Scientists have helped solve a longstanding mystery about how Earth remained habitable after oxygen first accumulated in its atmosphere more than 2 billion years ago, providing evidence that an ancient ocean chemistry sustained life-friendly conditions.

A new study reports balloon-borne, in situ measurements of dust transport to the tropopause layer over the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, offering a fresh observational perspective on a process that has mostly been inferred from remote sensing and models.

Limited weather observations over Antarctica often lead to less accurate forecasts in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) compared to the Northern Hemisphere. In a new study, Japanese researchers found that adding continuous radar observations from Antarctica improved forecasts of atmospheric rivers—long, narrow bands of moisture that can bring heavy rain, snow, and flooding. Their findings highlight the value of continuous Antarctic observations for more reliable weather forecasting across SH.

This is the first U.S.-based study to assess microplastic deposition before, during, and after a hurricane. The research — conducted by team from Virginia Tech, Western Carolina University, Highlands Biological Station, and the University of North Carolina — was published recently in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.

Scientists have used a tethered balloon to make detailed measurements inside clouds over the Tibetan Plateau, revealing how aerosols shape cloud droplets and offering rare observations of weak electrical activity in clouds without lightning.

A high-resolution modeling study of Tropical Cyclone Shaheen found that sea surface temperature and terrain height influenced the simulated storm through different mechanisms. Increasing sea surface temperature by 2°C produced the strongest model response, intensifying the simulated cyclone and increasing coastal rainfall, while reducing terrain height mainly affected the storm’s track, vertical circulation and the distribution of orographic rainfall. The findings provide a case-based assessment of ICON sensitivity and may support further evaluation of regional grey-zone cyclone simulations

The historical carbon emissions of major oil, gas, coal, and cement producers will contribute to global warming for many centuries, per simulations under a range of future emissions scenarios.

A new University of Washington study shows that past emissions from the top 178 oil, gas, coal and cement producers will prolong warming and increase the odds of extreme weather events occurring years into the future.