climate researchers

Scientists are developing new approaches to control mosquitoes, the animal responsible for more human deaths than any other, as climate change lengthens mosquito seasons and expands the areas where the insects can spread diseases such as malaria and dengue. Reporting highlights that longer warm periods give mosquitoes more time to breed and transmit dangerous illnesses, prompting research into novel targeting methods.

New analysis indicates the global heatwave season has expanded by roughly 39 days, with extreme heat now arriving earlier in the year and lasting longer than before. Researchers attribute the lengthening season to warming temperatures, warning that prolonged exposure raises health risks and strains infrastructure. Coverage highlights how gradual change can go unnoticed even as extreme heat events become more frequent and severe.

New reporting highlights that emissions already released by the world's biggest polluters will continue driving global warming for decades, even if new pollution stops. The findings underline the long-lasting effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the lag between emissions cuts and temperature stabilization. Commenters are stressing the urgency of holding major emitters accountable and the limits of near-term climate action.

Researchers warn that shifting climate conditions could change the risks posed by deadly rodent-borne diseases, such as hantavirus and Lassa fever. Warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns may expand rodent habitats and bring infected animals into closer contact with people, increasing the chances of outbreaks. The findings add to growing concern that a warming planet will reshape where and how infectious diseases emerge.

Scientists in Germany are preparing to copy and store vast troves of American climate data, fearing the Trump administration could alter, restrict, or remove federal climate records. The effort has been likened to building an ark, preserving scientific information outside the United States in case it becomes unavailable at home, and has drawn attention as researchers weigh risks to publicly funded datasets.

A 5,000-year-old arrow has emerged from melting mountain ice in Norway, part of a growing series of archaeological discoveries being exposed as glaciers and ice patches retreat. Finds preserved in ice for millennia are now surfacing at increasing pace, with researchers noting the thaw is revealing older artifacts than previously recorded. Commenters highlight both the scientific value of the discoveries and the climate change driving them.

Peter Barrett, a leading figure in Antarctic science in New Zealand and internationally, has died. Colleagues describe him as a legend in the field, noting that even in death he left behind a list of tasks and challenges, reflecting his lifelong commitment to Antarctic research and climate issues. Tributes have come from across Aotearoa and the wider scientific community.

Researchers at the University of Arizona used satellite data to show that the world's drylands are growing greener, but in an increasingly volatile pattern of sharp booms and busts rather than steady vegetation growth. The findings suggest that while rising carbon dioxide and shifting rainfall are boosting plant life in arid regions, the gains come with escalating instability, complicating assumptions about how dryland ecosystems will respond to climate change.

PBS NewsHour reports on scientists developing new ways to control mosquito populations as rising global temperatures expand the habitats where the insects and the diseases they carry can spread. The segment examines research approaches to targeting mosquitoes as warming climate conditions push the public health threat into previously unaffected regions.

A new study concludes that Ireland's record July drought was made eight times more likely by climate change, with increased evaporation driven by warmer temperatures playing the key role. The finding challenges the perception of Ireland as permanently wet and adds to growing attribution research linking extreme weather events directly to human-caused warming.

A new study finds that more than 70% of coastal areas across the United States are subsiding at rates exceeding one millimeter per year. Land sinking compounds the threat of sea-level rise for cities along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, increasing flood risk to infrastructure, homes and wetlands. Researchers say the uneven subsidence means some communities face faster relative sea-level rise than global averages suggest.

A Brazilian climate scientist has launched a bid for political office, saying the country's politicians have failed to listen to scientific warnings about climate change and environmental policy. The move reflects growing frustration among researchers who argue that science is being ignored in Brazilian decision-making, and it adds a scientific voice to the country's political contest.

A new study finds that climate change made Ireland's record July drought eight times more likely, driven by increased evaporation from higher temperatures. Exceptionally warm nighttime lows are now more than 1,000 times as likely due to climate change. The findings add to growing evidence of human-caused warming intensifying extreme weather across Europe, where several countries have faced drought conditions this summer.

Germany is creating a digital repository, described as a 'Noah's Ark', to back up American climate data amid fears the Trump administration could alter or delete federal scientific records. The initiative would safeguard datasets from US agencies so researchers worldwide can continue accessing them. Observers say the move reflects growing international concern about the reliability of US government climate science and a broader effort to protect open scientific data.

A study published in Science argues that a Mega El Niño pattern, producing extreme and prolonged climate swings, triggered the end-Permian mass extinction around 252 million years ago, the deadliest extinction event in Earth's history. The researchers say runaway warming destabilised ecosystems beyond what species could tolerate. The paper is being shared widely, with an open-access version of the full text available.

NASA scientists are mapping vast valleys buried beneath the Greenland ice sheet, revealing dramatic hidden landscapes that were shaped before ice covered the island. The research helps scientists understand how the bedrock terrain influences ice flow and could improve predictions of how the ice sheet will respond to climate change and contribute to global sea-level rise.

Some television meteorologists are working climate change into their weather forecasts, a shift that has drawn resistance from parts of their audiences. The CBC reports that broadcasters who connect daily weather to longer-term climate trends are encountering viewers who do not want to hear it. The debate highlights the growing role of on-air weather presenters as a trusted bridge between scientific research and the public.

Scientists have observed that the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere has declined, reversing a previous trend. NBC News reports the shift is described as mysterious, with the cause of the reversal not yet explained. Dust in the atmosphere affects climate, air quality and weather patterns, so researchers are paying close attention to what is driving the change.

New analysis indicates that American attitudes toward climate change cannot be reduced to race alone: views vary significantly within racial and ethnic groups and track party affiliation more closely than identity. The findings suggest political partisanship is a stronger predictor of climate beliefs than demographic background, complicating common assumptions about how different communities in the United States perceive environmental issues and climate policy.

Researchers are developing soybean varieties with deeper root systems, aiming to help crops endure droughts and extreme weather while locking away more carbon in the soil. The work reflects broader efforts to make staple crops more resilient as climate change disrupts growing seasons and threatens yields for farmers worldwide.

Scientists at a Colorado cold laboratory are working to better understand hail as the damage it causes continues to grow. Hail already causes billions of dollars in losses each year in the United States, and researchers warn that a warming climate could make severe hailstorms more frequent or more destructive. The reporting by Hannah Covington in High Country News highlights how little is still known about how hailstones form and grow inside storms, and why improved forecasting matters for insurers, farmers and homeowners across hail-prone regions.

A new study questions the widely held idea that climate change is driving a boom in global squid populations. Researchers challenge assumptions that warming oceans have benefited squid, suggesting earlier conclusions may need revision. The findings matter for fisheries and marine ecosystems, where squid play a key role and where management decisions have partly relied on expectations of continued growth.

Hail causes billions of dollars in damage each year across the United States, destroying roofs, crops and vehicles, and researchers warn the problem could intensify as climate conditions change. Reporting by High Country News examines why hailstorms are becoming a costlier threat and how communities and insurers are struggling to keep up with mounting losses.

A new interactive map charting glacier extinction has been launched, tracking which of the world's glaciers are projected to disappear and when. The tool comes as scientists warn that glacier loss is accelerating worldwide, threatening water supplies for millions and raising concern among skiers, mountain communities and climate researchers.

New research suggests that rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could significantly alter where Chinese milk vetch, a legume long grown as green manure in southern China's rice paddies, can thrive. The plant plays an important role in sustaining soil fertility and reducing fertilizer use, so scientists warn that changing climate conditions may force farmers to adjust how and where they cultivate it.