tens of thousands of centuries-old books at Hungary's Pannonhalma Archabbey are being removed to save them from a drugstore beetle infestation.
- The 1,000-year-old Benedictine monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, houses Hungary's oldest book collection and important historical records.
- Beetles, attracted to book adhesives, have infested about a quarter of the abbey's 400,000 volumes, prompting a large-scale disinfection effort.
- Books will be placed in oxygen-free plastic sacks for six weeks to kill the beetles, then inspected and vacuumed before reshelving.
- Climate change may have contributed to the infestation, as higher temperatures allow beetles to undergo more development cycles annually.
- The abbey's library director emphasizes the cultural and historical significance of the collection, noting the responsibility to preserve these treasures.
Fears 'stable' Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline
10 months ago
- Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina, once stable, is now retreating rapidly.
- Over the past seven years, it has lost 1.92 sq km of ice cover and thins by up to 8 meters annually.
- Previously, it defied global glacial retreat trends, maintaining balance between snow accumulation and melting.
- Since 2018, the glacier's mass loss has accelerated, with thinning doubling in recent years.
- Summer temperatures have risen by 1.2°C over 30 years, accelerating ice melt.
- The glacier's ice is thinning so much that parts are beginning to float, destabilizing its structure.
- Calving events are becoming louder, more frequent, and larger, with icebergs the size of 20-story buildings collapsing.
- Scientists predict the glacier may lose contact with the Magallanes peninsula, leading to catastrophic retreat.
- Perito Moreno joins neighboring glaciers Upsala and Viedma in rapid retreat, reflecting a global trend of glacial loss.
East Asian air cleanup likely contributed to acceleration in global warming
10 months ago
- Global surface warming has accelerated since around 2010, coinciding with East Asian efforts to reduce air pollution.
- A 75% reduction in East Asian sulfate emissions partially unmasks greenhouse gas-driven warming, contributing to a global mean warming of 0.07 ± 0.05 °C.
- The warming is sufficient to be a main driver of the increased global warming rate since 2010.
- North-Pacific warming and top-of-atmosphere radiative imbalance observed are consistent with model simulations.
- East Asian aerosol cleanup is likely a key contributor to recent global warming acceleration and Pacific warming trends.
- The study uses simulations from eight Earth System Models under the Regional Aerosol Model Intercomparison Project (RAMIP).
- Aerosols have cooled the global surface by 0.4 °C, partially masking greenhouse gas-driven warming.
- Recent reductions in East Asian SO2 emissions (~20 Tg/year) have led to significant AOD decreases and increased surface solar radiation.
- The geographical pattern of warming corresponds to observed increases in warming rates, particularly in the North Pacific.
- Other factors like methane increases and shipping emission reductions have smaller impacts compared to East Asian aerosol reductions.
Annual climate stocktake shows weather records and extremes now the norm in UK
10 months ago
- Record-breaking and extreme weather has become increasingly common in the UK due to climate change.
- The UK's climate has warmed at a rate of approximately 0.25°C per decade since the 1980s.
- The last three years have been among the UK's top five warmest on record, with 2024 being the fourth warmest.
- The frequency of days with temperatures 5°C above the 1961-1990 average has doubled in the most recent decade (2015-2024).
- The UK's winter half-year (October to March) is now 16% wetter than the 1961-1990 average.
- Floods and storms in 2024 caused widespread disruption, with some areas experiencing extreme rainfall and flooding.
- Sea levels around the UK are rising faster than the global average, increasing the risk of coastal flooding.
- Earlier springs and changes in seasonal activity in plants and animals are noticeable effects of climate change in the UK.
Treating beef like coal would make a big dent in greenhouse-gas emissions
10 months ago
- Beef consumption is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Cattle production is a surprisingly large source of greenhouse gases.
- Steak is a favorite food among Americans, but its production has environmental costs.
- The article highlights the environmental impact of beef production in the context of climate change.
The Geological Sublime
10 months ago
- The article begins with a reflection on deep time and human history, inspired by Mircea Eliade's thoughts on humanity's potential future cessation of making history.
