Health & Ecosystems

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

Satellite image of the Great Lakes with an algal bloom visible in Lake Erie

A New Technique Could Identify Algae from Space

A Global Map of Human Sewage in Coastal Ecosystems

Geoscientists Can Help Reduce the Threat of Nuclear Weapons

The Far-Reaching Consequences of Wildfire Smoke Plumes

COVID-19

Infrastructure

Air Pollution

AIR POLLUTION

Air Pollution Poses Inequitable Health Risks in Washington, D.C.

Reduced Winter PM2.5 in Northern India Under Global Warming

An Eye in the Sky Tracks Air Pollution Inequality in U.S. Cities

Air Pollution Killed a Million People in Africa in 2019

“Indigenous Peoples have done [forest monitoring] for their entire existence and will continue to do so, only now they can be more decisive, thanks to technology.”
Wendy Pineda, “Indigenous Peoples Harness Space Technology to Stop Deforestation”

HEALTH & ECOSYSTEMS ARCHIVE

How the Armero Tragedy Changed Volcanology in Colombia

The deadly eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985 made Colombian volcanologists realize that studying natural phenomena was irrelevant if they could not share their knowledge to avoid predictable tragedies.

by Santiago Flórez and Camilo Garzón

Microplastics Morph Cell Metabolism

Microplastics get into our bodies, potentially altering how certain cells convert sugar into energy, especially in the gut. Continued ingestion could cause chronic problems.

by Alka Tripathy-Lang

The Capital’s Waterways Could Be Swimmable by 2030

Scientists, community groups, and the Clean Water Act are behind Washington, D.C.’s massive project to reduce combined sewer overflows by 96%.

by Mark Betancourt

Forecasting Compound Floods in Complex Coastal Regions

Coastal communities face more frequent floods in which rain, rivers, and ocean storm surge combine forces. A reliable system that accurately predicts inundation from these events is urgently needed.

by Saeed Moghimi, Edward Myers, Shachak Pe’eri, Y. Joseph Zhang and Fei Ye

Cyanobacteria Blooms Exceed WHO Thresholds in Midwest Lakes

A study of 369 lakes across the Midwest finds that many of them, especially those close to agriculture, have high concentrations of harmful algal bloom-causing cyanobacteria.

by Rebecca Dzombak

Traditional Knowledge Is Essential to Sustainability in the Amazon

At COP26, the Science Panel for the Amazon is emphasizing the need for Indigenous and Local Knowledge to inform scientific and policy recommendations.

by Meghie Rodrigues

The Benefits of Better Ocean Weather Forecasting

Improvements in our ability to forecast oceanic conditions weeks to months in advance will help communities, industries, and other groups prepare amid a changing climate.

by Charlotte DeMott, Ángel G. Muñoz, Christopher D. Roberts, Claire M. Spillman and F. Vitart