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. For more than a decade, U.S. embassies and consulates provided independent, publicly available air-quality readings in cities around the world. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-embassies-air-quality-pollution-rose.html Environment Wed, 07 Oct 2026 08:40:01 EDT news710576102 Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is commonly associated with both health concerns and poor visibility. However, these two effects do not necessarily improve or worsen at the same time. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-clearer-air-potential-particle-pollution.html Environment Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:20:01 EDT news710517482 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 The area covered by the Antarctic ozone hole peaked at more than 27 million square kilometers (10.4 million square miles) in September, the second-largest area ever observed for this time of year. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-september-ozone-hole-biggest-years.html Environment Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:40:05 EDT news709542361 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 Most kids learn in elementary school that the seasons are caused by Earth rotating on a tilted axis during its yearly orbit around the sun. The substantial tilt, about 23.5 degrees, is thought to be the result of an ancient planetary body, Theia, smashing into Earth about 4.5 billion years ago, in the same cataclysmic collision that formed the moon. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tilt-earth-axis-apparent-position.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:20:02 EDT news709290673 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 With Western wildfires increasing in size, duration and intensity, millions of Americans are now exposed to wildfire smoke each year. In California, 2020 and 2021 were particularly challenging, with a 10-fold increase in fires compared with any time in the state's history. Northern Nevada is positioned to receive much of the smoke from California wildfires, and Reno residents experienced months of smoke-shrouded skies during this time. Now, a new study gives us a deeper look into the potentially hazardous chemicals lurking in this smoke. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wildfire-impacts-reno-air-quality.html Environment Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:00:05 EDT news708345181 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 An increase in pollution from wildfires and heat waves risks undermining international efforts to improve air quality and protect human and ecosystem health, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which traces the complex interrelationships between air quality and climate. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-climate-air-quality-linked-highlights.html Earth Sciences Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:20:05 EDT news707993158 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 world is set to miss the 1.5°C global warming target, and plans are underway for U.N. climate talks in the Pacific and Turkey. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-global-18c-voldemort-climate-policy.html Environment Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:01 EDT news707728081 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 For many years, the European Union has pursued a policy aimed at the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal testing (the 3Rs principle). To put the ethical principle of the 3Rs into practice, the European Commission has published a roadmap for the gradual phaseout of animal testing in the safety assessment of chemicals. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-roadmap-animal-free-chemical.html Biochemistry Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:40:02 EDT news707488201 Coastal residents may be worried about exposure to forever chemicals from sea spray during hot summer months, but York University researchers found little evidence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination from marine aerosols, a finding that surprised them. The study, published in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, looked specifically at areas affected by sea spray from the Atlantic Ocean generated by waves breaking along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, despite the region's windy, marine location, the researchers found it was not an issue as previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-exposure-chemicals-sea-spray-overblown.html Environment Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:00:01 EDT news707482021 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 Researchers from Skoltech and their colleagues from Harbin Institute of Technology in China and ITMO University in Russia have devised a way to deposit elaborate geometric patterns of carbon nanotubes without wasting material. Such patterns are used in advanced optical devices and mechanical strain sensors for structural integrity monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-reusable-stencils-carbon-nanotube-patterns.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:20:01 EDT news706880285 Even as the scientific community has reached a broad consensus that infectious pathogens, such as viruses, can spread through virus-laden aerosols, one fundamental challenge remains: How can scientific evidence be transformed into public understanding—and ultimately into meaningful action for effective airborne disease control and prevention? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-animation-boosts-willingness-airborne-disease.html Social Sciences Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:40:01 EDT news706879153 As wildfire smoke plumes travel thousands of miles, sunlight and atmospheric chemistry bleach their color, strip away their campfire aroma and add them to the mix of urban smog. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-flames-haze-wildfire-health-ways.html Environment Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:40:03 EDT news706877882