- A personal account of experiencing an earthquake in Santa Monica highlights the sudden and powerful impact of natural forces, contrasting human timescales with geological ones.
- The geological history of California's Transverse Ranges is detailed, emphasizing the vast timescales involved in their formation, spanning millions to billions of years.
- Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin's contributions to understanding deep time are discussed, including Lyell's geological principles and Darwin's application of these ideas to evolution.
- Darwin's observations of geological changes during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, including the uplift of land and fossilized marine life at high altitudes, illustrate the concept of deep time.
- The author's personal interest in butterflies and participation in annual counts reveals a decline in butterfly populations, linking contemporary ecological changes to broader geological and evolutionary timescales.
- The Melissa Arctic butterfly is presented as a living relic of the Ice Age, with its survival threatened by current climate change, illustrating the intersection of deep time and immediate ecological concerns.
- The article explores the challenges of comprehending deep time, comparing human timescales with geological ones, and the strategies used by Lyell and Darwin to conceptualize vast periods.
- Lyell's concept of the Great Year and his resistance to evolutionary theory are examined, highlighting his struggle to reconcile geological time with religious beliefs.
- Darwin's approach to deep time, including his use of infinitesimal changes over vast periods to explain evolution, is contrasted with Lyell's views.
- The article concludes with reflections on the awe-inspiring nature of deep time, the importance of temporal proportion in understanding the climate crisis, and the enduring presence of ancient species like butterflies in human history.
The summer of flooding across the US, and scientists know why
9 months ago
- Summer has become a season of anxiety and disruption due to climate change.
- This summer has seen a tragic surge in deadly flash floods across the US.
- Unusually high humidity and moisture levels have led to record precipitable water.
- Multiple states experienced 100-year to 1,000-year deluges simultaneously.
- Notable floods include Texas (130+ deaths), New Mexico, Chicago, and NYC.
- Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events.
- Atmospheric resonance and jet stream patterns contribute to prolonged extreme weather.
- Short-duration extreme rainfall events show the clearest link to climate change.
- Warm air holds more moisture, leading to heavier downpours and flooding.
- Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are making extreme rainfall more severe.
Environmental Costs of Lithium Mining
9 months ago
- Raquel Celina Rodriguez describes the drying up of the Vega de Tilopozo wetland in Chile's Atacama salt flats, attributing it to climate change and lithium mining.
- Lithium demand has soared due to its use in electric car batteries, with global consumption more than doubling from 2021 to 2024.
- Chile is the second-largest lithium producer and has launched a National Lithium Strategy to increase production, with plans to extract at least 2.5 million metric tonnes annually by 2060.
- Lithium mining in the Atacama Desert is causing environmental damage, including shrinking lagoons, decreased flamingo reproduction, and dying native trees.
- Mining companies like SQM are piloting new technologies to reduce water extraction and environmental impact, but locals remain sceptical.
- Local communities, such as the Peine community, are suffering from water shortages and feel excluded from decision-making processes.
- Experts argue that while lithium is crucial for the energy transition, its extraction must be managed sustainably to avoid exacerbating environmental and social issues.
- Indigenous communities emphasize that their carbon footprint is small and question why they must bear the environmental costs of lithium mining for wealthier nations.
Earth is spinning faster, leading timekeepers to consider an unprecedented move
9 months ago
- Earth is spinning faster this summer, making days marginally shorter.
- July 10 was the shortest day of the year so far, lasting 1.36 milliseconds less than 24 hours.
- More exceptionally short days are predicted for July 22 and August 5.
- The length of a day varies due to factors like the moon's gravitational pull, seasonal atmospheric changes, and Earth's liquid core.
- Atomic clocks track time deviations, which can affect computers, satellites, and telecommunications.
- Last year, Earth experienced the shortest day ever recorded since the advent of the atomic clock.
