New Atlas

Environment Audio available

How a volcano short-circuited Earth's ionosphere to trigger "Year Without A Summer"

Michael Irving August 22, 2018

The unusually cold year of 1816 has been linked to one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history, and now we may know how. A new paper explains how electrified ash from the eruption could have “short-circuited” the Earth’s ionosphere and triggered the “Year Without A Summer.”

New research shows how ash from volcanic eruptions could trigger drastic climate shifts, as was the ...

Environment

Newly discovered subglacial Antarctic mountains and valleys could impact sea level rise

David Szondy May 27, 2018

The South Pole may seem like a flat desert of ice, but a recent international radar survey has discovered that there's a complex topography under the surface that could have a major effect on global sea level rise due to climate change.

Chart of the PolarGAP survey flights that found the subglacial mountains and valleys

Biology

How Australian trees beat extreme heat by sweating

Rich Haridy January 31, 2018

Researchers from Western Sydney University have uncovered the novel strategies Australian eucalypt trees use to survive extreme heatwaves. One remarkable process involves the tree evaporating large volumes of water through its leaves in a process is similar to sweating.

The Whole Tree Chambers at Western Sydney University

Environment

2017 ranked among warmest years on record by NASA and NOAA

Michael Irving January 18, 2018

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have both released reports stating that 2017 was one of the hottest years since records began in 1880. That continues a long-term trend of rapid warming that doesn’t bode well for the future.

The Earth's average global temperature from 2013-2017, compared to a baseline average from 1951-1980 (yellow, orange ...

Biology

Bacteria found living in polar ice prompts rethink on climate and alien life

Michael Irving December 26, 2017

Bacteria are hardy, but even they have their limits. One of those was previously thought to be polar ice, but a new study has now observed bacteria living in those conditions. That discovery has implications for our understanding of Earth's past climate, as well as life elsewhere in the universe.

Bacteria have been discovered living in polar ice and snow, which was previously thought to be ...

Space

Astonomers may have discovered the universe’s most ironic exoplanet

Anthony Wood October 27, 2017

A team of astronomers may have discovered a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet with an atmosphere that snows titanium oxide – a kind of sunscreen – exclusively on the one side of the planet that is bathed in perpetual darkness.

Artist's impression of Kepler-13Ab orbiting its parent star, Kepler-13A – the planet orbits in a multiple ...

Science

Not one, but two super eruptions formed the colossal Yellowstone caldera

Anthony Wood October 26, 2017

According to new research, the colossal caldera of the Yellowstone supervolcano was created by not one, but two powerful and closely spaced eruptions that took place some 630,000 years ago. The eruptions were powerful enough to affect the global climate as the planet was recovering from an ice age.

The last time the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted, it caused a climate-altering volcanic winter

Science

Scientists return from studying the lost, sunken continent of Zealandia

Rich Haridy September 28, 2017

Earlier this year, geologists argued that a new, mostly sunken landmass called Zealandia should be classified as our planet's eighth continent. Now scientists have returned from a two-month expedition exploring this subsea mystery, with data revealing new insights into the Earth's geological past.

The scientific drillship JOIDES Resolution, which transported more than 30 scientists to Zealandia

Environment

Oldest ice-core ever drilled dates back 2.7 million years

Rich Haridy August 20, 2017

Scientists working in Antarctica have drilled the oldest ice core ever found. Dating back an estimated 2.7 million years, this ice sample is more than 1.5 million years older than any other previously recovered and offers a rich insight into the climate of the planet millions of years ago.

Discovering a new way to age ancient blue ice samples, a team from Princeton is uncovering ...

Environment

Just one nuclear detonation could plunge Earth into "nuclear autumn"

Rich Haridy July 17, 2017

Many predictions examining the consequences of a nuclear strike focus on either the immediate fatalities or the radioactive aftermath. A team has taken a broader look at what effect the detonation of a nuclear weapon would be on global climate patterns and the conclusions are a little frightening.

A new study finds that just one big nuclear detonation could be enough to plunge the ...