https://phys.org/earth-news/ en-us Earth science research, climate change, and global warming. The latest news and updates from Phys.org In subduction zones, the sites of the world's largest earthquakes, tectonic activity may generate a "pump" that transports long-buried subseafloor microbes back toward the seafloor, according to research presented at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earth-tectonic-elevator-hauls-ancient.html Earth Sciences Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:03 EDT news695712968 Placed within a borehole drilled deep through the layers of a landslide, a fiber optic cable captured tiny, periodic stick-slip events that offer a unique glimpse at the complex movements within the landslide's shear zone. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-taiwan-landslide-hidden-motion-focus.html Earth Sciences Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:25:17 EDT news695712252 Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-wildfires-night-climate-prime-hours.html Environment Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:16:17 EDT news695711720 The seismic crisis that gripped the Greek island of Santorini and its neighbors in 2025 contained more than 60,000 earthquakes, according to a unique machine learning study that identified the earthquakes as they occurred between December 2024 and June 2025. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-machine-earthquakes-santorini-sequence.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news695638645 Indonesia experiences massive forest fires as the dry season approaches. They are a major environmental challenge because they damage forests and other land, endanger lives, and disrupt local economies. Using sharp, high-resolution imagery from Sentinel-2 satellites, capable of spotting details as small as 20 meters, a recent study built the first fully automated system to map burned areas across Indonesia every month in fine detail. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-indonesia-crisis-focus-high-resolution.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news695563633 If there is a magnitude 8 or 9 megathrust earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, data from ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve earthquake detection times calculated by the ShakeAlert system. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ocean-bottom-seismometers-earthquake-pacific.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news695645161 Geologists have solved the mystery of the disappearance from the geological record, millions of years ago, of one of North America's most important waterways: the Colorado River. A paper published in Science shows that the river flowed into an upstream lake over the course of a few million years, then likely flowed for the first time into the Grand Canyon. The moment marked the Colorado River's transition to a continental-scale river as it made its way down to the Gulf of California. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-colorado-river-geological-million-years.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:03 EDT news695637782 A new study shows that a specific type of silicone, the so-called methylsiloxanes, is widely present in the atmosphere across diverse environments. Also, concentrations appear to be much higher than expected. According to the researchers, this raises concerns about their potential—yet poorly understood—effects on human health and the climate. Methylsiloxanes are commonly used in industry, transportation, cosmetics, and household products. The study was supervised by Utrecht University and the University of Groningen, and the results are published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-newly-pollutant-widely-atmosphere.html Environment Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:30:01 EDT news695576521 Relocating the city of Venice is among four potential options—including movable barriers, ring dikes and closing the Venetian Lagoon—that could help it adapt to future sea-level rise over the next 200 years, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-relocating-venice-options-explored-city.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:01 EDT news695570401 Glaciers can reveal vast archives of information about Earth's environmental past, but deciphering the origins of the matter within them can be a challenge. Now, using a novel technique that enables researchers to directly analyze millions of individual particles at once, a new study has revealed that specks of dust trapped in Antarctic ice likely originated from a common source during the last Ice Age, between about 120,000 and 11,500 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-technique-drills-ice-core.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:30:03 EDT news695567693 The underground laboratory in Nevada where the U.S. conducts nuclear subcritical experiments is riddled with faults. Researchers have not confirmed whether any of these faults are active and could rupture during an earthquake, according to a presentation by members of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board delivered at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-extensive-faults-beneath-nevada-nuclear.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:02 EDT news695569082 The recovery of the ozone layer in Earth's stratosphere could be delayed by several years, according to an international study led by Swiss research institution Empa which included contributions from University of Bristol researchers. The cause is persistent emissions of so-called feedstock chemicals, which are still permitted as raw materials in industry. These ozone-depleting substances have so far been excluded from international agreements because, according to the current study, their emissions and use have been significantly underestimated. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-industrial-chemical-leaks-ozone-layer.html Environment Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:20:14 EDT news695567701 Magnetic rocks with iron oxide concentrations act as natural chroniclers of Earth's past continental movements. Using small samples of rocks, scientists can isolate magnetic grains that were frozen in orientation as the rock solidified. The magnetization of these grains acts as a miniature compass needle, pointing toward ancient magnetic poles. This same principle applies to extraterrestrial samples, such as meteorites and lunar rocks, which preserve evidence of the early solar nebula's evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-stone-compass-needles.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:20:03 EDT news695562781 A new look at the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate beneath the coast of northern Oregon suggests this subducting slab is shallower than previously thought, with impacts on potential peak ground shaking during a Cascadia megathrust earthquake. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-oregon-basin-shallower-slab.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:04 EDT news695561641 Scientists from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in Mexico have developed a tool that identifies mangrove patches facing the greatest risk of degradation. The tool, called the Mangrove Threat Index and described in a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, aims to provide an empirical argument for conservation before vulnerable ecosystems are lost rather than after, said the researchers. The index yields a single number that local planners and communities can use to prioritize specific mangrove patches for protection. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metric-mangroves.