Climate science, earth systems and environmental research.
A numerical study of the 1945 Nagasaki atomic bombing simulated how the mushroom cloud formed and carried two types of material. Ground-derived dust mainly followed the central updraft, while bomb-derived radioactive material was concentrated in a rotating ring around the cloud head.
A study combining existing research and benchmark results estimates that inference—the process of responding to users—accounts for about 90% of an AI model’s lifetime energy use. It also finds that more than 84% of models released since 2022 do not report their environmental impact, while some efficiency methods could reduce emissions without reducing accuracy.
A study of catch-and-release bogue found that deeply hooked fish had similar survival outcomes whether anglers used a de-hooker or cut the line. Loss of orientation and bleeding were associated with mortality, making prevention of deep hooking the most effective way to reduce harm.
Women with higher exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A had different estrogen and progesterone levels in a cross-sectional study. The findings show an association, but cannot establish that the chemicals caused the hormone changes.
Researchers used seismic signals produced when thunder’s sound waves enter the ground to image the shallow subsurface beneath an urban karst setting. The method identified several previously undetected weak zones, some of which matched surface deformation and independent underground surveys.
Amazon droughts were linked to stronger wildfire pollution during the dry season, according to a study covering 2010 to 2015. The researchers estimate that fire-related exposure to fine particles and ozone raised premature mortality more in drought years than in other years.
A study of 13 cereal-based products from Arak, Iran, found that estimated health risks varied widely between brands. Mercury drove the highest risk estimate for Tak pasta, while arsenic was the main factor for Zhik pasta; Zar, Mak and Jahan had much lower estimates.
A paper in the Journal of Applied Volcanology catalogs 18 common misconceptions about volcanoes and eruptions, from volcanic ash and smoke to forecasts and “supervolcanoes.” It also examines seven case studies where incorrect information spread during events at volcanoes including Mount Agung, Kīlauea and Taal.
Heat stress before spawning changed reproductive traits in the coral Acropora aspera, but the effects depended on temperature and exposure time. Longer heat exposure increased egg volume while sperm production showed a more variable response.
A study of tropical soils found that microbial communities, calcium and soil acidity were linked to suppression of the crop pathogen Ceratocystis paradoxa. In experiments, calcium carbonate strengthened suppression, particularly at pH 7.0, and worked with microbes transferred from suppressive soils.
Researchers used an AI image-recognition system to identify benthic foraminifera, tiny seafloor organisms used to assess ecosystem quality. It identified species and, in one low-diversity setting, whether specimens were living or dead, reaching up to 94.2% accuracy.
Adding calcium oxide to Los Angeles Harbor water lowered particulate organic carbon and dissolved oxygen when alkalinity rose by about 1,000 micromoles per kilogram. Smaller alkalinity increases, and other tested additions, produced no statistically significant changes in calcium carbonate precipitation or organic carbon partitioning over four days.
EarthCARE’s radar is providing global measurements of rising air inside tropical clouds, rather than relying only on indirect signs. The strongest updrafts were more common over land, especially during afternoon satellite passes, and were linked to compact cloud systems.
Water stored beneath Glacier de Bonne Pierre may have contributed to the severe June 2024 flood at La Bérarde in the French Alps, a study finds. The researchers estimate that subglacial barriers could theoretically have held water on the order of 10^5 cubic metres, but observations cannot confirm that such pockets existed or drained.
Long-running computer simulations found that different stratospheric aerosol injection strategies can lead to substantially different climate outcomes. Some strategies stopped the decline of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, while another only slowed it, despite the simulations having the same temperature targets.
