A handful of new studies analyze the depletion and contamination of groundwater, as well as the effects of climate change—and how communities are responding.
Natural Resources
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Freshwater Mussel Shells May Retain Record of Alpine Snowpack
A new study explores a possible proxy for seasonal freshwater input that could elucidate changes in alpine snowpack as the planet warms.
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Degraded Coral Reefs May Be More Resistant to Climate Change
New research on Kiribati’s beleaguered atolls paints a complex picture of reef recovery.
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The Changing Climate’s Snowball Effect
Shrinking snowpack, thawing permafrost, and shifting precipitation patterns have widespread consequences. Can new technologies—and public policies—help communities adapt?
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Collaboration in the Rockies Aims to Model Mountain Watersheds Worldwide
As Earth’s climate changes at an unprecedented rate, the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory is studying precipitation on an unprecedented scale.
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Forest Recovery in the Amazon Is a Slow Process
For the first time, a study analyzes Amazon forest loss and recovery at national and subnational levels. One finding shows that new plantings offset less than 10% of emissions associated with deforestation.
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When Rivers Are Contaminated, Floods Are Only the First Problem
As floods increase in frequency and intensity, chemicals buried in river sediments become “ticking time bombs” waiting to activate.
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Satellites Allow Scientists to Dive into Milky Seas
Satellites may finally be able to report the fleeting phenomena of milky seas in near-real time, allowing researchers to potentially study an ocean mystery that has survived more than 2 centuries.
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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.
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What Five Graphs from the U.N. Climate Report Reveal About Our Path to Halting Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s first assessment report since 2013 describes two illustrative scenarios that keep warming below 2°C—and several others that go wildly offtrack.