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. About a year ago, researchers at the University of Michigan found that the extratropical cyclones that are the biggest drivers of winter weather in the Great Lakes region are warming and trending northward. That means, outside of the northern reaches of the region, residents can expect that their winters will be warmer and wetter on average. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-great-lakes-winter-storms-global.html Earth Sciences Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:14:49 EST news689876041 Many ecologists hypothesize that, as global warming accelerates, change in nature must speed up. They assume that as temperatures rise and climatic zones shift, species will face local extinction and colonize new habitats at an ever-increasing rate, leading to a rapid reshuffling of ecological communities. A new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and published in Nature Communications shows this is emphatically not the case. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nature-halt-climate-gains-pace.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:58:22 EST news689871482 Climate change is accelerating the arrival of warmer spring temperatures, and this phenomenon is affecting the conservation of many species. Now, a study published in the journal Global Change Biology reveals how a 2°C increase in temperature advances the reproductive process of the Mediterranean gorgonian, a species found in temperate waters that plays an important ecological role, providing structure and shelter and thus promoting biodiversity on the seabed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-warmer-mediterranean-gorgonian.html Ecology Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:00:06 EST news689520754 Oceanic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by global warming, which causes coral bleaching, species migration and, through the loss of habitats and biodiversity, food web disruptions on major scales. Also, pollutants such as plastics and other marine debris, wastewater, as well as chemical runoffs, including oil spills, cause major ecosystem disruptions. Importantly, given the interconnectedness of all life on the planet, the deteriorating health of our oceans directly impacts human health and sustenance. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-crispr-based-biosensors-enable-real.html Ecology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:35:59 EST news689513701 Red-fleshed kiwifruit, valued for its high anthocyanin content and associated health benefits, is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures. Global warming severely inhibits anthocyanin accumulation, leading to flesh discoloration and nutrient loss, directly compromising fruit quality and the sustainable development of the industry. To address this challenge, researchers from the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used "Hongyang" kiwifruit to simulate high-temperature stress (30°C, 35°C, 40°C, compared with a 25°C control). https://phys.org/news/2026-02-high-temperatures-disrupt-anthocyanin-metabolism.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:45:26 EST news689438701 New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows how many tropical cities are predicted to warm faster than expected under 2°C of global warming. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-temperature-cities-faster-2c.html Environment Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:40:02 EST news689421866 After analyzing how the climate crisis is addressed in digital media and on digital platforms, Ángela Alonso-Jurnet, a researcher in the Gureiker group at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), has compiled a list of ten opportunities outlining the most effective strategies employed by the scientific community, members of the public and climate activists. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-online-opportunities-climate-crisis-messaging.html Environment Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:20:01 EST news688914875 When it comes to global warming and climate change, we often hear news stories about tipping points where Earth's systems shift into a new and dangerous state. One such may have been reached in the year 2000 that caused tropical weather cycles to have a greater effect on autumn sea ice melt across the Laptev and East Siberian seas, according to a study published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tropical-weather-linked-faster-arctic.html Earth Sciences Sun, 01 Feb 2026 11:40:01 EST news689002615 A new University of Oxford study finds that almost half of the global population (3.79 billion) will be living with extreme heat by 2050 if the world reaches 2.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels—a scenario that climate scientists see as increasingly likely. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-global-population-extreme.html Environment Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:30:01 EST news688663597 A new study published in Communications Biology reveals a critical, yet previously overlooked, environmental consequence of man-made dams constructed across rivers and streams. By investigating a key indicator species of ecosystem health, the brown trout (Salmo trutta), researchers from the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences demonstrated that small river impoundments significantly elevate water temperatures and drastically increase the pathogenic impact of Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD). https://phys.org/news/2026-01-overlooked-threat-trigger-temperature-driven.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:25:36 EST news688839902 A warming climate is disrupting the delicate balance of nature. An international team of scientists led by entomologists from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences has found that higher temperatures significantly reduce the success of parasitoids—tiny wasps that help regulate insect populations in nature. This is also bad news for farmers, who rely on these wasps as part of plant protection against insect pests. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-weakens-natural-enemies-insects.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:47:44 EST news688826741 Human-induced climate change made the intense early January heat wave in Australia five times more likely, according to a new analysis by World Weather Attribution. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-climate-australian.html Environment Tue, 27 Jan 2026 23:10:01 EST news688741474 Earth is closer than it's ever been to destruction as Russia, China, the U.S. and other countries become "increasingly aggressive, adversarial, and nationalistic," a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its "Doomsday Clock" to 85 seconds till midnight. