A new tool that predicts the behaviour of desert locust populations will help national agencies to manage huge swarms before they devastate food crops in Africa and Asia. 

A groundbreaking achievement by scientists at the University of Houston is changing our understanding of climate and weather on Mars and providing critical insights into Earth’s atmospheric processes as well.

Unprecedented extreme heat represents a critical climate challenge, resulting in approximately 490,000 heat-related deaths globally each year, with 45% of these fatalities occurring in Asia.A study by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has revealed that some existing heatwave indices are unable to accurately capture heatwave severity in diverse geographical regions and climate conditions. It is suggested to include humidity and indoor environmental conditions in identifying a dangerous heatwave. The development of a global heat risk framework and early warning systems are also recommended to alleviate the impact of heatwaves on human health. The research findings have been published in the international journal Nexus.

Conventional wisdom assumes the ratio of gases in a planet’s atmosphere should match the ratio of gases in the natal disk that birthed it. For the first time, researchers compared gases in a still-forming planet’s atmosphere to its natal disk. Team found the planet surprisingly was less carbon-rich than the disk.

In Physics of Fluids, researchers propose a unique numerical decision-making framework for solar panel protection against extreme weather conditions. The framework combines advanced wind simulations with machine learning to optimize individual solar panel angles under strong winds. Unlike previous methods, this new method treats panels as independent decision-makers and identifies creative, data-driven solutions to reduce stress, significantly outperforming current safeguards.