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Climate Change Could Lead to Blackouts, Higher Power Costs on West Coast

Two new studies led by a North Carolina State University researcher offer a preview of what electricity consumers on the West Coast could experience under two different future scenarios:

Shifting Rainfall Patterns Will Affect Whether An Imperiled Butterfly Survives Climate Change

When we think of climate change, we often imagine how a warmer world will impact species, but a new study highlights the importance of changes in precipitation.

Satellite Imagery Gives Researchers Timeline of When Swine Waste Lagoons Were Built

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an automated technique that uses satellite imagery to determine when swine waste lagoons were constructed, allowing researchers to determine the extent to which these facilities may have affected environmental quality.

Study: U.S. Flood Damage Risk Is Underestimated

In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers used artificial intelligence to predict where flood damage is likely to happen in the continental United States, suggesting that recent flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency do not capture the full extent of flood risk.

Humidity May Increase Heat Risk in Urban Climates

As temperatures across the globe reach record-level highs, urban areas are facing increased heat stress. Cities are generally warmer and dryer than adjacent rural land. But in the Global South, there is an additional complicating factor — urban humid heat.

During Droughts, Thirstier Mountain Forests Could Mean Less Water Downstream

Using data gathered by satellite, North Carolina State University researchers found that higher elevation forests in the Blue Ridge Mountains are often maintaining, and sometimes even increasing, their water use during extreme droughts.

Some See Antarctica as ‘Last Chance’ Destination; for Others, It’s a Backdrop

In a new study, researchers found a significant reason why many people travel to Antarctica is to socialize – to celebrate anniversaries, honeymoons or to spend time with family for a holiday – rather than because of a particular interest in the land and its wildlife.

Advanced Computer Simulations Shed Intriguing New Light on Magma Deep Below Earth’s Surface

Unlike the classic Jules Verne science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth or movie The Core, humans cannot venture into the Earth’s interior beyond a few kilometres of its surface.

Scientists Discover How Plants Evolved to Colonise Land Over 500 Million Years Ago

Scientists analysing one of the largest genomic datasets of plants have discovered how the first plants on Earth evolved the mechanisms used to control water and ‘breathe’ on land hundreds of millions of years ago.

A Sulphurous End for the Dinosaurs, According to New Research

Climate cooling associated with sulphur gases directly contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs, research carried out at the Universities of St Andrews and Bristol has found.

Lava From 2021 Icelandic Eruption Gives Rare View Of Deep Churnings Beneath Volcano

After centuries without volcanic activity, Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula sprang to life in 2021 when lava erupted from the Fagradalsfjall volcano. New research involving the University of Cambridge helps us see what is going on deep beneath the volcano by reading the chemistry of lavas and volcanic gases almost as they were erupted.

New, Nature-Inspired Concepts For Turning CO2 Into Clean Fuels

Researchers have developed an efficient concept to turn carbon dioxide into clean, sustainable fuels, without any unwanted by-products or waste.

Microscopic View On Asteroid Collisions Could Help Us Understand Planet Formation

A new way of dating collisions between asteroids and planetary bodies throughout our Solar System’s history could help scientists reconstruct how and when planets were born.

Risks Of Using AI To Grow Our Food Are Substantial And Must Not Be Ignored, Warn Researchers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the cusp of driving an agricultural revolution, and helping confront the challenge of feeding our growing global population in a sustainable way. But researchers warn that using new AI technologies at scale holds huge risks that are not being considered.

‘Slushy’ Magma Ocean Led To Formation Of The Moon’s Crust

Scientists have shown how the freezing of a ‘slushy’ ocean of magma may be responsible for the composition of the Moon’s crust.

Earliest Human Remains In Eastern Africa Dated To More Than 230,000 Years Ago

The age of the oldest fossils in eastern Africa widely recognised as representing our species, Homo sapiens, has long been uncertain. Now, dating of a massive volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reveals they are much older than previously thought.

Companies’ Zero-Deforestation Commitments Have Potential To Halve Cattle-Driven Deforestation In Brazilian Amazon

Study shows better adoption and implementation of company supply chain policies for Brazilian beef and leather could significantly reduce carbon emissions

Killer Heatwaves Endanger India's Development

Heatwaves could slow or reverse India’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without heat impact assessments

At Least 80% Of The World’s Most Important Sites For Biodiversity On Land Currently Contain Human Developments

At least 80% of sites identified as being internationally important for biodiversity on land currently contain infrastructure − of which more than 75% contain roads. In the future, more sites that are important for biodiversity could contain powerplants, mines and oil and gas infrastructure

Phone-Based Measurements Provide Fast, Accurate Information About The Health Of Forests

Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses computer vision techniques to accurately measure trees almost five times faster than traditional, manual methods.