Geologists are today anticipating a rise in ocean levels of between 80 and 180 centimetres by 2100. But to fine-tune this prediction and upgrade the models underpinning it, we need to know about the recent past in greater detail – on a scale of a few thousand years instead of the millions of years that geologists usually work with. This tour de force was achieved by an international team of researchers that included the University of Geneva (UNIGE). The scientists succeeded in reconstructing the sea-level curve over the last 6,000 years in French Polynesia with unmatched accuracy: to within one centimetre. The research, which is based on analysing coral microatolls, is published in Nature Communications.
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Decade-Long Study Helps 21 Million Chinese Farmers Cut Fertilizer Use
Millions of Chinese farmers have cut fertilizer use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased crop yields after adopting new region-specific management practices, according to a 10-year study published recently in the journal Nature.
After a Flood, How Do Insects and Other Invertebrates Recover?
After a 100-year flood struck south central Oklahoma in 2015, a study of the insects, arthropods, and other invertebrates in the area revealed striking declines of most invertebrates in the local ecosystem, a result that researchers say illustrates the hidden impacts of natural disasters.
NASA's GPM Observes Tropical Cyclone Eliakim Forming Near Madagascar
NASA got an inside look at the heavy rainfall within developing Tropical cyclone Eliakim. The new tropical cyclone that may affect Madagascar in a few days has been generating an impressive rate of rain.
Even More Evidence that Electric Cars Could Save the Planet
Everyone's Saying It: The future of driving is electric. The big-name car companies have plans to start giving Tesla some tough competition. Jaguar’s I-Pace electric SUV will be on sale soon, and Porsche is teasing a new concept Mission E Cross Turismo, which looks like an SUV’d Panamera (in a good way). And normal cars for regular people are going the same way. Combined, Ford and GM plan to offer 34 full electric models in the next five years.
Large-scale Climatic Warming Could Increase Persistent Haze in Beijing
Over the past decades, Beijing, the capital city of China, has encountered increasingly frequent persistent haze events (PHEs). Severe PHEs not only lead to a sharp decrease in visibility, causing traffic hazards and disruptions, and, hence, affecting economic activities, but also induce serious health problems such as respiratory illnesses and heart disease. While the increased pollutant emissions serve as the most important reason, changes in regional atmospheric circulation associated with large-scale climate warming are found to play a role as well.