Transboundary conflict from surface water scarcity under climate change.

Transboundary river basins (TRBs) are at risk of water scarcity-induced conflicts, especially given the rising water demand and impacts of climate change. Despite extensive efforts and some progress, the mechanisms linking water scarcity to conflicts in TRBs remain insufficiently understood, and identifying effective mitigation and adaptation strategies remains a challenge. In this study, we introduce a framework for predicting TRBs vulnerable to water scarcity-induced conflicts, based on the concept of water dependency, defined by monthly water scarcity.

Record-breaking 2023 marine heatwaves.

The year 2023 witnessed an extraordinary surge in marine heatwaves (MHWs) across Earth's oceans, setting new records in duration, extent, and intensity, with MHW activity totaling 53.6 billion °C days square kilometer-more than three standard deviations above the historical norm since 1982. Notable events include the North Atlantic MHW (276-year return period) and the Southwest Pacific (141 years).

Exploring the Properties of an sp-Hybridized All-Carbonatomic Ring, Odd-Number Cyclo[13]Carbon.

The recent breakthrough in synthesizing cyclo[13]carbon (C), an odd-membered all-carbon ring system, represents a significant advancement in developing nontraditional carbon allotropes with reduced structural symmetry. In this study, we systematically investigated the thermal stability, geometric structure, and electronic properties of C using first-principles calculations. Our results show that the C exhibits lower thermal stability due to its low symmetry.

A data-to-forecast machine learning system for global weather.

Weather forecasting traditionally relies on numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems that integrate global observations, data assimilation (DA), and physics-based models. However, further advances are increasingly constrained by high computational costs, the underutilization of vast observational datasets, and challenges in obtaining finer resolution. Recent advances in machine learning present a promising alternative, but still depend on the initial conditions generated by NWP systems.

Leveraging artificial intelligence for research and action on climate change: opportunities, challenges, and future directions.

Research and action on climate change (RACC) represent a complex global challenge that requires a systematic and multi-dimensional approach. Although progress has been made, persistent limitations in data processing, modeling, and scenario evaluation continue to hinder further advances. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool to address these challenges by integrating diverse data sources, enhancing predictive modeling, and supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Strategies for climate-resilient global wind and solar power systems.

Climate change may amplify the frequency and severity of supply-demand mismatches in future power systems with high shares of wind and solar energy. Here we use a dispatch optimization model to assess potential increases in hourly costs associated with the climate-intensified gaps under fixed, high penetrations of wind and solar energy generation. We further explore various strategies to enhance system resilience in the face of future climate change.

Structure Deformation, Spectral Properties, Reaction Activity of (ZnSe) ( = 3 and 6) under the External Electric Field.

This work presents a regulation effect of external electric fields on geometric structures, spectral properties, and reaction activity of (ZnSe) ( = 3 and 6) on the basis of density functional theory. The results show that the external electric field has a regulatory effect on all aspects of (ZnSe) ( = 3 and 6). The external electric field can change the shape of (ZnSe) from a plane to three-dimensional and stretch (ZnSe) ( = 3 and 6) along the direction of the electric field and induce a significant dipole moment transformation (direction and magnitude).

Assessing the impacts of climate anomalies on plague risk in China during 1754-1949.

Plague, a disease influenced by climatic and social factors, has historically caused devastating disasters in China. However, limited data availability has hindered our understanding of the relationship between climate, social conditions, and plague. Here we address a critical data gap by collecting and digitizing county-level plague grade data from China during 1754-1949 together with socio-climatic factors.

Rising military spending jeopardizes climate targets.

The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report highlights the reliance on sustainable socio-economic pathways to meet the 1.5 °C or 2 °C targets. However, these scenarios lack a quantitative assessment of the impact of global military spending on CO emissions.

Selective nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands enhanced by MnX-GAC (X=Fe or Zn): Performance, mechanism and removal pathway.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are widely used to treat wastewater containing nitrogenous due to their low energy consumption, low maintenance costs, and significant ecological benefits. However, they face challenges such as low denitrification efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions during treatment. Enhancing the synergistic performance of the "substrate-microorganism" system within CWs is considered an effective way to address these problems.

Enhanced heating effect of lakes under global warming.

Lakes play a crucial role in shaping both local and regional climates through heat exchange with the atmosphere. Amid global climate change, these interactions have undergone significant shifts. However, our understanding of the global heat release from lakes to the atmosphere, and its future trajectory, remains limited.

Polar regions are critical in achieving global sustainable development goals.

As important components of global commons, environmental changes in polar regions are crucial to the local and global sustainability. However, they have received little attention in the current framework of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study examines the impacts of climate change in polar regions, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these areas with other parts of the global system.

Climate mitigation potential for targeted forestation after considering climate change, fires, and albedo.

Afforestation and reforestation, both of which refer to forestation strategies, are widely promoted as key tools to mitigate anthropogenic warming. However, the carbon sequestration potential of these efforts remains uncertain in satellite-based assessments, particularly when accounting for dynamic climate conditions, vegetation-climate feedback, fire-dominated disturbance, and the trade-offs associated with surface albedo changes. Leveraging a coupled Earth system model, we estimated that global forestation mitigates 31.

