SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
When clouds loft tropical air masses higher in the atmosphere, that air can carry up gases that form into tiny particles, starting a process that may end up brightening lower-level clouds, according to a CIRES-led study published today in Nature. Clouds alter Earth’s radiative balance, and ultimately climate, depending on how bright they are. And the … Read more
In 2018, vast amounts of snow were spread across most of the Arctic region and did not melt fully until late summer, if at all. Publishing on October 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, researchers documented the consequences of this extreme weather event at Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland by extensively monitoring all components of the local … Read more
The last 2.6 million years are characterized by glacial cycles, a regular alternation of cold and warm periods. It is widely accepted that changes in the concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were largely responsible for these natural fluctuations of cold and warm periods. What exactly triggers the increase in … Read more
The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes, which was conducted by Carnegie’s Jeff Ho and Anna Michalak and NASA’s Nima Pahlevan and published by Nature. Reports of harmful algal blooms – like the ones that shut down Toledo’s … Read more
Changes in springtime winds high above the South Pole are set to trigger higher than usual temperatures and fire-prone weather conditions in Australia, an international study involving Monash scientists has warned. “Attention so far has focused on the importance of stratospheric warming in the Northern Hemisphere and its impact on extreme climate,” said study author … Read more
Upside-down “rivers” of warm ocean water are eroding the fractured edges of thick, floating Antarctic ice shelves from below, helping to create conditions that lead to ice-shelf breakup and sea-level rise, according to a new study. The findings, published today in Science Advances, describe a new process important to the future of Antarctica’s ice and the … Read more
Usually moderate to big earthquakes are followed by many other events, whose magnitude and number decreases with time, the so-called aftershocks. However, a bigger event can occur. That happens, for example, in Italy in 2016: on August, an earthquake with Mw 6.2 hit the town of Amatrice, killing about 300 people and severe damaging the … Read more
Predicting if droughts and heat waves will kill forests is difficult, but new work involving an engineering researcher at The University of Alabama could help spot problems early to mitigate risks and possibly help restore forests. Using data gathered from publicly available satellite and aerial imagery, researchers found they can detect whether forests are approaching … Read more
Common toxins in the ocean will become even more toxic in the future, threatening marine life and even humans, new research reveals. Two of these toxins – saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin – are used by a variety of species, for example puffer fish or blue-ringed octopuses, to attract mates, ward off predators and kill prey. The … Read more
Data from microsatellites can be used to detect and double the impact of sustainable interventions in agriculture at large scales, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan. By being able to detect the impact and target interventions to locations where they will lead to the greatest increase or yield gains, satellite … Read more