Brochure | Earth Sciences | Geology | Climate

OPERA Level 3 Surface Displacement Products Released

2025-06-16 - 2025-06

NASA’s ASF DAAC released the Level-3 Sentinel-1 Surface Displacement (DISP) product from the Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA) project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This product, which is generated through interferometric time-series analysis of Level-2 Coregistered Sentinel-1 Single Look Complex (CSLC) data, enables the detection of anthropogenic and natural surface changes, including subsidence, tectonic deformation, and landslides.

Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than scientists expected — and now researchers worry they might lose the means to figure out why

2025-06-10 - 2025-06

For reasons still unknown, Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than models can account for. Now, scientists are calling for long-term investment in monitoring capability, so that they can make informed predictions about climate change.

An Extreme Drop in Oxygen Will Eventually Suffocate Most Life on Earth

2025-06-02 - 2025-06

For now, complex life flourishes on our planet thanks to its supply of oxygen. But Earth's atmosphere wasn't always like it is today, and scientists predict that in the future, it will revert back to one that's rich in methane and low in oxygen. Breathe easy though. This won't happen for probably another billion years or so. But when the change comes, it's going to happen fairly rapidly, according to research published in 2021.

Farmers to get weather updates on feature phones with IMD’s upcoming AI service: Earth Sciences Secretary M. Ravichandra

2025-05-31 - 2025-05

The initiative aims to benefit farmers by offering localized weather forecasts to help them decide the best time to sow crops. Travellers can also get advisories, improving planning and safety. The system will use telecom towers to determine the caller’s exact location.

Increased Wildfire Mortality:

2025-05-21 - 2025-05

Scientists report that human-induced climate change has led to 15,000 additional early deaths in the continental United States due to wildfire air pollution. The warming climate is making fine particulate matter from wildfires more deadly and costly.

First-of-its-kind global study shows grasslands can withstand climate extremes with a boost of nutrients

2025-05-20 - 2025-05

Fertilizer might be stronger than we thought. A new international study featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York found that fertilizer can help plants survive short-term periods of extreme drought, findings which could have implications for agriculture and food systems in a world facing climate stressors.

Rising temperatures lead to unexpectedly rapid carbon release from soils

2025-05-17 - 2025-05

Globally, soils store more than twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. Therefore, carbon uptake and release by soils constitutes a strong regulator of atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2).

Sinking U.S. Cities:

2025-05-17 - 2025-05

A recent study reveals that all of the 28 most populous U.S. cities are experiencing land subsidence, primarily due to groundwater pumping. This poses significant risks, especially for coastal cities facing rising sea levels.

ESA's Biomass Satellite Launch:

2025-05-16 - 2025-05

The European Space Agency successfully launched the Biomass satellite on April 29, 2025. Equipped with a 12-meter radar antenna, it aims to map Earth's forests and measure carbon storage, enhancing our understanding of the global carbon cycle.

Real-World Geoengineering Experiments:

2025-05-15 - 2025-05

The UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) is funding global experiments to test small-scale geoengineering techniques, including stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening, to gather data on their potential to mitigate climate change.

UK's Arctic Ice Thickening Initiative:

2025-05-14 - 2025-05

The UK government is investing £10 million in a project led by the University of Cambridge to explore thickening Arctic sea ice by pumping seawater over existing ice during winter. This is part of a broader £57 million investment in 21 geoengineering projects aimed at mitigating climate change.

International Year of Glaciers' Preservation:

2025-05-13 - 2025-05

The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, aiming to raise awareness about the critical role glaciers play in global water security and the impacts of their rapid decline.

Yala Glacier's Symbolic Funeral:

2025-05-12 - 2025-05

Nepal is organizing a ceremonial "funeral" for the Yala Glacier in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, highlighting the alarming rate of glacial melt due to climate change. Scientists warn that over 1,000 glaciers vanish annually worldwide, threatening water supplies for nearly two billion people.

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Kosmos 482 Expected to Re-Enter Earth's Atmosphere

2025-05-09 - 2025-05

Kosmos 482, a defunct Soviet-era spacecraft launched in 1972, is anticipated to make an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere around May 10, 2025. The spacecraft's hardened landing capsule, designed to withstand Venusian conditions, may survive re-entry, though the risk to humans is minimal.

