https://phys.org/earth-news/environment/ en-us The latest news on the environment, environmental issues, earth science and space exploration. The Amazon rainforest is one of the largest carbon reservoirs on Earth. It is also the world's largest source of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These carbon-based gases are naturally released by vegetation. They protect trees against various sources of stress, e.g., by mitigating oxidative stress and deterring herbivores. Once in the atmosphere, VOCs react rapidly with other gases. This influences the formation of airborne particles and clouds, which contributes to shaping the regional climate and rainfall patterns. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-stress-amazon-trees-climate-atmosphere.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:00:03 EDT news702822133 Earth's temperature has been much cooler in the past than previously thought, meaning it could be moving toward the warmest it's ever been. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ancient-reveal-earth-periods-cooler.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:40:03 EDT news702822175 Permafrost usually hits the news as a hazard, a planetary risk. When this ice-rich ground thaws, it damages roads and building foundations. It drains lakes and tips trees into drunken forests. It releases greenhouse gases that have been locked in carbon-rich soils for thousands of years, amplifying warming and driving further thaw. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-earth-deep-memory-arctic-permafrost.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702820801 The El Nino weather pattern picked up strength over the past month and is highly likely to "rank among the largest" ever recorded when it peaks between October and December, U.S. forecasters said Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-el-nino-largest.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:10:01 EDT news702823540 Following a four-year study, scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography released a new report to determine whether an early warning system could detect a landslide before it happens. The "California Coastal Landslide Early Warning Research" report found that a network of in-ground sensors can provide a reliable warning of impending, dangerous landslides with hours to days' notice, but that more work is needed to formalize the findings into an actionable warning system. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-sensors-california-cliff-collapses-hours.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:00:20 EDT news702806259 The UK on Thursday experienced its eighth day in 2026 with the mercury climbing above 34°C (94°F), the Met Office said, breaking the previous record by one day. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-uk-days-34c.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:47:19 EDT news702823589 A new study published in Quaternary Science Reviews dates the dramatic collapse of one of the largest glaciers ever documented in the Himalayas. The findings overturn a long-held assumption about what sustains wet-climate (monsoon-dominated) glaciers. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ancient-kilometer-himalayan-glacier-india.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news702809752 Moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires since 2005 have led to an increase in the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's atmosphere above the weather-filled troposphere. That's potentially bad news because water vapor here acts like a greenhouse gas that traps heat and changes ozone chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-volcanoes-wildfires-adding-vapor-stratosphere.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:30:05 EDT news702816070 For more than 150 years, scientists have debated when and how the Colorado River first carved its way through the Grand Canyon. Now, a new study led by researchers at the University of New Mexico offers evidence that the river developed gradually from north to south between 8 million and 4.8 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fish-dna-crystals-rewrite-colorado.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:20:05 EDT news702808308 An intensifying El Niño, nature's heat-releasing thermostat that spikes global temperatures, is heading to historically strong levels, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-el-nino-powers-historic-strength.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:40:01 EDT news702809889 Two-thirds of the European Union's population may have been exposed to harmful levels of ozone pollution during last month's record-breaking heat wave, a report exclusively shared with AFP warned Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ozone-thirds-eu-residents-june.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:01:41 EDT news702810079 Continental aquatic ecosystems, such as lakes and reservoirs, occupy a small proportion of Earth's surface but play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. It is estimated that more than 40% of global methane emissions originate from these ecosystems. However, the true scale of these emissions remains uncertain, as most of the available data comes from one-off measurements taken at specific times and locations. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-falling-trigger-surge-methane-emissions.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:40:12 EDT news702806844 Imagine living in a home that you could simply pick up and move when extreme weather strikes. Instead of bricks and mortar, it's made from materials sourced from the local environment and, if weather conditions change, you pack it up and rebuild it in a safer location. That's exactly what Khudi Bari, developed by Bangladeshi firm Marina Tabassum Architects, is doing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-homes.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:40:08 EDT news702808201 As a heat dome drives dangerous temperatures across much of the United States and renews concerns about extreme heat, USC researchers have developed a new, freely available AI tool that could help cities better understand one of their best defenses against rising temperatures: trees. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-tool-cities-urban-tree.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:40:05 EDT news702799682 Barcelona registered a maximum temperature of 40.7°C (105.3°F) on Wednesday, its highest figure in 112 years of records, weather agencies said as another heat wave struck Spain. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shatters-barcelona-spain-latest.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:20:01 EDT news702791277 Western Europe this year experienced its hottest June on record as a searing heat wave swept across a continent facing increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes, the European Union's climate monitor said Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-western-europe-hottest-june-surge.