Firefighters battle fires razing beachfront homes along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in the Palisades Fire. Credit: PixabayBy the next morning, flames had consumed 2,925 acres of the Pacific Palisades in what is being called Southern California's worst wildfire since 2011.Three additional fires have erupted in the region, including the Eaton Fire, which has...
Credit: PixabayMicroscopic bubbles preserved in ancient Antarctic ice have uncovered periods of increased global wildfires that align with abrupt climate changes.Although climate shifts are typically marked by temperature fluctuations, alterations in tropical rainfall, and methane spikes, the role of wildfires had remained unrecognized until now."We weren’t specifically searching for evidence of wildfires," explained lead...
Dense snow fall and wind reduce visibility on January 5, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas. Credit: DepositphotosA powerful winter storm struck the United States on Sunday, with meteorologists alerting millions in the East to blizzard conditions and forecasting the heaviest snowfall in a decade for some areas.Over 60 million people are in the path of...
Credit: DepositphotosGenCast, an AI-driven weather prediction tool, generates highly accurate 15-day forecasts within minutes, offering both convenience for daily planning and life-saving warnings for extreme weather events.Despite modern meteorology's progress, predicting weather accurately remains difficult due to the complexity of analyzing numerous data points, especially for extended timeframes.Developed by Google DeepMind, GenCast leverages four...
Credit: PixabayGlobal carbon emissions from fossil fuels hit a record high in 2024, according to the latest research from the Global Carbon Project. Fossil CO2 emissions are projected to reach 37.4 billion tonnes, a 0.8% increase from 2023. Despite the urgent need to cut emissions to combat climate change, researchers say there is no...
Credit: PixabayFollowing an unusually calm August, the Atlantic hurricane season is intensifying. Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4 storm, is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night, while the state is still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene just under two weeks ago.According to experts speaking to Business Insider, these...
Credit: PixabayTiny openings on the surface of leaves, known as stomata, allow plants to "breathe" by regulating water loss through evaporation. These pores also manage the intake of carbon dioxide necessary for photosynthesis and growth.Since the 19th century, scientists have known that plants widen their stomatal pores to release water vapor, or "sweat," through...
Credit: PixabayThe world's climate is at a critical juncture, with uncertain outcomes. A new climate model indicates that exceeding the Paris Agreement's primary target for global warming could trigger a chain of tipping points, making recovery extremely difficult, if not impossible.On our current climate path, there's up to a 45 percent chance of surpassing...
Earth has sweltered through its hottest day on record this weekDepositphotosEarth experienced its hottest day on record twice this week. According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Sunday initially set the record for the highest global average temperature since records began in 1940, only for Monday to surpass it.On Sunday, July...
Credit: PixabayWhile trees and green spaces are often celebrated for their contributions to cleaner air and a healthier environment, recent research has highlighted a surprising drawback: they can also be significant sources of air pollution. A study mapping volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over Los Angeles revealed that botanical emissions, particularly from trees, are responsible...
