Emissions growth of carbon dioxide has suddenly slowed, but atmospheric methane concentrations continue to soar after a long hiatus. Both trends have a bearing on climate pacts sought this week.
News
Ted Cruz Chairs Heated Senate Hearing on Climate Change
Republican-invited witnesses reject consensus view of climate change, charge bias in federal funding. Democratic senators decry attempt to stir controversy about well-established climate findings.
Despite Stalled Regulations, U.S. Mercury Emissions Decline
Newly published measurements made downwind of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio coal-burning plants reveal steep, unexpected drops in atmospheric mercury concentrations since 2006.
Ships Bring More Than Cargo to Arctic Waters
A probe of ballast water in ships at an Arctic port finds hitchhiking organisms that polar warming could allow to invade the region's ecosystems in less than 40 years.
Laser Beams Brighten Prospects for Cave Science
Armed with laser technology, scientists now plot and study vivid maps of underground spaces with stunning accuracy. But the equipment is costly, fragile, and hard to maneuver through tight passages.
Michael R. Raupach (1950–2015)
A pioneer in fields ranging from plant-atmosphere interactions to the carbon cycle, this Australian climate scientist transformed modern micrometeorology and cofounded the Global Carbon Project.
Paris Climate Talks Could Spur Energy Sector Action
A robust climate pact from the United Nations meeting in Paris could urge nations and energy investors toward lower-emissions energy generation, the head of a global energy agency suggests.
Exoplanets: First Baby Pictures Unveiled
New observations of stars hundreds of light-years from Earth reveal evidence of planets still surrounded by disks of the primordial materials they grow from.
Antarctic Sediment Plume Disrupts Deep-Water Community
Increased sedimentation from a melting glacier inhibits filter feeders in an Antarctic fjord.
Active Mud Volcano Field Discovered off Southeast Alaska
A cruise to study landslide potential along an earthquake-prone fault found a surprising methane plume.
