Science Daily: Climate News

Researchers find environmental developments caused by climate change are contributing to the transformation of the seafloor to a lower, more patchy seascape dominated by shrub-like seaweed which could impact species habitats and the structure of the food web.

Scientists have used MODIS satellite imagery to understand long-term ocean movements from sea ice dynamics. The engineers used image-processing algorithms to remove clouds, sharpen details, and separate individual floes. Image analysis algorithms mapped the floe movement over a period of days. The resulting ocean current maps were about as accurate as maps made using traditional methods. Tracking sea ice will help scientists better understand the sources driving sea ice transport.

Some programs work better than others when it comes to involving citizens in preserving the environment. After reviewing those that worked, researchers propose a blueprint for how others can educate people to maximize their impact.

The Neo-Assyrian Empire, centered in northern Iraq and extending from Iran to Egypt -- the largest empire of its time -- collapsed after more than two centuries of dominance at the fall of its capital, Nineveh, in 612 B.C.E. Despite a plethora of cuneiform textual documentation and archaeological excavations and field surveys, archaeologists and historians have been unable to explain the abruptness and finality of the historic empire's collapse.

A new study projects that the growth of urban areas in the coming decades will trigger ''extra'' warming due to a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect (UHI). According to their findings, urban expansion will cause the average summer temperature in these areas to increase about 0.5 to 0.6 degrees C -- but up to 3 degrees C in some locations. 

Two new articles use samples and data collected during the Tara Oceans Expedition to analyze current ocean diversity across the planet, providing a baseline to better understand climate change's impact on the oceans.

New results between 2009 and 2013 show that the diversity and functions of planktonic species in the global ocean change dramatically according to latitude.

Researchers have developed a model to project lake levels in world's largest tropical lake.

Scientists analyzed rainfall records from the 1870s to the present day with their findings showing there could be large divergence in projected rainfall by the mid to late 21st century.

Like someone from Minnesota being dropped into an Arizona heat wave, giant kelp living in cooler, high-latitude waters were more vulnerable to excessive heat than kelp already living in warmer, Southern California waters, according to a study of Chilean and Californian kelp.

Neighbor peer pressure may be linked to increases in yard fertilization and irrigation across several distinct climate regions of the US, according to a new study.

Location matters when talking about how climate might or might not be driving migration from Central America. Climate research in the dry corridor region revealed a complex pattern of change. If you average across the entire region you wouldn't see a trend going either way.

Microbiologists have discovered a new metabolic process in the ocean. Ranging from molecular structures of individual genes and detection of their global distribution, their results give insight into the pathway process and its degradation products and thus provide valuable information for future calculations of the ocean`s carbon dioxide balance.

The ratio of carbon isotopes in three common species of tuna has changed substantially since 2000, suggesting major shifts are also taking place in the phytoplankton populations that form the basis of the ocean's food web, according to a new international study. Much of the change occurring in phytoplankton physiology and species composition may be driven by increased ocean stratification, an impact of climate change, the study suggests.

Synthetic compounds increasingly used in everyday products like shampoo and motor oil are finding their way into landfills and supercharging the biogas those landfills produce, researchers have found.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Monero - the names of digital-based 'cryptocurrencies' are being heard more and more frequently. But despite having no physical representation, could these new methods of exchange actually be negatively impacting our planet? It's a question being asked by researchers who are investigating the environmental impacts of mining cryptocurrencies.

Healthy mangroves can help fight the consequences of climate change on coral reef fisheries, according to a new study. Researchers say corals have been bleached and reefs have lost their structural complexity as a major consequence of warming seas.

Hydropower is broadly considered to be much more environmentally friendly than electricity generated from fossil fuels, and in many cases this is true. However, a new study reveals that the climate impact of hydropower facilities varies widely throughout the world and over time, with some facilities emitting more greenhouse gases than those burning fossil fuels.

More than a billion people in Asia depend on seasonal monsoons for their water needs. The Asian monsoon is closely linked to a planetary-scale tropical air flow which, according to a new study, will most likely shift geographically as the climate continues to warm, resulting in less rainfall in certain regions.

Climate change will increase the size of stalled high-pressure systems that can cause heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather, according to a new study.