Articles by Hannah Bird
Phys.org / Clay formation prolonged global warming event 40 million years ago, according to new biogeochemical model
Global warming is not solely a modern-day occurrence but has been a prominent feature of Earth's geological history for millennia. One such event occurred approximately 40 million years ago, lasting ~400,000 years, known ...
Phys.org / Afforestation carbon sequestration projects found to be less effective than grasses in tropical savannas
Global warming's ever-increasing toll on the planet has been a focus of mitigation strategies in recent years, with carbon sequestration projects playing a more prominent role in drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere ...
Phys.org / New research finds Late Pleistocene glaciations terminated by Earth's axis tilt rather than orbital eccentricity
Glacial cyclicity of the Earth has often been considered on 100,000 year timescales, particularly for the Late Pleistocene (~11,700 to 129,000 years ago) swapping between periods of extensive polar and mountain glacier ice ...
Phys.org / North Atlantic volcanic activity was a major driver of climate change 56 million years ago, study finds
The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is a period of global warming that occurred ~56 million years ago, lasting approximately 200,000 years, when the Earth experienced global surface temperature elevations of ~5°C.
Phys.org / Ryugu asteroid origins in the solar nebula decoded by carbonates
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency sent the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to 162173 Ryugu in 2019, an asteroid in orbit near Earth that is comprised of rocky fragments originating from a larger parent body. Multiple rovers brought ...
Phys.org / Carbon Capture and Storage projects in Denmark at risk from bitumen formation
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is increasingly being cited to help our global warming crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through capturing carbon dioxide and storing deep underground. In the Danish North Sea, chalk ...
Phys.org / Great Barrier Reef decline could impact Queensland's coastal erosion
Coastal wave action occurs due to complex interactions between offshore ocean conditions and the local landscape of the coastline, in addition to the effects of currents, tides and storms. It is an important process that ...
Phys.org / Ancient lake microbes caused global warming during ice age
Global warming is not just a modern issue, but has occurred numerous times over Earth's history, with one such event happening 304 million years ago during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (which spanned from 340 to 290 million ...
Phys.org / Greenland's largest glacial floating ice declined 42% due to global warming, scientists determine
Greenland's ice sheet has been melting at an accelerated rate over recent decades, which may have resulted in a 1.4 mm/year rise in sea level. It has three glaciers with a floating tongue (floating ice attached to a glacier ...
Phys.org / Colorado River Basin megadrought caused by massive 86% decline in snowpack runoff
The Colorado River Basin provides freshwater to more than 40 million people within the semi-arid southwestern United States, including major cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. However, between 2000 and 2021 the basin ...
Phys.org / Sahara Desert dust found in remote European snow resorts
Saharan dust has made headlines in recent years for traveling across the globe, turning our skies picturesque hues of orange while coating our cities in thin layers of wind-blown dust. This has implications for our infrastructure ...
Phys.org / Corals reveal 100-year warming history of the Pacific Ocean
Earth's oceans are a complex system of interconnected transport highways for heat, nutrients and the transfer of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and sea. Meridional overturning circulation is the process by which these ...
Phys.org / Cyprus' beaches could disappear by 2100 due to climate change
Cyprus' beaches are at risk due to climate change as increased sea levels and wave action erode the sandy shores. This has prompted a dire warning from researchers at the University of the Aegean, Greece, that up to 72% of ...
Phys.org / Asymmetry in China's mountain glaciers irreversibly changes the landscape
Earth has experienced significant changes in its climate over the past ~2.6 million years (the Quaternary) with a series of glacial and interglacial cycles that have transformed our landscapes. This involves erosive action ...
Phys.org / Fossil trackways reveal first raptor-prey attack in Pleistocene Europe
Though we may often think of fossils purely as the bones of ancient organisms that roamed the Earth millions of years ago, in fact, we are actually able to see evidence of this past roaming itself.
