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China’s vast tree planting drive has produced forests that gain leaf cover significantly faster than natural forests according to a 2026 study published in Geophysical Research Letters. Researchers led by Yuhang Luo of Peking University analysed satellite data to compare planted and naturally occurring forests. They found that planted forests increased their leaf area 66% faster overall. However, researchers said most of this difference was linked to age. China planted forests are generally younger and younger trees tend to develop leaf cover more rapidly than older forests. When forests of similar ages and growing conditions were compared, the growth advantage of planted forests fell to about 4.6%. The difference was particularly noticeable in mixed and evergreen forests. Mana...

Antarctica is likely to lose more ice than it gains this century even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience. Researchers examined hundreds of thousands of possible Antarctic ice sheet futures using a physics informed machine learning model trained on existing ice-sheet simulations. The analysis also compared the scenarios with satellite observations of Antarctica’s ice mass since 2002. The study found that increased snowfall over Antarctica which is expected as a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, would not be enough to offset ice losses caused by warming oceans and changes in glacier flow. The Antarctic ice sheet contains enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by about 58 metres if it were to melt completely. Re...

An Indian researcher is studying how organic pollutants travel to and transform in the Arctic as part of the Indian Arctic Expedition 2026-27. Manoj Panayamthatta Rayaroth, Assistant Professor at GITAM School of Science, recently completed a research assignment at Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, Norway. During his stay from August 17 to September 14 he collected fjord water and glacier meltwater to study how pollutants transform in Arctic ice and meltwater before eventually reaching the sea. Rayaroth stayed at Himadri, India’s research station in the Arctic, and carried out sampling despite changing weather conditions. Temperatures during the expedition remained around 2°C to 4°C, while glacier fed rivers and meltwater conditions changed rapidly. The research builds on his earlier work on...

  Scientists in Japan have discovered plastic permanently fused to pieces of coral rubble, creating an unusual material they have called “plasticoral.” The finding raises concerns about chemical pollution, habitat degradation and another possible pathway for plastics to enter marine ecosystems. Researchers from the University of the Ryukyus discovered five pieces of plasticoral on three beaches on Japan’s Okinawa Island during a marine litter survey in August 2024. Unlike ordinary plastic waste that may simply rest on rocks or coral, the plastic in these samples had melted and adhered permanently to the porous structure of coral rubble. The researchers believe the plastic may have been melted by a beach fire, although further investigation is needed to confirm how the materia...

Hurricane Rachel is expected to turn toward Mexico and send heavy rain into drought stricken parts of the southwestern United States, potentially easing drought conditions but also increasing the risk of flooding. As of Tuesday, Rachel was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was located about 640 miles west southwest of the southern tip of Baja California Sur. The storm was moving west at 8 mph, with its strongest winds and heaviest rain expected to remain offshore initially. Meteorologists expect a developing dip in the jet stream to steer Rachel toward northwestern Mexico. As the hurricane turns, its moisture could spread northeastward into Arizona and Utah, where additional heavy rainfall may trigger flooding, mudslides and debris flows. The Southw...

  The Maharashtra government will impose a minimum 10% water cut across urban and rural local bodies from October 16 following a deficient monsoon and worsening concerns over water availability. The state has declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas covering about 74% of Maharashtra. Industries have also been directed to reuse or recycle at least 30% of the water they consume. Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said the department has prepared a dam wise and usage wise water management plan through August 31, 2027. Under the plan, a 10% emergency water reserve will be maintained in every dam while drinking water requirements will be prioritised. Water will be released for irrigation only after drinking water, livestock and fodder needs are secured. Authorities have ...

  California is facing an unusually high risk of powerful winter storms as a record breaking El Niño develops in the Pacific Ocean. The exceptionally strong El Niño is expected to increase the flow of moisture laden storms toward California, particularly from December onward. Scientists warn that the pattern could bring heavier rainfall flooding and increased coastal erosion. The state is especially sensitive to Pacific Ocean conditions and the current El Niño is considered unprecedented in the modern record. California declared a statewide emergency last month amid concerns about the potential impacts. The strongest effects are expected later in the fall and winter, when atmospheric patterns could direct more moisture toward the West Coast. Along with intense storms, the ...

North America holds roughly one quarter of the world’s fresh surface water with the vast majority concentrated in a handful of enormous natural lakes, according to estimates cited from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Great Lakes alone account for about 21% of the world’s fresh surface water and approximately 84% of North America’s supply. When Canada’s massive northern lakes, including Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake, are included North America’s share rises to around 25%. The estimate refers specifically to liquid freshwater found at the Earth’s surface, including lakes and rivers. Groundwater and frozen water such as glaciers and ice caps are counted separately and represent an even larger share of the planet’s total freshwater. The Great Lakes contain a...

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of southern and central India as the southwest monsoon continues to linger over the peninsula. Rain and thunderstorms lashed parts of the South Peninsula and Sri Lanka on October 6, with the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon showing little further progress. The IMD said conditions are expected to become favourable for the monsoon to withdraw from more parts of eastern and northeastern India and adjoining areas of north Peninsular India during this week and next. However, the transition from the southwest to the northeast monsoon could overlap, creating an active weather pattern over southern India. Heavy rain continues in South India Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal rec...

  The world’s oceans absorbed a record 23 zettajoules of heat in 2025 an amount nearly 40 times greater than the total energy used by humanity during the year according to the latest Copernicus Ocean State Report. The report highlights continuing changes in the oceans, including rising sea levels, increasing acidity and growing stress on marine ecosystems. Oceans absorb most excess heat The oceans have absorbed around 90% of the additional heat trapped in the Earth’s climate system by greenhouse gas emissions. They have also taken up about one third of the carbon dioxide released by human activities. According to the report, global sea levels have risen by an average of about 3.8 millimetres per year since 1999. The rate increased to approximately 4.2 millimetres per ye...