A previously untapped source of data sheds new light on the climate of the early Earth: fossilized dinosaur teeth show that the atmosphere during the Mesozoic era, between 252 and 66 million years ago, contained far more carbon dioxide than it does today. An international research team at the Universities of Göttingen, Mainz and Bochum made this discovery by analysing oxygen isotopes in tooth enamel. They used a newly developed method that opens up opportunities for research into the Earth's climate history. In addition, the researchers found that total photosynthesis from plants around the world was twice as high as it is today. This probably contributed to the dynamic climate during the time of the dinosaurs. The results were published in the journal PNAS.

A study in National Science Review reports systematic observations of diazotroph abundance, community structure, and N₂ fixation rates in the western North Pacific. Using generalized additive models, the team characterized ecological niches of key cyanobacterial diazotrophs and quantified UCYN-B’s contribution to global N₂ fixation. The findings highlight UCYN-B’s pivotal role in marine N₂ fixation and provide new insights into ocean nitrogen cycle and productivity under climate change.

A new study published by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa sheds light on the critical role of iron in Earth’s climate history, revealing how its sources in the South Pacific Ocean have shifted over the past 93 million years. This groundbreaking research, based on the analysis of deep-sea sediment cores, provides crucial insights into the interplay between iron, marine life, and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Tulane researchers found that mid-1990s climate projections of sea-level rise were remarkably accurate when compared with 30 years of satellite data. The 1996 IPCC report predicted about 8 cm of rise, close to the 9 cm observed, though it underestimated ice-sheet contributions. The study highlights both the credibility of climate models and the importance of continued monitoring. Researchers stress the need for region-specific projections, especially for vulnerable coastal areas like south Louisiana, where sea-level rise varies widely.

New research from Purdue University reveals how moisture influences atmospheric blocking, a phenomenon that often drives heat waves, droughts, cold outbreaks and floods, helping solve a mystery in climate science and improving future extreme weather predictions.