Anthropogenic warming is causing cryosphere degradation, which is increasing erosion and sediment transport. This Review describes changes in sediment fluxes and explains how peak sediment will be reached as a result of deglaciation and permafrost thaw.

Plastic is ubiquitous in our lives and the environment. This Issue and the accompanying Collection bring together research and opinion on the occurrence, transport, and fate of plastics in the environment, and outlines opportunities for its prospective management.

The Tibetan Plateau is being irreparably altered by anthropogenic forcings. This Focus Issue explores the geological, surface and climatic processes interacting across timescales, and highlights the need for collaboration to protect this fragile environment.

The scale and tragedy of the giant tsunamis in 2004, 2010 and 2011 led to a revolution in tsunami monitoring. This Review assesses the advances in tsunami observation, monitoring and hazard assessment, which have allowed near-real-time early warning systems to be developed. See Mori et al.

The Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) underwent dramatic changes over the Holocene, impacting global sea levels. This Review discusses these pre-industrial Holocene changes and their drivers, as well as their relevance for current and future perturbations to the AIS. See Jones et al.

Tropical peatlands hold ~105 Gt of carbon but are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic activities. This Review describes the biogeochemistry of these systems and how disturbances such as deforestation, fire, drainage and agriculture are affecting them. See Page et al.

The planetary boundaries framework outlines a safe operating space for humanity according to key Earth System dynamics. This Perspective proposes the addition of a green water planetary boundary based on root-zone soil moisture, and demonstrates that widespread green water modifications now present increasing risks to Earth System resilience. See Wang-Erlandsson et al.

Enhanced drought frequency and magnitude have impacted tree mortality, leading to multiple examples of regional-scale dieback. This Review outlines the mechanisms leading to mortality, including carbon starvation and hydraulic failure. See McDowell et al.

Arctic deltas are ice-dominated systems that modulate river fluxes from permafrost terrain to the ocean. This Review provides an overview of the controls, seasonality and processes that give Arctic deltas their unique morphodynamics and the influence of climate change on their future evolution. See Overeem et al.

The relationships between the evolution of land plants, meandering-river dynamics and global biogeochemical fluxes remain poorly understood. This Review explores the relationships between vegetation and the stability and dynamics of meandering rivers and discusses the implications of anthropogenic stressors on Earth’s rivers. See Ielpi et al.

Subglacial lakes modify glacial conditions and flow. This Review provides a global inventory of subglacial lakes, as well as outlining their settings, impacts and potential changes with a warming climate. See Livingstone et al.

Permafrost is warming and thawing at accelerating rates. This Focus issue and an accompanying online collection examines how permafrost is changing and the consequences for Earth and human systems. See Collection.