Global Climate News

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa initiated a dye tracer study at Red Hill, Oʻahu, in February 2025 to investigate groundwater flow. The approved method involved injecting a non-toxic fluorescent compound into a monitoring well to study its migration over the spring of 2025 as part of ongoing recovery efforts following prior jet fuel leaks. The team plans to monitor the water extraction and dye recovery effectiveness to ensure community drinking water safety.

Canada has launched a significant Antarctic research initiative as part of Operation PROJECTION 2025-01, sending a team of 15 scientists aboard HMCS Margaret Brooke for a month-long mission starting February 23, 2025. This expedition, supported by Polar Knowledge Canada and several federal departments, aims to study climate change effects, glacial retreat, and pollution in the Antarctic region. Notably, Polar Knowledge Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Instituto Antártico Chileno to enhance collaborative polar research ahead of the International Polar Year 2032-33.

The GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel launched the METEOR expedition M208 "NowUP" to study coastal upwelling and its impact on marine ecosystems. The expedition emphasizes the roles of oceanic and atmospheric dynamics in enhancing biological productivity in Northwest Africa's coastal upwelling region. Running from February 14 to March 17, 2025, the research aims to improve understanding of how various factors, including Saharan dust and nutrient dynamics, affect ocean health and climate change implications.

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Panel has announced a call for applications to join their Energy Consumption and Carbon Footprint Task Team. This team is tasked with evaluating CMIP's energy consumption and carbon footprint, developing target setting and monitoring procedures, and identifying actions to reduce environmental impact. The application deadline is set for 28 February 2025 at 09:00 UTC. Furthermore, there is a Responsible Data Use Task Team looking to create better documentation for CMIP model outputs to mitigate data misuse, with an application deadline of 1 March 2025 at 17:00 UTC.

MIT researchers studied how droplets impact a deep pool of water, revealing the intricate dynamics of splashing droplets. The study provides insights into how these droplets can aerosolize surface particles, including pathogens and pesticides, which can have implications for both public health and agricultural runoff. The work was led by Lydia Bourouiba from the Civil and Environmental Engineering department, aiming to develop a mathematical model to predict the behavior of secondary droplets created during splashes.

US-based researchers leveraged extensive community science resources to investigate how extreme weather events (EWEs) affect the phenology of 581 angiosperm species and 172 Lepidoptera across the contiguous United States. Their study revealed that plant and insect phenology is highly responsive to EWEs, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. The findings suggest that EWEs may be crucial drivers of mismatches in the timing of plant flowering and insect activity.

Scientists César Terrer from MIT and Josh Fisher from Chapman University have embarked on a unique research project near an active volcano in Costa Rica to explore the effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on tropical ecosystems. By utilizing natural emissions from the Rincon de la Vieja volcano, which has CO2 concentrations four times higher than the global average, they aim to study the CO2 fertilization effect. Their innovative approach involves deploying a network of 50 Bluetooth-enabled sensors to continuously monitor CO2 levels for an entire year, which can provide critical insights into carbon sequestration potential in tropical forests and aid future climate predictions.

Spain-based Sidenor participated in the SCALE-UP project, an initiative funded by the Basque Government's HAZITEK program. This project aims to develop innovative methodologies to validate the reliability of large scale wind turbine components without the need for extensive testing facilities. Focused on optimizing induction hardening processes for offshore wind turbine fasteners, Sidenor integrates experimental trials and simulation models to enhance mechanical properties and durability. This effort also aligns with their commitment to reduce carbon emissions in steel production using renewable energies.

The EU's expert group on climate change policy (CCEG) is currently accepting applications from organizations to enhance the aviation formation. The CCEG aims to strengthen discussions and effectively implement the EU ETS Directive for aviation. The selected members will contribute to achieving the EU's target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Additionally, a new support mechanism to accelerate the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) has been introduced, allocating 20 million allowances worth an estimated €1.6 billion. The first meetings will begin in 2025.

