https://phys.org/earth-news/environment/ en-us The latest news on the environment, environmental issues, earth science and space exploration. The small mountain streams that feed many of the West's rivers may face a much drier future. A new study led by NAU researchers found that groundwater-fed streamflow, known as base flow, has been steadily declining across headwater watersheds in the western United States since 1950 and could decrease by 45% to 65% by the end of this century if current climate trends continue. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-climate-west-headwaters.html Environment Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:40:01 EDT news704719021 A brewing "super" El Nino cycle is poised to unleash heat waves, floods and drought worldwide, with the effects amplified by long-term human-caused climate change. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-pacific-cloud-brightening-weaken-el.html Earth Sciences Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:50:02 EDT news702791160 Facing wind and cold, with only half as much oxygen to breathe as in the valley, a German-Turkish research team surveyed the glacier on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey for the first time in July, at more than 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) above sea level. For two weeks, the team explored the ice field, which until then had been a blank page for researchers. Their goal was to find out whether the ice on Turkey's highest mountain preserves a unique archive of climate and cultural history. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-experts-survey-glacier-ice-mount.html Earth Sciences Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news704717162 The rapid intensification of a hurricane ranks among the most dangerous weather events on Earth. Storms such as Hurricane Michael, which crashed ashore in the Florida Panhandle with winds of 160 mph (about 257 km/h), and Hurricane Otis, the costliest hurricane to strike Mexico's Pacific coast, caught communities unawares when they intensified at a rate that computer models failed to anticipate. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-method-flags-hurricane-rapid-intensification.html Earth Sciences Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news704711402 Permafrost in the Arctic stores large quantities of organic carbon. When frozen ground thaws or coastal sections erode, this carbon can enter the sea, where microorganisms can break it down and convert it into climate-damaging greenhouse gases. The extent to which this carbon actually enters the atmosphere, however, and how much remains in the ocean have hardly been quantified to date. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-arctic-ocean-permafrost-carbon-firmly.html Earth Sciences Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news704553542 Two of the world's most fire-prone regions have followed strikingly different wildfire trajectories despite both experiencing a warming climate. Burned forest area has surged across the U.S. Southwest, while eastern Australia has not seen the same increase. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-pacific-ocean-pattern-diverging-wildfire.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:00:02 EDT news704644382 Summer days featuring conditions that promote wildfire ignition, intensity and spread have more than doubled across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy and Greece since 1981, according to a study in Scientific Reports. The findings suggest that hotter, drier weather is increasing wildfire risk across Southern Europe, despite fewer fires occurring in the region since the 1980s. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-likelihood-wildfires-southern-europe-80s.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:50:01 EDT news704648941 When catastrophic wildfires capture global headlines, such as the unprecedented blazes sweeping through southern Europe this summer or the devastating 2019–20 "Black Summer" in Australia, they are almost always preceded by severe drought. Dry vegetation and parched landscapes are necessary ingredients for infernos. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-droughts-alarming-amounts-moisture-landscape.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:20:02 EDT news704642641 A 113-million-year-old marine murder mystery may finally be solved. Using chemical clues locked inside microscopic fossils, Northwestern University scientists found evidence that ocean acidification drove one of the largest extinction events in the history of planktic foraminifera—tiny shell-building organisms that help regulate Earth's carbon cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-fossils-cretaceous-cold-case.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:12 EDT news704476501 Before rain falls, the moisture that forms it may have traveled anywhere from just a few kilometers to hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away. It usually begins as water that evaporated from oceans, lakes, forests or fields. According to a paper published in Geophysical Research Letters, rain in parts of the United States is increasingly arriving from farther away. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rainfall.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:06 EDT news704633163 For around 12,000 years, the Earth has been in the Holocene epoch, a warmer period following a glacial period. During this epoch, however, there have been around 22 abrupt cold phases, each lasting up to several centuries and leading to the expansion of glaciers. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-volcanic-eruptions-pacific-cooled-earth.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:20:06 EDT news704629981 New UC Berkeley-led research indicates that continued climate change could severely increase wildfire above natural levels in Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Lassen Volcanic national parks. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-climate-wildfire-yosemite-national.html Environment Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news704629622 Everyday shower habits, such as applying shampoo or pausing the water while washing, are driving up water waste, argues a new study from the University of Surrey. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shampoo-routine-household.html Environment Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:40:04 EDT news704622331 Assessing how climate change will affect different regions usually requires running a complex chain of models. While this approach provides valuable insights, it is expensive and can cover only a limited set of scenarios and model runs. Together with partners, IIASA researchers have developed a faster alternative that uses available projections from Earth system or climate impact models to generate new regional climate and impact projections while capturing the uncertainty essential for understanding climate risk. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-possibilities-tool-climate.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:00:01 EDT news704539704 In August 2023, the German research vessel METEOR set sail on Expedition M192 to the Greek island of Milos with Dr. Solveig Bühring as chief scientist. The mission was to locate and investigate previously unknown hydrothermal systems. Now, three years later, a new study highlights the surprising discoveries resulting from this expedition. At a newly discovered hydrothermal system at intermediate water depths of 100 to 250 meters (328 to 820 feet), researchers demonstrated how different intensities of hydrothermal fluid flow shape microbial communities and control mineral formation on the ocean floor. