A new study is the first to show that annual rainfall packed into bigger, wetter storms means less water for ecosystems and aquifers, even if total precipitation increases. The researchers report that annual rainfall for much of the world has condensed into heavier storms with longer dry periods since 1980. They project more consolidation due to climate change, with an increase of just 2 degrees Celsius bringing abnormally dry conditions to more than a quarter of the global population, even with more rainfall.

Global efforts to combat climate change often focus on what we can see: forests, renewable energy, and surface-level farming practices. A new analysis argues that one of the most significant battlegrounds in carbon sequestration lies hidden deep underground. A comprehensive review led by Professor Nanthi Bolan at The University of Western Australia consolidates global knowledge on deep soil carbon, the massive carbon reserve stored more than 30 centimeters below the surface, which has long been excluded from standard carbon accounting.

The paper provides a critical assessment of this enormous carbon sink, noting that deep soil layers (below 30 cm) contain over 850 petagrams of carbon worldwide. This accounts for approximately 50-60% of the total carbon stored in the top meter of soil. While surface soil carbon is closely tied to vegetation and is quick to respond to management changes, deep carbon dynamics are governed by different, more permanent factors.

University at Buffalo researchers have used plowmarks left by ancient drifting icebergs to reveal evidence of an Ice Age wind system that likely pushed lake-effect snow in the opposite direction.

When rain falls on snow in the Arctic, ice layers can form on top of and within the snowpack. This increasingly common dynamic can influence the ability of animals, including caribou and muskoxen, to forage and move across the landscape. That, in turn, affects the people who rely on wildlife for subsistence, culture, wellbeing and income. Given the widespread impacts of rain-on-snow events, Colorado State University researchers are studying and modeling their effects in Arctic systems. The work is especially important considering the rapid rate of climate change across the region

A study by the University of Cordoba shows that Mediterranean soils in southern Spain lose their properties when temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius, and proposes strategies to increase their resilience

Converting crop straw into stable soil organic matter (SOM) is essential for sustainable farming and climate resilience—but it's notoriously inefficient in saline-alkaline soils. 

Many secrets lie deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Researchers from Tohoku University uncovered one of them when they discovered a hidden natural lubricant inside an active fault. Their findings may explain why the Atotsugawa Fault System produces surprisingly few large earthquakes despite being located in a tectonically active region.