Global evidence of rapid urban growth in flood zones since 1985 This study reveals that human settlements worldwide, from small villages to large cities, have been rapidly expanding into areas prone to flooding since 1985. This expansion is happening more quickly in high-risk flood zones compared to safer areas, particularly in East Asia. These findings…
Seasonal advance of intense tropical cyclones in a warming climate Intense tropical cyclones (TCs) occurring in autumn are shifting earlier in the season, with rates of 3.7 and 3.2 days per decade in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This shift is linked to favorable oceanic conditions starting earlier, driven primarily by greenhouse gas forcing. As…
Weather explains the decline and rise of insect biomass over 34 years Insects play a crucial role in ecosystems, but there has been a significant decline in their biomass in Central Europe and other regions. A study reanalyzed 27 years of insect data and found that this decline is strongly influenced by complex weather conditions….
Global population exposure to landscape fire air pollution from 2000 to 2019 Wildfires, worsened by climate change, are becoming more severe and frequent. The smoke they produce, which can harm human health, hasn’t been well understood globally. Using advanced models and machine learning, scientists estimated that from 2000 to 2019, people around the world were…
The contribution of wildfire to PM2.5 trends in the USA The air quality in the USA has improved over the years, thanks to public policies. However, there’s been a recent increase in a type of air pollution called PM2.5, partly due to wildfires. Since 2016, wildfires have made the air dirtier in about 75% of US…
Climate warming makes extreme daily wildfires more likely in California. The study focuses on wildfires in California, which have become more extreme in recent years. While climate change plays a role, it’s hard to measure how much. Using machine learning, the researchers found that temperature affects wildfire risk mainly by drying out the fuel (vegetation)….
Bumblebee populations in Europe are expected to decrease in the 21st century Habitat damage and climate change are causing a major decline in wildlife worldwide, and this trend is expected to get worse in the coming decades. This study focuses on bumblebees, crucial pollinators for crops in Europe. They found that bumblebee populations have been…
