Earth and environmental sciences have some of the least diverse racial and ethnic representation in academia. To face profound future challenges, the fields need to address the inequities of the past and how they inform the present.
News
Indigenous Peoples Harness Space Technology to Stop Deforestation
Satellite observations have long been used to detect deforestation, and a new study shows that giving Indigenous groups greater access to these data can improve response times and reduce tree cover loss.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Linked in U.N. Climate Report
A major scientific assessment of global climate science found a much stronger connection between climate change and extreme weather than ever before.
Index Suggests That Half of Nitrogen Applied to Crops Is Lost
Food production is becoming less efficient at using nitrogen fertilizer, according to a review of global values. Excess nitrogen damages the environment and the climate.
Lightning Tames Typhoon Intensity Forecasting
Typhoons regularly drench densely populated western Pacific regions, but lightning could forecast intensity more than a day before a storm’s strength peaks.
Cosmological Tool Helps Archaeologists Map Earthly Tombs
A new study employs a method originally developed to help map stars and galaxies to describe how ancient tombs are clustered. The research helps archaeologists studying remote or inaccessible sites.
Ejecta Discovered Near Site of Ancient Meteorite Impact
South Africa’s Vredefort impact structure is the largest on the planet, and researchers have now discovered the first proximal ejecta possibly deriving from the cataclysmic impact.
Predictive Forensics Helps Determine Where Soil Samples Came From
Researchers deploy geochemical analyses to narrow down the search area for a soil sample’s site of origin—an approach that could prove useful to law enforcement.
Lava from Bali Volcanoes Offers Window into Earth’s Mantle
Lava from the Agung and Batur volcanoes provides a near-pristine picture of Earth’s mantle and raises questions about all volcanoes along the Indonesian Sunda Arc and beyond.
Specifically Tailored Action Plans Combat Heat Waves in India
The frequencies of heat waves and heat-induced mortality have soared in India. Now government agencies and research organizations are developing city-specific action plans to mitigate heat impacts.