Quantifying multi-sphere impacts on mountain runoff of a Third Pole River.

Understanding the changes in mountain runoff and their driving forces across multiple spheres (e.g., atmosphere, glaciers, and vegetation) is crucial for water resource management in global mountain regions and their dependent downstream areas.

Global Critical Drought Thresholds of Terrestrial Carbon Sink-Source Transition.

Drought is considered a major contributor to carbon sink fluctuations in terrestrial ecosystems and is expected to lead to more frequent carbon sink-source transitions under future climate change. The drought threshold for carbon sink-source transition reflects the critical inflection point at which the carbon sequestration capacity of vegetation is affected by water deficit. However, the spatiotemporal patterns of the global drought threshold and their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Lessened projections of Arctic warming and wetting after correcting for model errors in global warming and sea ice cover.

Credible projections of Arctic warming and wetting (AWW) are essential for informed decision-making in a changing climate. However, current AWW projections from state-of-the-art climate models carry uncertainties. Using observational datasets and CMIP6 model simulations, we demonstrate that the observed historical global warming trend and the climatological mean pattern of Arctic sea ice can serve as effective constraints on AWW projections.

A ten-year (2012-2021) fine-resolution (1 km, hourly) precipitation dataset over southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Intense sub-daily precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) can trigger a cascade of natural hazards (flash floods, debris flows, etc.), causing significant environmental impacts. Current precipitation products for the TP often lack sufficient spatial or temporal resolution, hindering accurate characterization and mitigation of precipitation-related hazards.

Recent centennial drought on the Tibetan Plateau is outstanding within the past 3500 years.

Given growing concerns about global climate change, it is critical to understand both historical and current shifts in the hydroclimate, particularly in regions critically entwined with global circulation. The Tibetan Plateau, the Earth's largest and highest plateau, is a nexus for global atmospheric processes, significantly influencing East Asian hydroclimate dynamics through the synergy of the Asian Monsoon and the Westerlies. Yet, understanding historical and recent hydroclimate fluctuations and their wide-ranging ecological and societal consequences remains challenging due to short instrumental observations and partly ambiguous proxy reconstructions.

A robust reduction in near-surface wind speed after volcanic eruptions: Implications for wind energy generation.

Near-surface wind speed (NSWS), a determinant of wind energy, is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors. However, the specific impacts of volcanic eruptions on NSWS, remain unexplored. Our simulations spanning the last millennium reveal a consistent 2-year global NSWS reduction following 10 major historical eruptions.

Tipping point-induced abrupt shifts in East Asian hydroclimate since the Last Glacial Maximum.

Multiple tipping points in the Earth system could be triggered when global warming exceeds specific thresholds. However, the degree of their impact on the East Asian hydroclimate remains uncertain due to the lack of quantitative rainfall records. Here we present an ensemble reconstruction of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using nine statistical and machine learning methods based on multi-proxy records from a maar lake in southern China.

Two types of heavy precipitation in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

The southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) is the preeminent summer heavy precipitation region within the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, the large-scale circulation types and dynamics driving summer heavy precipitation in the SETP remain inadequately elucidated. Using the hierarchical clustering method, two distinctive atmospheric circulation patterns associated with heavy precipitation were identified: the Tibetan Plateau vortex type (TPVT, constituting 56.

A dataset of gridded precipitation intensity-duration-frequency curves in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), a high mountain area prone to destructive rainstorm hazards and inducing natural disasters, underscores the importance of developing precipitation intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves for estimating extreme precipitation characteristics. Here we introduce the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Precipitation Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves (QTPPIDFC) dataset, the first gridded dataset tailored for estimating extreme precipitation characteristics in QTP. The generalized extreme value distribution is chosen to fit the annual maximum precipitation samples at 203 weather stations, based on which the at-site IDF curves are estimated; then, principal component analysis is done to identify the southeast-northwest spatial pattern of at-site IDF curves, and its first principal component gives a 96% explained variance; finally, spatial interpolation is done to estimate gridded IDF curves by using the random forest model with geographical and climatic variables as predictors.

Intensification of future subsurface marine heatwaves in an eddy-resolving model.

A shift in depth range enables marine organisms to adapt to marine heatwaves (MHWs). Subsurface MHWs could limit this pathway, yet their response to climate warming remains unclear. Here, using an eddy-resolving Earth system model forced under a high emission scenario, we project a robust global increase in subsurface MHWs driven by rising subsurface mean temperatures and enhanced temperature variability.

The Summer North Atlantic Oscillation, Arctic sea ice, and Arctic jet Rossby wave forcing.

We use Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) coupled and Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) climate models, dynamical analyses, and observations to investigate interactions between summer Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) variations and the Summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO). Observations suggest that SIC-SNAO relationships mainly come from the East Siberian to Arctic Canada (ESAC) region where a weak atmospheric jet stream exists in summer. Twelve CMIP6 models with the most realistic atmospheric climatologies over the North Atlantic and Europe agree well with reanalyses on relationships between SIC and Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation.