https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The weather over the North Atlantic affects hundreds of millions of people. From winter storms over Europe to cold spells in eastern North America, many of these impacts are shaped by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns that recur. Climate scientists refer to these preferred patterns as atmospheric regimes. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-anthropogenic-north-atlantic-atmospheric-circulation.html Earth Sciences Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:40:06 EDT news710499169 Aerosols are small particles suspended in our atmosphere. They come in many flavors: Wildfire smoke, pollen, desert dust, sea salt lofted by powerful storms, volcanic sulfates and emissions from engines and industrial processes are all examples. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-tiny-particles-weather-air.html Earth Sciences Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:00:11 EDT news710158021 Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatoa, has been active sporadically since it emerged from the sea at the beginning of the last century in the caldera formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-earthcare-view-volcanic-plume-boosts.html Earth Sciences Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:20:20 EDT news710075761 New research brings together recent advances in urban hydrology, boundary-layer meteorology, extreme precipitation and flood-risk research and proposes a new framework for understanding how cities and extreme rainfall interact and co-evolve. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-cities-extreme-rainfall.html Environment Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:00:42 EDT news710075644 New research from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in collaboration with other institutions, highlights the fragmented and staggered timing of warming increases across the planet, providing a nuanced perspective on the debate over global-warming acceleration. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-unevenness-global-regional-speedups-emerge.html Earth Sciences Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:40:07 EDT news709392721 As students return to school and cold and flu season begins, researchers are studying ways to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of airborne disease transmission. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-diy-filter-air-quality-classrooms.html Education Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:04 EDT news709375927 Around 631,000 years ago—a geological blink of an eye—catastrophe unfolded in what is now northwestern Wyoming, U.S. During what is thought to have been a series of immense volcanic eruptions, life within hundreds of kilometers of the blasts was shattered. Ash was dispersed across much of North America, and the effects were felt worldwide. This was a super-eruption of the massive volcanic system located in what is now Yellowstone National Park. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-humanity-blowbyblow-account-yellowstone-supervolcano.html Earth Sciences Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:40:06 EDT news709205583 Seven breached Planetary Boundaries continue to worsen as record ocean heat, droughts, floods, wildfires and extreme heat reveal an Earth system under strain, according to the latest Planetary Health Check. The annual update is authored by more than 60 scientists and produced by the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). https://phys.org/news/2026-09-planetary-health-mounting-pressures-earth.html Earth Sciences Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:00:08 EDT news708957961 Smoke from African agricultural fires brightens clouds over the southeast Atlantic—but new research from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science shows that the same weather pattern carrying the smoke also thins clouds and reduces cloud cover, effectively offsetting its cooling effect. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-african-brightens-clouds-weather-patterns.html Earth Sciences Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:40:04 EDT news709198381 No, President Joe Biden did not engineer Hurricane Milton. No, the ice crystal contrails left behind by high-altitude aircraft are not "chemtrails" sprayed by governments to control the weather or manipulate populations. No, state-run cloud seeding did not cause the record floods in Dubai. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-artificially-dim-sun-scientists-theyre.html Environment Tue, 15 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news708702685 Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau has erupted again this week, sending plumes of volcanic ash high into the sky and disrupting hundreds of flights. More than 300,000 passengers have been affected. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-anak-krakatau-erupts-disrupting-disaster.html Earth Sciences Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:03:16 EDT news708166963 We usually think of auroras as beautiful lights in the night sky. I see them as visible traces of a connection between the sun, Earth's magnetic field and the atmosphere. This led me to an origin-of-life question: Could the planetary structure that produces auroras also have organized chemical reactions on early Earth? https://phys.org/news/2026-09-early-earth-auroral-belts-natural.html Astrobiology Mon, 07 Sep 2026 20:40:04 EDT news707989182 Researchers from Flinders University have found that flushing toilets can release aerosols and bioaerosols into the surrounding air, with some studies detecting particles at heights corresponding to adults' breathing zones. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-flush-reveals-toilet-aerosols-zone.html Environment Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:20:04 EDT news707992441 The Southern Ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating Earth's climate, yet the clouds that blanket this remote region remain among the least understood features in atmospheric science. By controlling both incoming sunlight and outgoing heat, these clouds strongly influence Earth's energy balance. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-antarctic-reveals-southern-ocean-clouds.html Earth Sciences Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:20:04 EDT news707660401 Aerosols have a profound influence on air quality, human health, clouds and climate, but new particle formation in the atmosphere has remained a scientific conundrum. Large fractions of airborne fine particulate matter consist of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formed by gas-to-particle conversion of organic precursor molecules in the atmosphere. The growth rates of these atmospheric nanoparticles, however, have remained enigmatic: They are often smaller and less dependent on condensable vapor concentration than expected. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-atmospheric-nanoparticles-similar.html Environment Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:30:01 EDT news707401808 Tuberculosis bacteria released into the air from infected individuals dry out to form infectious particles that are second only to measles in contagiousness. Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have discovered specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria not only to survive drying but also to generate mutations linked to antibiotic resistance. This suggests that transmission involves more than the passive movement of bacteria between people and may be a period during which the pathogen evolves. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-airborne-tuberculosis-bacteria-mutate-dry.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 29 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706968263 Venus appears pale yellow in visible light, but ultraviolet images reveal dramatic dark and bright patterns moving with the planet's upper sulfuric acid clouds. Scientists have known about these markings for roughly a century, yet the chemical identity of the material responsible—the "unknown absorber"—remains unresolved. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-venus-mysterious-clouds-exceptionally-strong.html Astrobiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:05 EDT news707039401 Scientists have directly observed a fleeting chemical reaction that creates a key ingredient in urban smog. The research offers insight into the earliest stages of pollution formation and could help improve air quality forecasting models. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-years-elusive-molecules-reveal-ozone.html Environment Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:20:09 EDT news706953431 New research from Purdue University demonstrates how organic aerosol molecules can influence one another's behavior in ways that existing atmospheric models do not fully capture. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-insights-aerosol-behavior-air-quality.html Environment Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:20:02 EDT news706358101 Respiratory infectious diseases and air pollution remain persistent global health challenges. Yet the tools used to monitor airborne threats are often expensive, power-hungry and difficult to deploy outside laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-technology-air.html Environment Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news705923941 Salt and sugar from the sea can rise as far as the free troposphere, thereby influencing both cloud formation and the Arctic climate. This is the finding of balloon measurements carried out by a team of researchers on Spitsbergen in autumn 2021 and spring 2022. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-arctic-balloon-samples-marine-sugars.html Earth Sciences Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:40:01 EDT news705916225 New research involving the University of Liverpool has provided comprehensive insights into the largest flood event in Europe over the past millennium—the flood traditionally known as "St. Mary Magdalene's Flood" of 1342. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-europe-worst-medieval-highlights-successive.html Earth Sciences Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:50:04 EDT news705769501 More than 100,000 people are awaiting an organ transplant in the United States, with a new candidate added to the list every 10 minutes. Even if the transplant is carried out successfully, recipients must take immunosuppressive medications, elevating their risk of broader infections, and adhere to a strict lifestyle for the rest of their lives—all while facing the possibility that their body could reject the donated organ at any time. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hybrid-bioprinter-capillary-networks-narrower.html Biotechnology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:40:06 EDT news705752101 Researchers have developed and tested an infrared spectroscopy system that can rapidly detect chemical aerosols from a distance by using light reflected from common surfaces such as traffic signs, tree trunks or painted surfaces. The new method could make it possible to detect hazards without complicated instruments, helping improve safety and ease operations at industrial sites, public venues and other high-risk locations. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-spectroscopy-aerosols-traffic-tree-trunks.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:50:01 EDT news704647381 Research on Southwest Florida cyanobacterial blooms shows that the toxins they produce are aerosolized and potentially inhaled by people far from contaminated water bodies. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-florida-bloom-toxins-air-inhalation.html Environment Sat, 18 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news703499108 A new review in Limnology and Oceanography led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns that the rapid loss of oxygen from the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems is pushing Earth toward an "unsafe space," with consequences that could be irreversible on human timescales. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-underwater-oxygen-loss-threatens-earth.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703501039 While particulate matter air pollution from human activity in transportation, households and industry is decreasing in Europe, thanks to strict regulations, another source is developing in the opposite direction: desert dust. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-europe-implications-health-solar-energy.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:25 EDT news703229095 When astronomers discovered a giant planet orbiting a dead star in 2020, they wondered how it survived its star's violent demise. Now, observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may finally explain the planet's unlikely escape from destruction. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-giant-planet-survived-star-death.html Astronomy Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:14 EDT news701945786 A University at Buffalo-led team of researchers has developed a method for producing advanced nanoparticles that could accelerate the discovery of new materials for energy and electronic applications. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces a one-step process that rapidly combines multiple metals into uniform nanoparticles in milliseconds. This allows researchers to quickly produce and explore a wider range of material combinations than was previously possible. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-onestep-generates-high-entropy-alloy.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:00:08 EDT news702042192 Research by atmospheric scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues pinpointed an individual coal-fired power plant in Houston as the main source of particles most likely to encourage the formation of clouds around the metropolitan area. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-houston-power-emerges-dominant-source.html Earth Sciences Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news702031861