Climate Patterns
- All
- News
- Videos
-
Antarctic Ice Melt Weakens Strongest Ocean Current, Disrupting Global Circulation
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the planet’s most powerful ocean circulation system, could slow by 20 percent by 2050 due to melting Antarctic ice. Researchers suggest that the influx of fresh, cold water is disrupting convection, altering global ocean density. A weaker current may allow warm water to reach Antarctica, accelerating ice loss an...
-
Arabia Had Five Times More Rainfall 400 Years Ago, Study Finds
Research reveals Arabia's climate was drastically wetter 400 years ago, resembling a savannah with thriving wildlife. Sediment cores from the Gulf of Aqaba confirm fluctuating rainfall patterns over centuries. Experts highlight the importance of climate resilience as urbanisation progresses. The study emphasises the need for better flood and drough...
-
Exoplanet WASP-121 b’s Atmosphere Features Iron Rains, Jet Streams, and More
Astronomers have uncovered extreme weather patterns on WASP-121 b, a gas giant 900 light-years from Earth. The planet experiences iron rain, with metals vaporizing on its scorching dayside and condensing into liquid at night. Supersonic winds carry elements across its atmosphere, forming powerful jet streams. Using the Very Large Telescope, researc...
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
-
Curiosity Rover Observes Iridescent Clouds on Mars, Offering New Insights
NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured rare iridescent clouds drifting across the Martian sky, observed at high altitudes in twilight conditions. These carbon dioxide ice clouds were seen forming between 60 and 80 kilometres above the surface before evaporating as they descended. Scientists believe their presence hints at unknown cooling mechanisms ...
-
Massive Ice Age Landforms Found Under North Sea Provide Key Insights into Ancient Glaciers
Scientists have uncovered massive ice age landforms buried deep beneath the North Sea, revealing patterns of a colossal ice sheet that existed 1 million years ago. Using high-resolution sound wave imaging, researchers discovered features indicating a single, large ice sheet that shaped the region’s landscape. These findings provide new perspectiv...
-
Rising Droughts Threaten Agriculture, Energy, and Ecosystems Worldwide
Extreme droughts have become more frequent and severe in recent decades, severely impacting agriculture, energy production, and ecosystems worldwide. Prolonged dry spells have expanded by 50,000 square kilometres each year since 1979, as temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift. This has led to significant economic losses, particularly in...
-
NOAA Confirms a Weak and 'Unusual' La Niña by Spring
An unusual La Niña event has been confirmed by NOAA, emerging later than expected in December 2024. This weaker and shorter cycle, part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is predicted to persist until April 2025. La Niña typically brings cooler and wetter winters to northern regions while causing warmer, drier conditions in the south. D...
-
Mars Satellite Images Reveal Giant 'Kidney Beans,' Sparking Hints of Water and Life
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of frozen sand dunes in Mars' northern hemisphere, revealing unique formations halted by carbon dioxide frost during winter. Unlike Earth's desert dunes, which shift with wind, these Martian dunes remain stationary until spring thaw releases their icy grip. Scientists study these features to unders...
-
Antarctic Ice Sheet Melting May Intensify Volcanic Eruptions, Study Finds
The melting of Antarctic ice sheets is linked to more intense and frequent volcanic eruptions, as found by recent research. Reduced ice mass alleviates pressure on magma chambers beneath the surface, causing them to expand and release volatile gases, which can lead to eruptions. A study has drawn connections between this process and increased volca...
-
Lake Mendota's Bacteria Are Stuck in an Evolutionary Loop, Finds Study
Research in Lake Mendota reveals seasonal bacterial evolution, with microbes adapting to environmental shifts over 20 years. Despite rapid changes, many species return to prior genetic states, highlighting cyclical evolution patterns. Extreme weather events, like those seen in 2012, led to lasting genetic adaptations, offering insights into how mic...
-
Mars Dust Storms May Be Predictable Based on Surface Heating Patterns
A new study suggests warm days on Mars often precede dust storms, with researchers analysing data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The findings show 78% of storms correlate with increased solar heating, particularly in northern regions of the planet. Scientists have developed an algorithm predicting certain storm types with 64% confidence, ...
-
Indian Ocean Study Reveals Bay of Bengal Defies Ekman’s Wind-Driven Current Theory
A study published in Science Advances has discovered that ocean currents in the Bay of Bengal deviate leftward, contrary to Ekman’s century-old theory. This anomaly, revealed through multi-year buoy data, suggests local factors influence wind-driven surface currents. Researchers highlight implications for climate models and propose a satellite sy...
-
Increasing Global Heatwave Hotspots Defy Climate Model Predictions
Heatwave hotspots exceeding climate models are emerging globally, with regions like northwestern Europe, central China, and the U.S. Pacific Northwest witnessing record-breaking extremes. Recent findings reveal jet stream wobbles, vegetation drying, and atmospheric patterns driving these anomalies. Notable impacts include wildfires, crop failures, ...
-
Opinion | G20 Climate Declaration: It's Only Words...
The declaration's call for circular economies and waste reduction is undermined by its refusal to confront the unsustainable consumption patterns of high-income countries.