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks Early May

2025-05-08 - 2025-05

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, originating from debris left by Halley's Comet, will peak on the early mornings of May 5 and 6. Observers in dark-sky locations may witness between 10 to 50 meteors per hour, with optimal viewing in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hunga Tonga Eruption's Shockwaves Reached Space

2025-05-07 - 2025-05

The 2022 underwater eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano was so massive that its shockwaves extended beyond Earth's atmosphere, affecting satellites in orbit. This event is considered one of the most powerful eruptions in modern history due to its extraordinary atmospheric impact.

NASA and ISRO Plan NISAR Earth Observation Mission

2025-05-06 - 2025-05

NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are aiming to launch the NISAR Earth observation mission in June 2025. This collaborative mission will utilize advanced radar imaging to monitor Earth's land and ice surfaces, providing critical data for understanding natural hazards and environmental changes.

ESA Launches Biomass Satellite to Map Global Forest Carbon

2025-05-03 - 2025-05

On April 29, the European Space Agency launched the Biomass satellite to map and measure the carbon content of the world's forests. Equipped with advanced P-band synthetic aperture radar, it will penetrate forest canopies to generate detailed 3D maps, enhancing understanding of carbon storage and aiding climate change mitigation efforts.

Satellite Re-Entry May Impact Climate and Ozone Recovery

2025-05-02 - 2025-05

A recent study warns that the atmospheric re-entry and disintegration of decommissioned satellites could significantly affect climate and ozone recovery. Simulations suggest that releasing 10,000 tonnes of aluminum oxide annually—expected from deorbiting 3,000 satellites each year—could cause temperature anomalies up to 1.5°C in the middle to upper atmosphere and delay ozone layer recovery

Global Coral Bleaching Crisis

2025-04-30 - 2025-04

The 2023–2025 global coral bleaching event has become the most extensive on record, affecting approximately 84% of the world's coral reef ecosystems. Elevated ocean temperatures, driven by anthropogenic climate change, have led to widespread coral stress and mortality. Notably, regions like the Florida Keys have experienced complete die-offs in some reefs, with water temperatures reaching unprecedented highs. This event underscores the urgent need for global climate action to protect marine biodiversity.

North America’s Subsurface “Dripping”

2025-04-29 - 2025-04

Geoscientists have discovered that the underside of the North American continent is "dripping" away in blobs of rock. This phenomenon, known as lithospheric dripping, occurs when dense portions of the Earth's lithosphere — the rigid outer layer that includes the crust and upper mantle — become unstable and sink into the softer, more ductile asthenosphere below. Over time, these sinking blobs can cause the surface above to deform, sometimes leading to uplift or the formation of unusual geological features.

Klauea Volcano Shows Ground Deformation

2025-04-28 - 2025-04

Recent interferometric satellite data reveal ground inflation at Hawaii’s Klauea volcano, indicating magma accumulation approximately 1.5 kilometers beneath the surface. This deformation occurred during a pause between eruption episodes, suggesting ongoing volcanic activity.

Yellowstone’s Magma Reservoir Mapped

2025-04-25 - 2025-04

For the first time, scientists have precisely mapped the top of Yellowstone National Park’s magma reservoir, located about two miles beneath the surface. Using controlled seismic vibrations generated by a 53,000-pound truck, researchers identified a distinct magma cap separating solid rock from partially molten material. This finding enhances our understanding of Yellowstone’s volcanic system and suggests that, while active, it poses no immediate eruption threat.

Native American names extend the earthquake history of northeastern North America

2025-04-19 - 2025-04

In 1638, an earthquake in what is now New Hampshire and Plymouth, Massachusetts, left colonists stumbling from the strong shaking and water sloshing out of the pots used by Native Americans to cook a midday meal along the St. Lawrence River, according to contemporaneous reports.

Scientists find evidence that overturns theories of the origin of water on Earth

2025-04-17 - 2025-04

Researchers have helped overturn the popular theory that water on Earth originated from asteroids bombarding its surface; Scientists have analyzed a meteorite analogous to the early Earth to understand the origin of hydrogen on our planet. The research team demonstrated that the material which built our planet was far richer in hydrogen than previously thought. The findings support the theory that the formation of habitable conditions on Earth did not rely on asteroids hitting the Earth.

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