Germany-based GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University (CAU) have initiated the MAWACAAP (Quantifying the role of submarine canyon slides at active and passive margins) expedition. Departing from Wellington on 20 February 2025 and concluding on 22 March 2025, this expedition aims to gather data on factors influencing submarine landslides in the South West Pacific. The project will enhance risk assessments for coastal regions and underwater infrastructure through extensive seismic surveys and geological sampling.

The WCRP Earth System Modelling and Observations (ESMO) Core Project has launched an open call for new members of the Working Group on Observations for Researching Climate (WGORC). This group aims to bridge the gap between climate modeling and observational data. It seeks experts in climate science, focusing on observational data and its integration into modeling efforts, with applications open until 31 March 2025 at 23:59 CEST.

US-based MIT researchers have proposed a framework to leverage grid-edge devices such as rooftop solar panels, electric vehicles, and smart thermostats to stabilize the power grid during disruptions. This study builds on their work in adaptive control theory and aims to create more resilient microgrids through local electricity markets. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the MIT Energy Initiative.

US-based MIT researchers analyzed the impacts of electrifying residential heating on carbon emissions and costs. Their study revealed that switching 80% of homes to electric heating could cut carbon emissions while significantly reducing costs in the natural gas and electric power sectors. They conducted a detailed analysis through a two-part modeling framework and found that combining electrification with energy efficiency measures could lead to overall efficiency gains and reduced demand for natural gas and electricity.

US-based Stony Brook University hosted a Darwin Day discussion focused on the evolutionary impacts of nuclear fallout, particularly in Chernobyl and Fukushima. Timothy Mousseau, an ecologist from the University of South Carolina, presented findings from his 25 years of research in these areas. He noted that bird populations in highly radioactive areas had significantly lower counts and presented health complications such as tumors and cognitive impairments due to radiation exposure. The findings highlight the enduring impacts of nuclear disasters on environmental and species resilience.

This study tests whether water tracks in frozen hillslopes form through thermal channelization, whereby heat from flowing water in these tracks deepens the permafrost's active layer. The derived equations of suprapermafrost Darcy flow reveal that as the active layer deepens, more water is attracted to these preferred flow paths. The research highlights the implications of changing climate on water track spacing, providing insights into hydrological changes in the Low Arctic as climate conditions evolve.

The World Climate Research Programme has formally endorsed the scenarios proposed by ScenarioMIP during its 45b session. This endorsement outlines a scientifically rigorous framework to assess future climate pathways, including high, medium, and low emission scenarios. The scenarios aim to explore socio-economic trajectories and assess climate drivers while providing a structured foundation for climate modelling and impact assessments. These scenarios will inform the upcoming 7th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report.

A research study involving international collaboration analyzed the effects of mineralogy on the dual clumped isotope composition of carbonates. Conducted by institutions in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and Czechia, the study aimed to understand how different carbonate minerals react to acid digestion to yield CO2 for clumped isotope analyses. The results showed that various carbonates exhibit statistically indistinguishable relationships, allowing researchers to apply calcite-specific relationships reliably to other minerals. Further precipitation experiments are needed to confirm the findings for siderite.

Norway's parliament (Stortinget) has recently decided to allow development projects in protected waterways, which previously were safeguarded from water power development. This decision has sparked intense debate about the potential loss of valuable natural heritage. Researchers from NTNU and SINTEF are now working to gather new data on the state of these protected waterways and the implications of any developments.

Sweden's Geological Survey (SGU) has completed and made available data from its geophysical airborne measurements conducted during the summer of 2024. The measurements were focused on two regions, namely Västernorrland and Norrbotten. SGU's efforts were part of a government initiative designed to identify potential mineral areas. The new EU regulation on critical raw materials, which became law in Sweden in 2024, mandates EU countries to bolster their capability in mining, refining, processing, and recycling of raw materials.

A study conducted by researchers from the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) in Spain examined the dynamics of harmful algal blooms in nearshore environments. The research combined field observations and a one-dimensional advection-diffusion model, focusing on the effects of wind and buoyancy-driven flows on phytoplankton communities. The findings revealed critical interactions between environmental drivers and phytoplankton behavior, offering insights into coastal water quality management.