-
Antarctic Ice Melt Weakens Strongest Ocean Current, Disrupting Global Circulation
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the planet’s most powerful ocean circulation system, could slow by 20 percent by 2050 due to melting Antarctic ice. Researchers suggest that the influx of fresh, cold water is disrupting convection, altering global ocean density. A weaker current may allow warm water to reach Antarctica, accelerating ice loss an...
-
Arabia Had Five Times More Rainfall 400 Years Ago, Study Finds
Research reveals Arabia's climate was drastically wetter 400 years ago, resembling a savannah with thriving wildlife. Sediment cores from the Gulf of Aqaba confirm fluctuating rainfall patterns over centuries. Experts highlight the importance of climate resilience as urbanisation progresses. The study emphasises the need for better flood and drough...
-
Exoplanet WASP-121 b’s Atmosphere Features Iron Rains, Jet Streams, and More
Astronomers have uncovered extreme weather patterns on WASP-121 b, a gas giant 900 light-years from Earth. The planet experiences iron rain, with metals vaporizing on its scorching dayside and condensing into liquid at night. Supersonic winds carry elements across its atmosphere, forming powerful jet streams. Using the Very Large Telescope, researc...
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
-
Curiosity Rover Observes Iridescent Clouds on Mars, Offering New Insights
NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured rare iridescent clouds drifting across the Martian sky, observed at high altitudes in twilight conditions. These carbon dioxide ice clouds were seen forming between 60 and 80 kilometres above the surface before evaporating as they descended. Scientists believe their presence hints at unknown cooling mechanisms ...
-
Massive Ice Age Landforms Found Under North Sea Provide Key Insights into Ancient Glaciers
Scientists have uncovered massive ice age landforms buried deep beneath the North Sea, revealing patterns of a colossal ice sheet that existed 1 million years ago. Using high-resolution sound wave imaging, researchers discovered features indicating a single, large ice sheet that shaped the region’s landscape. These findings provide new perspectiv...
-
Rising Droughts Threaten Agriculture, Energy, and Ecosystems Worldwide
Extreme droughts have become more frequent and severe in recent decades, severely impacting agriculture, energy production, and ecosystems worldwide. Prolonged dry spells have expanded by 50,000 square kilometres each year since 1979, as temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift. This has led to significant economic losses, particularly in...
-
NOAA Confirms a Weak and 'Unusual' La Niña by Spring
An unusual La Niña event has been confirmed by NOAA, emerging later than expected in December 2024. This weaker and shorter cycle, part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is predicted to persist until April 2025. La Niña typically brings cooler and wetter winters to northern regions while causing warmer, drier conditions in the south. D...
-
Mars Satellite Images Reveal Giant 'Kidney Beans,' Sparking Hints of Water and Life
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of frozen sand dunes in Mars' northern hemisphere, revealing unique formations halted by carbon dioxide frost during winter. Unlike Earth's desert dunes, which shift with wind, these Martian dunes remain stationary until spring thaw releases their icy grip. Scientists study these features to unders...
-
Antarctic Ice Sheet Melting May Intensify Volcanic Eruptions, Study Finds
The melting of Antarctic ice sheets is linked to more intense and frequent volcanic eruptions, as found by recent research. Reduced ice mass alleviates pressure on magma chambers beneath the surface, causing them to expand and release volatile gases, which can lead to eruptions. A study has drawn connections between this process and increased volca...
-
Lake Mendota's Bacteria Are Stuck in an Evolutionary Loop, Finds Study
Research in Lake Mendota reveals seasonal bacterial evolution, with microbes adapting to environmental shifts over 20 years. Despite rapid changes, many species return to prior genetic states, highlighting cyclical evolution patterns. Extreme weather events, like those seen in 2012, led to lasting genetic adaptations, offering insights into how mic...
-
Mars Dust Storms May Be Predictable Based on Surface Heating Patterns
A new study suggests warm days on Mars often precede dust storms, with researchers analysing data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The findings show 78% of storms correlate with increased solar heating, particularly in northern regions of the planet. Scientists have developed an algorithm predicting certain storm types with 64% confidence, ...
-
Indian Ocean Study Reveals Bay of Bengal Defies Ekman’s Wind-Driven Current Theory
A study published in Science Advances has discovered that ocean currents in the Bay of Bengal deviate leftward, contrary to Ekman’s century-old theory. This anomaly, revealed through multi-year buoy data, suggests local factors influence wind-driven surface currents. Researchers highlight implications for climate models and propose a satellite sy...
-
Increasing Global Heatwave Hotspots Defy Climate Model Predictions
Heatwave hotspots exceeding climate models are emerging globally, with regions like northwestern Europe, central China, and the U.S. Pacific Northwest witnessing record-breaking extremes. Recent findings reveal jet stream wobbles, vegetation drying, and atmospheric patterns driving these anomalies. Notable impacts include wildfires, crop failures, ...
-
Opinion | G20 Climate Declaration: It's Only Words...
The declaration's call for circular economies and waste reduction is undermined by its refusal to confront the unsustainable consumption patterns of high-income countries.