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695558942 Powerful cyclones can push seawater miles inland, threatening densely populated communities and critical infrastructure built along coastal areas. A combination of exposure and complexity makes the Bay of Bengal in Southeast Asia a powerful test case for scientists seeking to better understand how tides, storm surge, river flows and sea level rise interact to drive extreme coastal flooding. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simulations-generate-thousands-cyclone-scenarios.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:04 EDT news695557540 As future shifts in climate lead to more rain and less snow in the western United States, new research finds that water will move faster through a landscape, likely leading to negative impacts on summer water levels and water quality. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-warmer-winters-drought-threaten-western.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news695557473 The Atlantic current system, or more formally the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is more likely to weaken than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Science Advances, which used more refined modeling techniques to get a clearer picture of the future. If these new projections are correct, the consequences could be severe, particularly for Europe and Africa. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atlantic-current-weakening-faster.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:40:05 EDT news695552250 A new study by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa researchers revealed that Waikīkī is facing a fundamental shift in flood hazards as sea levels rise—transitioning from a flooding that is driven primarily by rainfall to events increasingly dominated by tidal processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-waikk-escalating-threat-sewage-contaminated.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695549821 Often hailed as the most successful international environmental agreement of all time, the 1987 Montreal Protocol continues to successfully phase out the global production of chemicals that were creating a growing hole in the ozone layer, causing skin cancer and other adverse health effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-regulatory-loophole-delay-ozone-recovery.html Environment Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:09 EDT news695464621 Afforestation—establishing forests on previously non-forested land, or where forests have not existed for a long time—is one of the nature-based and cost-effective solutions for climate change mitigation because it offsets carbon emissions through carbon storage and can help reduce the effects of flooding. The European Union's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 targets converting at least 10% of agricultural land into forest. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-machine-tool-optimal-tree-powerful.html Environment Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:30:03 EDT news695489582 Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, according to decades of research by University of Utah mathematician Ken Golden. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-polar-ice.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:50:03 EDT news695492702 By analyzing peat cores, researchers have shown how populations of nesting seabirds have fluctuated on a sub-Antarctic island over 8,000 years. They found that bird numbers rose and fell alongside shifts in climate, offering new clues about how future climate change could impact seabird populations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-seabird-guano-reveals-climate.html Environment Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:50:01 EDT news695486221 Dramatic droughts linked to the decline of the Classic Maya civilization approximately 800 to 1000 CE may not have required any external trigger, according to a new climate modeling study. Instead, they could have emerged from Earth's own natural climate variability—shifts within the climate system that, when aligned, are capable of producing prolonged dry periods on their own. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-maya-droughts-fueled-earth.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:03 EDT news695476101 Because methane has around 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, it has been a major focus for climate action groups. The Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in November 2021, aims to cut human-caused methane emissions by 30% by 2030. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blended-satellite-reveal-drove-methane.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:05 EDT news695476107 Organic soils cover less than 9% of Norway's land area, and about 65,000 hectares are currently used as agricultural land. Emissions from these areas are presently estimated at more than 2 million tons of CO₂ equivalents per year. This is equivalent to the emissions from 400,000 fossil-fueled cars. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-emissions-cultivated-peat-soils-assumed.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:40:02 EDT news695464441 New research reveals a powerful yet overlooked driver of climate change: intensifying ocean eddies. These swirling currents—that break off from major currents—are redistributing heat and nutrients in the ocean and amplifying climate extremes in key coastal ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ocean-eddies-amplifying-climate-extremes.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news695380692 A common mineral hiding in plain sight could hold the key to making copper production cleaner, faster and more efficient, just as global demand for the metal surges to power the energy transition. In an article published in Nature Geoscience, researchers from Monash University's School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment describe why chalcopyrite, the source of around 70% of the world's copper, has remained so difficult to process, and how its hidden chemistry could be harnessed to unlock more sustainable extraction. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-copper-gatekeeper-cleaner-energy-future.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:00:01 EDT news695378631 Models of glacial flow and retreat rely on estimates of glacial ice viscosity, the measure of the ice's resistance to flow. Ice viscosity is dependent on the stress applied to the glacier. Most ice sheet models use a standard equation to model ice flow that includes the variable n, called the stress exponent. A larger value of n means ice viscosity is more sensitive to changes in stress. For decades, glaciologists have, almost exclusively, used an assumed n value of 3 in the models they use to predict ice flow. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-glaciers-ocean-quickly.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news695391001 Coastal groundwater is a key source of drinking water in many regions of the world. However, it is threatened by overabstraction and the potential for salinization. Rising sea levels are further exacerbating the situation. This is demonstrated by a recent study published in Nature Water by a research team led by Professor Robert Reinecke from the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Annika Nolte from the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) in Hamburg. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-saltwater-coastal-groundwater-billions-food.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:50:02 EDT news695401861