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Precipitation associated with the South Asian summer monsoon has decreased by approximately 7% since 1950, but the reasons for this are unclear. Now research suggests that changes in land-cover patterns and increased emissions from human activities have contributed to this weakening, which is expected to continue in the coming decades.
Antarctic ice sheets are a key player in sea-level rise in a warming climate. Now an ice-sheet modelling study clearly demonstrates that an Antarctic ice sheet/shelf system in the Atlantic Ocean will be regulated by the warming of the surrounding Southern Ocean, not by marine-ice-sheet instability.
Arctic temperatures are increasing because of long- and short-lived climate forcers, with reduction of the short-lived species potentially offering some quick mitigation. Now a regional assessment reveals the emission locations of these short-lived species and indicates international co-operation is needed to develop an effective mitigation plan.
Unprecedented strengthening of Pacific trade winds has occurred in recent decades, while both the Indian and Atlantic Ocean surface temperatures warmed. Now a study suggests that the Atlantic Ocean warming is driving this Pacific trade wind strengthening and the warming of the Indian Ocean.
The combination of high temperatures and humidity could, within just a century, result in extreme conditions around the Persian Gulf that are intolerable to humans, if climate change continues unabated.
Climate change impacts on species do not occur in isolation. Now research on drought-sensitive British butterflies uses citizen science to attribute the drivers of population changes and shows landscape management to be a key part of the solution.
Climate and carbon debts are one way to identify contributions to climate change. But they must be seen as part of a larger body of research assessing international responsibility.
The UN's climate negotiation process is no longer the 'only show in town', but there is little agreement among particpants on alternatives to replace it.
A key element of the West African monsoon is changing faster than in the surrounding areas but the reason is unknown. Now research assesses the specific behaviour of the temperature over the Saharan desert.
Some countries have pledged to become carbon neutral, while others' emissions continue to rise. Differences in their political attributes could explain the discrepancy in ambitions.
The temperature in many office buildings is set according to a method from the 1960s. Consideration of the different metabolic rates of male and females is necessary to increase comfort and reduce energy consumption.
Climate change awareness, risk perception and policy support vary between and within countries. National-scale comparisons can help to explain this variability and be used to develop targeted interventions.
Persistent drought in the Sahel in the 1970s and 1980s was caused by subtle changes in global sea surface temperatures. Now model results show that the direct effect of increasing greenhouse-gas concentrations led to the subsequent recovery.
Climate change continues to be a controversial issue among political elites in the US. New research shows how ideological views become entrenched through 'echo chambers'.
Submarine permafrost thaw in the Arctic has been suggested as a trigger for the release of large quantities of methane to the water column, and subsequently the atmosphere — with important implications for global warming. Now research shows that microbial oxidation of methane at the thaw front can effectively prevent its release.
Policymakers know that the risks associated with climate change mean they need to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. But uncertainty surrounding the likelihood of different scenarios makes choosing specific policies difficult.
Connected and automated vehicles enable new business models, such as self-driving taxis, that could transform transportation. These models have the potential to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions, but only if they are developed with energy use in mind.
Projected future CO2 levels reduce the growth of juvenile salmon and alter their behaviour, with implications for the productivity of coastal ecosystems unless populations can adapt.
Reducing emissions from forests is a key goal of international climate efforts. New research shows how ethnographic approaches can provide better outcomes for people and forests in Asia Pacific.
