Research briefs

An international study shows that a changing environment affects how our brains work, and climate change could impact our brain function in the future. Neuroscientists can play a key role in understanding and addressing these challenges.

New research, published in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, has investigated the link between carbon dioxide uptake by plants in response to elevated volcanic degassing, something which has previously been challenging to detect using satellites.

As COVID-19 keeps evolving and challenging the understanding of the pandemic, one thing remains clear: even with vaccines, robust forecasting and control strategies are needed to contain further waves.

Aftershocks follow large earthquakes — sometimes for weeks, other times for decades. But in the U.S., some areas may be experiencing shocks from centuries-old events.

A third of the world’s forests are cut for timber. This generates US$1.5 trillion annually. But wildfire threatens industries such as timber milling and paper manufacturing, and the threat is far greater than most people realise.

When floods are predicted only on the basis of local data, there may be unpleasant surprises. A new method makes it possible to significantly improve predictions - using international data from hydrologically similar areas.

Wildfires and drought have led to $11.2 billion in damages to privately held timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades, a new Oregon State University study found.

Compound extreme events, defined as those where multiple climate extremes converge, often result in more severe and devastating impacts than individual events.

High-intensity, often catastrophic, wildfires have become increasingly frequent across the Western U.S. Researchers quantified the value of managed low-intensity burning to dramatically reduce the risk of such fires for years at a time.

As climate variability revises peak demand for heating and cooling in an electrified future, grid operators must plan ahead to guarantee reliability, say the authors of a new paper published in the journal Nature.