Earth

Lunar Evolution Gets Some New Light

Light has been shed on the dark parts of the Moon with experiments by University of Edinburgh researchers simulating billions of years of lunar evolution.

It is generally believed the Moon was created after an early, semi molten, Earth collided with a planet the size of Mars.

The collision was so great that the orbiting debris would have formed a so-called lunar magma ocean, or liquefied rock, up to several hundred kilometres deep that would have covered the Moon's surface.

How Greenhouse Gases Saved The World

Sea Level On The Rise, Say Some

The climate system, and in particular sea level, may be responding more quickly to rising carbon emissions than climate scientists have estimated with climate models.

An international team of climate scientists has cautioned against suggestions that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has previously overestimated the rate of climate change.

How Carbon Dioxide Kept Earth From Being Mars

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that has become a bane of modern society, may have saved Earth from freezing over early in the planet's history, according to the first detailed laboratory analysis of the world's oldest sedimentary rocks.

Ancient Climate Shifted Wildly

The transition from an ice age to an ice-free planet 300 million years ago was highly unstable, marked by dips and rises in carbon dioxide, extreme swings in climate and drastic effects on tropical vegetation.

"This is the best documented record we have of what happens to the climate system during long-term global warming following an ice age," said Isabel Montañez, professor of geology at the University of California, Davis, and lead author on the paper. But she added that these findings cannot be applied directly to current global warming trends.

Cassini Images Mammoth Cloud Engulfing Titan's North Pole

A giant cloud half the size of the United States has been imaged on Saturn’s moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft. The cloud may be responsible for the material that fills the lakes discovered last year by Cassini's radar instrument.

Cloaked by winter's shadow, this cloud has now come into view as winter turns to spring. The cloud extends down to 60 degrees north latitude, is roughly 2400 kilometers in diameter and engulfs almost the entire north pole of Titan.

Climate Change Only One Symptom Of A Stressed Planet Earth

A NASA Space Sleuth Hunts the Trail of Earth's Water

Break-up Of Antarctic Ice May Expose Marine Life To More Sunlight And Alter Food Chain

Despite the icy cold and darkness, beneath the frozen surface of the sea in Antarctica thrives a rich and complex array of plants and animals. But what will happen to all those creatures if global warming reduces the ice-cover, as is predicted for coming decades?

Impact Of Rainfall Reaches To Roots Of Mountains

Glyphosate reduces soil biodiversity and decreases the proportion of native species (French)

C’est l’herbicide le plus utilisé au monde. C’est aussi un mot qui génère, dès qu’il est prononcé, d’intenses passions. Le glyphosate est utilisé en agriculture pour tuer les « mauvaises herbes », et ainsi limiter leurs effets négatifs sur les cultures. Ses effets sur l’homme et l’environnement restent eux sujets à débat dans la communauté scientifique.

Planting trees can help the climate if we also stop burning fossil fuels

A growing number of governments and companies are adopting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets. These targets often evoke nature as a way to store or remove carbon from the atmosphere to counter the climate effect of other emissions.

Indaziflam versus invasive species in Yellowstone National Park

Though invasive weeds can devastate native plant communities, a recent study featured in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management shows that efforts to manage those weeds can also cause harm.

Seagrass and climate change

A common suggestion is to restore natural CO2 reservoirs on the coasts that have been destroyed in many locations during the past decades. This includes mangrove forests, salt marshes and what are known as seagrass meadows. Seagrasses are aquatic plants that thrive in shallow, light-flooded water and are anchored by their roots to the soft seabed. For many animal species, such as manatees that live in tropical waters, seagrass meadows are vital grazing grounds. At the same time, they serve as nurseries all over the world for numerous young fish.

Countries may be under-reporting greenhouse gas emissions – this could help

Pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions are very welcome – but accurate monitoring across the globe is crucial if we are to meet targets and combat the devastating consequences of global warming.

During COP26 in Glasgow, many countries have set out their targets to reach net-zero by the middle of this century.