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:10:01 EDT news702790921 Taiwan's weather forecaster warned on Thursday of "destructive" winds as the biggest typhoon in years swept toward the island after pounding U.S. Pacific territories. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-taiwan-destructive-typhoon-nears.html Environment Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:00:09 EDT news702790876 Tiny, invisible swirls and twirls—not much bigger than a coin—deep below the ocean's surface are silently shaping some of the biggest forces shaping our climate: sea level rise, fisheries collapse, extreme flooding and how much carbon dioxide the ocean absorbs. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hidden-deep-sea-turbulence-climate.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news702711269 A slowing Atlantic Ocean current is projected to intensify powerful storms in California while reducing snowfall over Greenland, according to a recent University of California, Riverside study. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) works like a giant conveyor belt in the ocean, moving warm water from the tropics northward to heat places like Europe, then cycling the cooled, denser water back south along the ocean floor. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-atlantic-current-fuel-stronger-california.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:20:08 EDT news702746010 The first-known direct observations of a seafloor spreading event at a mid-ocean ridge in the Indian Ocean are presented in Nature. The observations offer insight into how new oceanic crust is created. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-deep-sea-ocean-floor.html Earth Sciences Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:00:03 EDT news702737904 Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. The El Niño predicted for 2026–2027 is one such event. These events have caused environmental, economic and social impacts in Brazil, requiring specific public policies. To transform scientific data into a foundation for developing prevention, adaptation and mitigation measures, a group of Brazilian researchers has analyzed approximately 60,000 records of hydrogeological disasters in Brazil between 1991 and 2024. Their results are published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-brazilian-cities-experienced-climate-disasters.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:40:05 EDT news702745995 The Amazon region, Earth's most important ecosystem, is home to more than 400 Indigenous groups that use thousands of rainforest plant species. They pass on their knowledge of the flora primarily through oral tradition, usually from parents or other family members to their children. This creates a "living library of knowledge" about how to use native plants. Until now, little was known about how this treasure trove of knowledge is affected by the combined effects of climate change and language loss. A new study by the University of Zurich (UZH) provides the first reliable scientific data on the impact of global change on the biocultural heritage of the Amazon region. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-indigenous-peoples-amazon-massive-cultural.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:20:01 EDT news702737556 Cities are often described as "heat islands," with media reports warning that some neighborhoods can be 20° F (7° C) hotter than others. But those temperatures are often based on satellite data rather than the conditions people actually experience, due to the dearth of near-surface urban observations. This data gap hinders understanding public health risks during heat waves, planning for energy demand, infrastructure resilience, and climate adaptation. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-block-ai-uncover-real-urban.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:10:01 EDT news702746045 Five years ago, British Columbia's heat dome became one of the deadliest weather disasters in Canadian history. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-older-adults-age-policies.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:40:05 EDT news702738198 With an anticipated "super" El Niño looming, a new study led by UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography considers whether society could use a weather-altering technique as a tool to mitigate the floods, extreme heat and other events that El Niño would bring. The findings are published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-geoengineering-tamp-super-el-nios.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:30:02 EDT news702741400 Manganese is an essential trace element. However, in excessive concentrations, the metal can cause health problems. Two Eawag researchers have now produced a global risk map for manganese in groundwater. Half of the world's population uses groundwater as drinking water. According to the study, between 180 million and 220 million people could be using water with elevated manganese concentrations as drinking water—significantly more than previously thought. Densely populated regions of Asia are particularly affected. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-manganese-groundwater-affects-million-people.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:20:08 EDT news702728130 Feeling hot at home may seem like a simple matter of temperature or whether the air conditioning is switched on. But a new study suggests that less visible factors—from closed windows and blocked airflow to household routines and the different ways family members experience heat—also play an important role. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-comfort-home-temperature-issue.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news702734402 Raindrops form inside clouds when tiny particles of water collide and stick together, forming larger droplets that eventually fall to Earth. This process is hard to model accurately, with current approaches either imprecise or computationally intensive. Better simulations of raindrop formation could help improve climate and weather models. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-machine-raindrop-formation.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:20:02 EDT news702729439 An interdisciplinary team from Florida State University's Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science has uncovered new evidence about processes that may have contributed to ancient mass-extinction events, some of the most dramatic ecosystem reorganizations in Earth's history. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-gas-emissions-contributed-ancient.html Earth Sciences Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:06 EDT news702704476 When a powerful EF-4 tornado tore through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 24, 2023, social media became a critical tool for sharing weather warnings, damage reports and recovery information. But a new study from University of Nebraska–Lincoln media scholar Cory Armstrong found that the same disaster also exposed persistent communication gaps facing rural and underserved communities. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-explores-social-media-role-tornado.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:20:05 EDT news702725941