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hydrothermal-microbes-seafloor-minerals-newly.html Earth Sciences Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:20:01 EDT news704555221 For lakes across the Northern Hemisphere, winter ice is more than a frozen surface. It is a seasonal regulator that shapes underwater ecosystems and energy balance. But as the planet warms, this frozen season is disappearing faster than expected. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-lake-ice-loss-winter-temperatures.html Environment Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:00:03 EDT news704554921 Deploying ocean iron fertilization—a strategy for carbon dioxide capture—in higher latitudes rather than near the equator could reduce environmental impacts while still achieving removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a modeling study published in Nature. The findings offer insight into best practices for maximizing carbon dioxide removal while reducing potential ecological trade-offs typically associated with iron fertilization. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-oceans-australia-fertilize-carbon-dioxide.html Earth Sciences Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:00:02 EDT news704550541 Winters in Antarctica's Ross Sea have become stormier in recent decades, affecting sea-ice conditions and field operations, new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research shows. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-antarctic-storms-frequent-intense-affecting.html Earth Sciences Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704538961 Landslides cause an estimated $3 billion to $6 billion in damage and multiple fatalities annually in the United States. Those numbers could easily increase as housing needs spur development in landslide-prone areas and climate change increases the severity and frequency of heavy rains, which often trigger landslides. Despite the threat, there has never been a systematic, nationwide accounting of who is most at risk from landslides. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-million-americans-landslide-hazard-zones.html Earth Sciences Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:04 EDT news704360642 When the Palisades Fire tore through Los Angeles in January 2025, it didn't only destroy homes. It took the Will Rogers Ranch House—a beloved California landmark—with it. Six months later, the Dragon Bravo wildfire burned through Grand Canyon National Park and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, originally built in 1927. Whether either landmark will ever be meaningfully restored remains uncertain. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-thousands-america-historic-landmarks-significant.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 18:00:04 EDT news704474342 Every summer, algal blooms turn rivers and lakes green. Although they are widely known as a major form of water pollution that makes water murky, a KAIST research team has now shown for the first time that algal bloom conditions can make discarded plastics, such as plastic bags, more prone to breaking apart, potentially accelerating the formation of microplastics. The study points to a new direction for the era of climate change: water pollution and plastic pollution need to be managed together rather than as separate problems. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-algal-blooms-plastic-weathering-potentially.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:20:01 EDT news704470141 Around a quarter of the U.S. food supply is grown in California's Central Valley. Most of its crops, like rice, fruit trees and nut trees, are water-intensive and require extensive groundwater pumping during droughts. Over time, heavy water extraction has contributed to changes in the aquifer systems under the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. Although some of these changes can be reversed, a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that large parts of the Sacramento Valley may have undergone irreversible ground compaction during recent droughts, leading to a permanent loss of groundwater storage. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-california-drought-sacramento-valley-aquifer.html Earth Sciences Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:50:01 EDT news704462972 Long, narrow bands of moving moisture in the sky, known as atmospheric rivers, contribute to heat waves in the marine environment, according to a new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. The study is the first to analyze the association between these "rivers in the sky" and marine heat waves, paving the way for future research on the mechanisms at play and how climate change factors in. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rivers-sky-marine.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news704458309 An international team, including Kumamoto University and its partner institutions, has found severe flood risks and high climate-adaptation costs for U.S. small rivers. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-residents-small-rivers-disproportionately-high.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:20:03 EDT news704455141 New research from Victoria University (VU) reveals that reducing the impact of extreme heat in urban areas requires more than simply adding green spaces—it requires a different approach to urban planning. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-green-space-wont-urban.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:40:01 EDT news704444342 As water shot into an open stock tank atop a high-country mesa, a trickle soaked the dusty earth below. Scott Snyder rose from the shade to fasten a hose and stop the spillage. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-drought-hauling-crisis-rocky-mountain.html Environment Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:10:59 EDT news704437831 By analyzing 100,000 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection inspection records from 2013 to 2024, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified the key environmental and human factors responsible for the most destructive wildfires, and they have synthesized the knowledge into a high-resolution, actionable fire risk map for the Golden State. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-california-wildfire-factors-linked-severe.html Environment Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:10:01 EDT news704388902 Most of the carbon released during Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season came from burning soil and peat, rather than trees, according to new research from McMaster University. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-soil-peat-drove-emissions-canada.html Earth Sciences Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:10:03 EDT news704385096 Low-level clouds over Earth's oceans play a prominent role in keeping our planet cool by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. But their response to climate change has been hard to model. Now, researchers at Caltech and Google have uncovered important insights into how clouds might respond to warming sea-surface temperatures and rising CO2 levels using a large dataset of simulations developed by the group. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cloud-loss-amplifies-global-simulations.html Earth Sciences Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news704370962 Lithium in drinking water is a widespread and persistent source of human exposure across Tribal communities in the Western United States, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The findings document substantial regional variation in exposure and provide some of the strongest evidence to date that household drinking water is a major contributor to lithium levels measured in the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-term-widespread-lithium-communities-western.html Environment Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:40:01 EDT news704362802