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    A new study indicates that climate models may be detecting human-driven changes in global monsoon rainfall nearly a decade earlier than those changes are likely to clearly emerge. The research, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, uses an unprecedented set of 550 simulations from eight climate models to reassess when the influence of global warming on monsoon systems will become unmistakable. Led by scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, the team employed what they describe as a “super-simulation” approach. By analyzing large ensembles of model runs rather than relying on a limited number of projections, the researchers were able to better separate th...

    When we imagine a desert, most of us picture endless dunes, blazing heat and a cloudless sky stretching toward the horizon. The Sahara Desert vast, sandy and sun-scorched seems to define the very word. But scientifically, a desert is not defined by temperature. It is defined by dryness. A region qualifies as a desert if it receives less than 250 millimetres of precipitation per year. By that measure, the largest desert on Earth is not in Africa or the Middle East. It is the frozen expanse of Antarctica. Antarctica receives an average of just 166 millimetres of precipitation annually, most of it falling as snow. Despite being covered in ice, it is technically drier than many hot deserts. Its interior is so arid that it is classified as a polar desert. Spannin...

    The Asia-Pacific region is standing at the epicentre of a growing global “polycrisis” where climate disasters and cyber threats no longer occur separately, but collide in ways that magnify risks and overwhelm response systems. Experts warn that extreme weather events and digital attacks are increasingly unfolding at the same time, straining governments, businesses and communities. The latest Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum ranks extreme weather and natural disasters among the most pressing global threats, while cybersecurity and artificial intelligence-related risks have surged in parallel. Asia and the Pacific is already the world’s most disaster-prone region. In 2023 alone, 66 million people were affected by disasters, with annual losses estimate...

    The Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and other stakeholders to propose names of domain experts for a committee that will frame a clearer definition of the Aravalli Hills and ranges. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, extended its earlier stay on mining activities in the region and maintained status quo until preliminary issues are resolved. The court said it was necessary to address “critical ambiguities” in the uniform definition it had earlier accepted on November 20, 2025. That definition, based on a committee report, described an “Aravalli Hill” as any landform in designated districts with an elevation of 100 metr...

    A group of leading climate scientists is calling for an internationally mandated assessment of avoidable climate change risks, warning that the world lacks an authoritative and up-to-date global analysis of what is truly at stake. Writing in the journal Nature, the authors argue that while scientific reports have outlined likely climate impacts, no coordinated global effort has comprehensively identified the most severe risks societies should prioritize avoiding. The commentary is led by Professor Rowan Sutton of the University of Reading and the Met Office Hadley Centre, alongside Professor Peter Stott, a climate scientist at the Met Office and the University of Exeter. “Despite clear scientific evidence and repeated warnings, the world remains unprepared for ...

    In a breakthrough that could reshape how the world tackles plastic pollution, scientists have developed a sunlight-powered system capable of converting plastic waste into acetic acid the key ingredient in vinegar. The research, led by Professor Yimin Wu at the University of Waterloo, outlines a novel approach that doesn’t just degrade plastics but transforms them into a commercially valuable chemical using solar energy. “Our goal was to solve the plastic pollution challenge by converting microplastic waste into high-value products using sunlight,” Wu said. The method relies on photocatalysis a process in which light drives chemical reactions. Drawing inspiration from fungi that break down organic matter step by step, the team engineered a synthetic system that ...

    Large earthquakes are often known for their immense power but some carry an added twist. Known as “boomerang earthquakes,” these rare events reverse direction mid-rupture, sending seismic energy back along the fault within seconds. Until now, scientists believed such complex behaviour required equally complex fault structures. Sun and Cattania (2026) demonstrate that boomerang ruptures can occur even along simple, straight faults. Their theoretical model shows that earthquake ruptures can naturally shift between continuous sliding and brief traveling pulses of slip. When this transition occurs, it can spontaneously trigger a backward-moving rupture front effectively creating the “boomerang” effect. This reversal can intensify shaking because energy is released in ...

    The world remains dangerously unprepared for the escalating risks of climate change, according to a group of leading scientists who are urging the creation of an internationally mandated global risk assessment to clarify what is at stake and what can still be avoided. In a new paper published in the journal Nature, experts warn that despite overwhelming scientific evidence of accelerating planetary warming, there is still no “authoritative and up-to-date assessment” focused specifically on avoidable climate risks. Without such a coordinated global analysis, governments may be underestimating the scale of the threat, misdirecting resources, and implementing mitigation strategies that fail to address the most catastrophic potential outcomes. The consequences of a wa...

    Grasslands and wetlands are being converted into agricultural land at an alarming pace nearly four times faster than forests according to a new international study that highlights a major blind spot in global conservation efforts. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to comprehensively map where, why and how quickly natural non-forest ecosystems have been transformed into cropland and pasture worldwide. Conducted by an international team that includes Professor Martin Persson of Chalmers University of Technology, the study reveals that these ecologically vital landscapes are vanishing at a far greater rate than previously understood. While deforestation has long dominated environmental debates, the researcher...

    As climate change drives more frequent heatwaves and cold snaps, scientists and architects are warning that the buildings people rely on for safety are no longer fit for purpose. A new book argues that surviving the extreme temperatures of the climate crisis will require nothing short of a revolution in how homes and workplaces are designed. In Adaptive Thermal Comfort: At the Extremes published by Taylor & Francis, authors Susan Roaf, Fergus Nicol and Michael Humphreys contend that modern building design particularly in Western countries has created thermally fragile spaces that depend excessively on energy-intensive mechanical systems. As global temperatures rise and weather becomes more volatile, they say, this model is increasingly unsustainable and socially ...