- Since 1972, 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC, but the rate has slowed due to Earth speeding up.
- In 2022, the leap second was voted to be retired by 2035, with a 40% chance of a negative leap second by then.
- Climate change, through melting ice, is slowing Earth's rotation, counteracting the forces speeding it up.
- The mass shift from melting ice is also affecting Earth's rotation axis.
Global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates
9 months ago
- Earth's continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002 due to climate change, unsustainable groundwater use, and extreme droughts.
- Four continental-scale 'mega-drying' regions have emerged, all in the Northern Hemisphere, threatening water security, agriculture, and global stability.
- Drying areas on land are expanding at a rate twice the size of California annually, with dry areas getting drier faster than wet areas are getting wetter.
- 75% of the world’s population lives in countries losing freshwater, with groundwater depletion contributing more to sea-level rise than melting ice sheets.
- A tipping point around 2014–15 accelerated continental drying, with groundwater use increasing and drying regions shifting from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere.
- Key drivers include extreme droughts in the Northern Hemisphere, melting snow and permafrost in Canada and Russia, and global groundwater depletion.
- The study calls for immediate action on global water security, including new policies and sustainable groundwater management to mitigate further damage.
- Strategic water management, international cooperation, and sustainable policies are essential to preserving freshwater for future generations.
Deadly floods hit Pakistan as government preparedness faces scrutiny
9 months ago
- Pakistan faces severe climate impacts with accelerated glacier melting causing flash floods and landslides, resulting in at least 72 deaths.
- A family and tourists were caught in flash floods in Swat and Zhob, leading to fatalities and injuries.
- Government responses include compensation for victims, investigations, and suspensions of officials, with criticism over lack of preparedness.
- Illegal mining activities near the Swat River are being shut down, and protective barriers are ordered.
- The NDMA and PMD issued multiple warnings about heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and potential GLOF events.
- Social media users criticized the government's slow response and praised local heroes who aided in rescues.
- Pakistan's climate challenges are compounded by tensions with India over the Indus Waters Treaty.
Earth Has Tilted 31.5 Inches. That Shouldn't Happen
9 months ago
- Pumping groundwater significantly affects Earth's tilt and rotation.
- A study shows Earth tilted 31.5 inches in less than two decades due to groundwater pumping, contributing to sea-level rise.
- Groundwater redistribution has the largest impact on the drift of Earth's rotational pole among climate-related causes.
- The movement of water changes Earth's mass distribution, altering its spin.
- Research from 1993-2010 indicates pumping 2,150 gigatons of groundwater caused the tilt change, primarily for irrigation and human use.
- Water movement from midlatitudes, like western North America and northwestern India, plays a key role in tilt changes.
- Understanding these changes helps in predicting and mitigating sea-level rise and other climate effects.
- Historical data analysis could reveal trends in groundwater movement's impact over time.

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#climate change

Major reversal in ocean circulation detected in the Southern Ocean

Five million years of Antarctic Circumpolar Current strength variability (2024)

The Real GenAI Issue

Tropical forest collapse linked to prolonged ancient global warming

'Great Dying' wiped out 90% of life, then came 5M years of lethal heat

The Texas Flooding Tragedy: Could It Have Been Avoided?

In a First, Solar Was Europe's Biggest Source of Power Last Month

Nuclear Explosion for Carbon Sequestration

Hungary's oldest library fighting to save 100k books from a beetle infestation

Fears 'stable' Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline

East Asian air cleanup likely contributed to acceleration in global warming

Annual climate stocktake shows weather records and extremes now the norm in UK

Treating beef like coal would make a big dent in greenhouse-gas emissions

The Geological Sublime

The summer of flooding across the US, and scientists know why

Environmental Costs of Lithium Mining

Earth is spinning faster, leading timekeepers to consider an unprecedented move

Global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates

Deadly floods hit Pakistan as government preparedness faces scrutiny

Earth Has Tilted 31.5 Inches. That Shouldn't Happen