Articles by Hannah Bird
Phys.org / Warming may increase mangrove methane emissions—but these forests remain powerful carbon sinks
Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient ...
Phys.org / Aging populations could cut global water use by up to 31%, study finds
Across the world, water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Climate change is pushing rivers and aquifers into unprecedented extremes, droughts and floods are intensifying, and ...
Phys.org / Saltier seas in spring double the chance of extreme El Niño events, study finds
Stronger El Niño events are more likely when springtime surface waters in the western Pacific Ocean become unusually salty, a new study in Geophysical Research Letters suggests. Traditionally, scientists have focused on temperature ...
Phys.org / Ancient Spanish trees reveal Mediterranean storms are intensifying
Ancient pine trees growing in the Iberian mountains of eastern Spain have quietly recorded more than five centuries of Mediterranean weather. Now, by reading the annual growth rings preserved in their wood, scientists have ...
Phys.org / Chesapeake Bay's storm surge tides can be 47% higher than the open ocean
When hurricanes or strong storms sweep up the United States' East Coast and meet the shores of the country's largest estuary, Chesapeake Bay, the familiar pattern of storm activity gets a little more complicated. A new study, ...
Phys.org / Young water recharges aquifers while old water feeds crops, study finds
Groundwater replenishing beneath temperate farmland fields may come from very recent rainfall, merely one to two weeks old, whereas the water actually taken up by crops is drawn from much older sources.
Tech Xplore / Beneath the waves: Floating solar panels are stressing the seafloor
Floating solar installations offer a tantalizing vision of sustainable energy—combining wind and solar power in the same offshore space. But according to new research, the seabed may be feeling the strain of such ingenuity.
Phys.org / Weathering of the Southern Andes plays a critical role in balancing CO₂ emissions
The towering peaks of the Southern Andes are not just shaping the skyline of South America—they are also quietly influencing Earth's atmosphere.
Phys.org / Intense groundwater flow destabilizes ice in North America's Great Lakes, simulations show
Powerful pulses of groundwater flow up from beneath Lakes Michigan and Huron, which together form one of the largest freshwater systems in the world. This groundwater flux may dramatically alter how and where ice forms, with ...
Phys.org / Reversing Antarctic sea ice loss depends on ocean layering, study finds
Satellite observations have documented a pronounced decline in Antarctic sea ice extent since 2014, with especially sharp losses in recent years. Whether Antarctica's declining sea ice can recover hinges not only on how much ...
Phys.org / Atmospheric pollutants surprisingly helpful in offsetting primary productivity decline in Indian Ocean
Air pollution has become an ever-pressing issue since the Industrial Revolution began in the mid-18th century. Progressive urbanization, industrialization and agricultural development over more recent decades have been linked ...
Phys.org / Geysers on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus may form from a 'mushy zone'
Searching for life on other celestial bodies, or at the very least the necessary components to support it, has been fascinating scientists and enthusiasts for centuries. While planets are the obvious choice, their moons can ...
Phys.org / Greenland ice sheet could fully melt after reaching specific tipping point, study finds
Greenland's ice sheet currently spans over 1.7 million square kilometers and is the largest freshwater reservoir in the northern hemisphere. The ice sheet has already lost over a trillion tonnes of its total mass since the ...
Phys.org / Heavy metal toxicity found in Chinese port poses risk to seafood safety
Heavy metals naturally occur in the Earth's crust, but human activities can increase their concentration in the environment, including domestic sewage and waste disposal, fumes from vehicle exhausts, fertilizer runoff, mining ...
Phys.org / Sahara rainfall historically driven by tropical plumes not monsoons, study finds
Africa is often synonymous with its drylands that cover two-thirds of the continent. Relief is brought through rainfall during the monsoon season, which is vital to help replenish water reserves for communities and wildlife ...