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-doomsday-clock-closer-midnight-threats.html Other Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:50:01 EST news688751254 Even as global warming causes sea levels to rise worldwide, sea levels around Greenland will likely drop, according to a new paper published in Nature Communications. "The Greenland coastline is going to experience quite a different outcome," says lead author Lauren Lewright, a Ph.D. student in geophysics working at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School. "Sea level in Greenland is actually projected to fall." https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sea-greenland-fall.html Earth Sciences Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:07:42 EST news688662421 CO2 that has been absorbed and accumulated in fresh water areas like lakes and reservoirs—is receiving attention for its potential contributions to achieving a carbon neutral society. Kobe University is a hub for freshwater carbon research, with Graduate School of Engineering Professor Nakayama Keisuke, an expert in aquatic and environmental engineering, at the forefront. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-qa-carbon-neutral-society-freshwater.html Earth Sciences Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:50:01 EST news688311925 An unusually brutal winter storm is set to pummel more than 160 million Americans from Friday, as a stretched "polar vortex" sends a devastating blast of Arctic air, bringing heavy snows and freezing rains. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-arctic-blast-wallop-america-climate.html Environment Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:13:14 EST news688363940 China's rising demand for cooling doesn't have to drive rising temperatures. A recent study shows how rapid shifts to cleaner refrigerants and high-efficiency technologies could cut cooling-related climate impacts to near zero by mid-century. The work is published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-china-rapidly-cooling-demand-planet.html Environment Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:43:22 EST news688318982 Global average temperature increases could pass the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement by the end of the decade, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, putting the world at greater risk of never-seen-before extreme weather events. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-world-track-breach-15c.html Earth Sciences Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:10:02 EST news688230544 New research into the impact of climate change on snow sports provides recommendations to increase the climate-resilience of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-safeguarding-winter-olympics-paralympics-climate.html Environment Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:54:44 EST news688218841 On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the coolest library on Earth was inaugurated at the Concordia station, Antarctica. Samples from glaciers rescued worldwide are now beginning to be stored there for safekeeping. This will allow, among other things, future generations to continue studying traces of past climates trapped under ice, as glaciers on every continent continue to thaw out at a fast pace. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-qa-ice-core-library-antarctica.html Earth Sciences Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:10:01 EST news687629187 As Earth warms due to climate change, oceans are heating up, becoming more acidic, and losing oxygen. These changes threaten marine life, food webs, and global fisheries. Scientists agree that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is essential, but current efforts are not enough to keep global warming below the 1.5–2 degrees Celsius targets set by the Paris Agreement. Because of this, researchers are exploring climate intervention strategies as possible additions to emissions cuts. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-key-oceanic-unknowns-climate.html Earth Sciences Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:10:01 EST news687629168 As global officials confirm that 2025 was Earth's third-hottest year on record, a new poll shows Americans are sharply divided over the role of science in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-earth-hotter-americans-partisan-science.html Political science Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:02:41 EST news687718921 The Indonesian Throughflow carries both warm water and fresh water from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean. As the only low-latitude current that connects the two bodies of water, it plays a key role in ocean circulation and sea surface temperature worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-hard-ocean-currents.html Earth Sciences Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:47:24 EST news687624421 Climate change is already fueling dangerous heat waves, raising sea levels and transforming the oceans. Even if countries meet their pledges to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change, global warming will exceed what many ecosystems can safely handle. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-climate-oceans-reshaping-marine-life.html Environment Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:13:43 EST news687622381 Don't say the c-word. Global temperatures soared in 2025, but a NASA statement published Wednesday alongside its latest benchmark annual report makes no reference to climate change, in line with President Donald Trump's push to deny the reality of planetary heating as a result of human activities. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nasa-acknowledges-referencing-climate.html Environment Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:56:19 EST news687617754 Researchers from the Center for Paleogenetics have managed to analyze the genome from a 14,400-year-old woolly rhinoceros, recovered from a tissue sample found preserved inside the stomach of an ancient wolf. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-woolly-rhino-genome-recovered-ice.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:10:01 EST news687516901 Scientists on Wednesday sealed ancient chunks of glacial ice in a first-of-its-kind sanctuary in Antarctica in the hope of preserving these fast-disappearing records of Earth's past climate for centuries to come. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sanctuary-antarctica-ice-samples-rapidly.html Earth Sciences Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:10:01 EST news687607667 Policymakers and financial institutions are underestimating climate risks that could undermine the global financial system, according to a new report from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and University of Exeter. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-underestimates-global-pose-major-climate.html Environment Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:43:28 EST news687606181 The planet logged its third hottest year on record in 2025, extending a run of unprecedented heat, with no relief expected in 2026, global climate monitors said Wednesday. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-hottest-year-eu-experts.html Environment Wed, 14 Jan 2026 04:45:11 EST news687587651 Floods, droughts and heat waves continue to dominate headlines around the world and in Australia. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-global-amplifying-climate-disasters.html Earth Sciences Tue, 13 Jan 2026 07:14:40 EST news687510841