Science Daily: Climate News

The world's second-largest ice sheet, and the single largest contributor to global sea-level rise, is potentially becoming unstable because of fractures developing in response to faster ice flow and more meltwater forming on its surface.

How did life survive the most severe ice age? A team has found the first direct evidence that glacial meltwater provided a crucial lifeline to eukaryotes during Snowball Earth, when the oceans were cut off from life-giving oxygen, answering a question puzzling scientists for years.

Antarctica is the largest reservoir of ice on Earth -- but new research suggests it could be at greater risk of melting than previously thought.

New study provides the first evidence that thinning ice shelves around Antarctica are causing more ice to move from the land into the sea.

A new study suggests Earth's first burst of oxygen was added by a spate of volcanic eruptions brought about by tectonics. In addition to explaining the appearance of significant concentrations of oxygen in the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) 2.5 billion years ago, the theory also accounts for the Lomagundi Event, a puzzling shift in the ratio of carbon isotopes in carbonate minerals that followed the GOE.

Ancestors of modern bacteria cultured from an iron-rich lake in Democratic Republic of Congo could have been key to keeping Earth's dimly lit early climate warm, and in forming the world's largest iron ore deposits billions of years ago.

For the first time, scientists have developed a method to monitor carbon emissions from tropical forests at an unprecedented level of detail. The approach will provide the basis for developing a rapid and cost-effective operational carbon monitoring system, making it possible to quantify the economic cost of deforestation as forests are converted from carbon sinks to sources.

Scientists show that 90% of the global population may face decreases in productivity for both agriculture and fishing if greenhouse emissions are not reduced. On the other hand, most countries are in a position to limit these losses if emissions are drastically cut, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement.

In contrast to most other species, reef-dwelling parrotfish populations boom in the wake of severe coral bleaching. The surprise finding came when researchers looked at fish populations in severely bleached areas of two reefs -- the Great Barrier Reef in the western Pacific and the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

Sharks, penguins, turtles and other seagoing species could help humans monitor the oceans by transmitting oceanographic information from electronic tags.

More than half of the climate tipping points identified a decade ago are now 'active,' a group of leading scientists have warned.

Almost 40 percent of global flora is categorized as 'exceedingly rare,' and these species are most at risk of extinction by human development and as the climate continues to change, according to new research.

The location and operation of wind energy plants are often in direct conflict with the legal protection of endangered species. The almost unanimous opinion of experts from local and central government authorities, environmental NGOs and expert offices is that the current mechanisms for the protection of bats in wind power projects are insufficient.

The beloved anemone fish popularized by the movies 'Finding Nemo' and 'Finding Dory' don't have the genetic capacity to adapt to rapid changes in their environment, according to a new study.

A new modeling approach can help researchers, policymakers and the public better understand how policy decisions will influence human migration as sea levels rise around the globe.

Increased carbon dioxide allows plants to photosynthesize more and use less water. But warmer temperatures drive plants to use more water and photosynthesize less. So, which force, CO2 fertilization or heat stress, wins this climate tug of war? It depends on whether forests and trees are able to adapt to their new environment.

A new study by geoscientists and climatologists provides evidence that summer monsoons from Asia and Africa may have reached into the Middle East for periods of time going back at least 125,000 years, providing suitable corridors for human migration.

Hazy days don't just block the view; they mean the air contains particulate matter that can compromise human health. Chemists have now discovered a way that alcohols can balance out the formation of new particles, a finding that could improve the accuracy of air-quality forecasts.

Extreme drought's impact on plants will become more dominant under future climate change, as noted in a new article.

New research suggests that male migration and poor working conditions for women combine with institutional failure or poverty to hamper women's ability to adapt to climate variability and change in Asia and Africa.