El Niño’s warm water devastates coral reefs in Pacific ocean

EarthzineClimate

Researchers visited Christmas Island, the world’s largest coral atoll, to measure the effects of El Nino. Eighty percent of the coral is dead, they report. Corals are communities of animals that have tiny photosynthetic algae living inside them in a mutually beneficial relationship. Corals are very temperature-sensitive. A rise of just 1-1.5 degrees Celsius can stress coral enough to evict … Read More

New heat wave formula can help public health agencies prepare for extreme temperatures

EarthzineClimate, Earth Observation

Extreme heat can pose several health risks, especially during sustained periods of high temperatures. However, a uniform definition of a heat wave doesn’t exist. As a result, public health agencies may be unsure of when to activate heat alerts, cooling centers and other protective measures. A University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher has developed a uniform definition of a … Read More

Assessing the impact of human-induced climate change

EarthzineClimate

Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research develop and apply new method to determine whether specific climate impacts can be traced to human-caused emissions.