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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Geoscience: Landslides

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The same phenomenon that causes aurorae -- the magical curtains of green light often visible from the polar regions of the Earth -- causes mesospheric ozone layer depletion, which could have significance for global climate change. Now, a group of scientists has observed, analyzed, and provided greater insight into this phenomenon.

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New research shows how deforestation and population growth have greatly impacted landslide risk in the Kivu Rift. This is what researchers established from an analysis of six decades of forest cover and population trends in the region.

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New modelling by the international team of scientists paints a dramatic vision of a scorched planet Earth without the Montreal Protocol, what they call the 'World Avoided'. This study draws a new stark link between two major environmental concerns -- the hole in the ozone layer and global warming. The research team reveals that if ozone-destroying chemicals, which most notoriously include CFCs, had been left unchecked then their continued and increased use would have contributed to global air temperatures rising by an additional 2.5°C by the end of this century.

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As wildfires and heatwaves stress the western United States, concern over drought is rising: Dry landscapes burn more readily, and rain can help quell fires already raging. But wildfire smoke may keep that essential rain from falling.

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Marine bacteria in the frigid waters of the Canadian Arctic are capable of biodegrading oil and diesel fuel, according to a new study.

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A new study has found that infants born within three kilometers of oil and natural gas drilling facilities in Texas had slightly lower birthweights than those born before drilling began in their vicinity.

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Researchers examined the number of households unable to pay for damages from coastal flooding to reveal how sea-level rise could threaten the fabric of Bay Area communities over the next 40 years.

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Two factors that play a key role in climate change - increased climate warming and elevated ozone levels - appear to have detrimental effects on soybean plant roots, their relationship with symbiotic microorganisms in the soil and the ways the plants sequester carbon.

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Coastal wetlands -- such as salt marshes -- provide even more flood protection than previously thought, reducing risks to lives and homes in estuaries, a new study reveals. Research showed that wetlands that grow in estuaries can reduce water levels by up to 2 meters and provide protection far inland.

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Increased acidity in the atmosphere is disrupting the ecological balance of the oceans, according to new research. The study looks at acidity's impact on nutrient transport to the ocean and demonstrates that the way nutrients are delivered affects the productivity of the ocean and its ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.

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As melting sea ice brings more ships through the Northwest Passage, new research shows that Canada must prepare for the costs and consequences of an Arctic oil spill.

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The stage is set for a new carbon storage economy to emerge along the Gulf Coast, according to a new study, with the region offering ample opportunities to capture and store carbon, and recent state and federal incentives giving an added push to get started.

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Ozone levels in the earth's troposphere (the lowest level of our atmosphere) can now be forecasted with accuracy up to two weeks in advance, a remarkable improvement over current systems that can accurately predict ozone levels only three days ahead. The new artificial intelligence system could lead to improved ways to control high ozone problems and even contribute to solutions for climate change issues.

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Rare-earth elements are in many everyday products, such as smart phones, LED lights and batteries. However, only a few locations have large enough deposits worth mining, resulting in global supply chain tensions. So, there's a push toward recycling them from non-traditional sources, such as waste from burning coal -- fly ash. Now, researchers report a simple method for recovering these elements from coal fly ash using an ionic liquid.

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A new study shows that extremely low winter temperatures high in the atmosphere over the Arctic are becoming more frequent and more extreme because of climate patterns associated with global warming. The study also shows that those extreme low temperatures are causing reactions among chemicals humans pumped into the air decades ago, leading to greater ozone losses.

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The word 'tsunami' brings immediately to mind the havoc that can be wrought by these uniquely powerful waves. The tsunamis we hear about most often are caused by undersea earthquakes, and the waves they generate can travel at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour and reach tens of meters high when they make landfall and break. They can cause massive flooding and rapid widespread devastation in coastal areas, as happened in Southeast Asia in 2004 and in Japan in 2011.

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A researcher has firsthand experience with the frustrations of oil production. He spent nine years as a hydraulic fracturing engineer with operating and service companies. A few years ago, he started delving into a recurring recovery problem in carbonate reservoirs: why don't they produce oil as predicted?

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Ozone is a pollutant at ground level, but very high in the atmosphere's 'ozone layer,' it absorbs damaging ultraviolet radiation. Past studies have examined ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere, but little is known about levels of the molecule in Antarctica over long periods. Now, researchers have analyzed more than 25 years of Antarctic data, finding that concentrations near the ground arose from both natural and human-related sources.

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New research has shown how a readily available, cheap and safe-to-use product found in the medicine cabinet of most homes could be the key to better ecological restoration practices with major benefits for the environment and agriculture. The study revealed that aspirin, which naturally occurs in the bark of the willow tree and other plants, can improve the survival of grass species important for ecological restoration and sustainable pasture when applied in a seed coating.

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Converting Central American tropical forests into agricultural land is changing the color and composition of natural material washing into nearby rivers, making it less likely to decompose before it reaches the ocean, a new study has shown.