Articles by Hannah Bird
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.
Phys.org / Acidifying oceans will cause a diversity and survival crisis for microscopic marine organisms, finds research
Oceanic responses to climate and human interactions have been studied for decades. In recent years the effects of increasing ocean acidity have been featured, with stark images of coral reefs being decimated by bleaching.
Phys.org / The rise and fall of the Roman empire preserved in pollen
Sediments at the bottom of the ocean can offer a window into the past, indicating environmental conditions not just from the sea but washed in from terrestrial runoff, as well as preserving the flora and fauna of the time. ...
Phys.org / Wind is a major driver of Antarctic deep water formation and the planet's ocean circulation, shows study
Earth's oceans are a complex system, and their interconnected nature has global implications. Around Antarctica, cold and dense waters form in the depths of the Southern Ocean. This is known as Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). ...
Phys.org / 56 million-year-old Eocene global warming may indicate a wetter future
Modeling of Earth's response to global warming has suggested dry regions will become more arid and wet regions will experience more precipitation, with an uneven distribution of moisture in the atmosphere. With enhanced seasonality, ...
Phys.org / Remote lake emissions from the Tibetan Plateau challenge global climate modeling
Earth's complex systems interact between atmospheric, terrestrial, hydrological, cryological (ice and snow) and biological processes in feedback loops. Understanding their relationships is important for modeling their future ...
Phys.org / Coastal erosion could be reduced by dune restoration projects
Although sand dunes often conjure images of great deserts, they also occur along coastlines worldwide and can be an important buffer for communities threatened by sea level rise, storms and coastal erosion.
