Professor Mathieu Lapointe of the Department of Construction Engineering at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) has conducted a study which highlights the impact of human activities on natural waters, aquatic biodiversity and the quality of drinking water resources. In the study, published in Nature Water, it was found that certain types of wastewater are not
Earth
Volcanic eruptions can be devastating, causing regional chaos and disrupting weather patterns on a global scale. Scientists study seismic data to measure volcanic activity to better understand the mechanics of a volcano and predict their behavior. The Great Sitkin Volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Arc has been erupting since May 2021, and the location of intense
A new study published in Nature Communications by several research organizations, including IRD and CNES, has revealed the dominant impact of El Niño on the interannual evolution of coastlines on a global scale. The study used satellite data from 1993 to 2019 to analyze the positions of shorelines and sea levels and global numerical models
New research, involving the University of Southampton and published in the journal Nature Climate Change, has shown that deep ocean water in Antarctica is warming and shrinking at an alarming rate, with significant consequences for the global climate and the world’s oceans. The study presents observational evidence from the Weddell Sea in Antarctica, demonstrating that
A recent study by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has discovered that the stable regions of the Earth’s continental plates, commonly known as stable cratons, have undergone repetitive deformation beneath their crust since their formation in the distant past. This hypothesis contradicts decades of traditional plate tectonics theory and aims to explain why most cratons
A peer-reviewed assessment published on Thursday has revealed that almost all the 35 countries which produce over 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions got low marks for their net zero plans. The report, which assessed the credibility of the countries’ plans, found that only the European Union’s net zero plan was deemed credible, while
The Minoan eruption of Santorini in the Aegean Sea was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the Holocene. It was a disastrous natural catastrophe that tore apart Santorini and sent large amounts of hot volcanic rock and gas across the eastern Mediterranean. The eruption caused a massive tsunami that devastated the coast of Crete
A recent study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and published in Science has found that almost 90% of global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pledges have low confidence in their full implementation. The study suggests that nations need to make their targets legally binding and back them up with long-term plans and short-term implementation
Air travel has become increasingly popular over the years, but with it comes the risk of turbulence. According to a recent study by the University of Reading, turbulence has increased over the past four decades due to climate change. Turbulence is hazardous to aircraft and can cause discomfort and injuries to passengers and crew. The
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulations aimed at reducing the harmful effects of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), have been a significant success story. A study conducted by Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) reveals
The European Union’s climate monitoring unit has reported that global oceans were warmer in May 2023 than any other May in records dating back to the 19th century. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that sea temperatures were a quarter of a degree Celsius higher than ice-free oceans in May when compared to the
In a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, geophysicist D. Sarah Stamps and her team at the Geodesy and Tectonophysics Lab explored the processes behind the East African Rift System using 3D thermomechanical modeling. Stamps compared the different deformation styles of a rifting continent with playing with Silly Putty, stating
According to a new scientific study conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), extractive and industrial development projects pose a severe threat to the fundamental rights of Indigenous Peoples. The study, which quantifies the negative impacts of these activities on the lifeways, lands, and rights of
The Denali Fault System is a 1,200-mile-long fault that runs in an upward arc from southwestern Alaska and the Bering Sea into western Canada’s Yukon Territory and British Columbia. The active strike-slip fault system, which runs through Denali National Park and Preserve, is responsible for the formation of the Alaska Range. In 2002, the Denali
Coal ash is known to cause air pollution, which is harmful to both the environment and human health. However, the ash left over from burning coal can also be hazardous. Duke Energy had long stored a liquified form of coal ash in 36 large ponds across the Carolinas. However, in 2014, a spill at its
