 | Warmer-than-normal North Atlantic sea surface temperatures are associated with an increased probability of unusually hot European summers up to several years in advance, improving long-range heat forecasts. However, predicting drought and combined hot-dry summers remains challenging due to greater variability in rainfall and complex influencing factors. Ocean temperature signals shift the likelihood of extreme heat but do not guarantee specific outcomes. |
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 | Retreating Arctic glaciers and increased sea ice mobility since the 2000s have led to a rise in iceberg numbers, particularly in the Fram Strait. Melting debris-laden icebergs deposit stones on the deep-sea floor, creating new hard-substrate habitats and increasing deep-sea biodiversity. These changes are linked to climate-driven glacier destabilization and pose growing risks to shipping and fisheries. |
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 | Human-driven sea-level rise has increased the frequency of extreme coastal flooding events, making 100-year floods now about 12 times more likely globally. At nearly half of 130 analyzed sites, such floods now occur at least once per decade, with local factors like land subsidence further amplifying risk. Human-caused climate change is now the dominant driver of increased flood frequency, surpassing natural influences since the 1960s. These changes necessitate updated flood risk assessments and sustained adaptation of coastal infrastructure. |
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 | Global warming reached 1.37°C in 2025, with Earth's energy imbalance and greenhouse gas emissions at record highs, driving rapid and accelerating climate change. The rate of warming remains at 0.27°C per decade, with sea level rise and marine heat waves also accelerating. The remaining carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C is projected to be exhausted within three years at current emission rates. |
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 | The global freshwater cycle has shifted further from a stable state since 1901, with the frequency of both anomalously dry and wet conditions approximately doubling due to combined climatic and direct human influences. Regional analysis reveals substantial variation, with increased dryness in many tropical and subtropical areas and more frequent wet anomalies in northern boreal zones. Climatic factors are the primary global driver, but land and water use significantly amplify dry conditions, especially in densely populated regions. These changes threaten ecological and climatic processes, highlighting the need for integrated management of climate, land, and water use. |
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 | Forecasts indicate a high probability of a strong to record-breaking El Niño event developing later this year, with 75% of models projecting Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies of 2.5°C or more by November. Rapidly rising sea temperatures and subsurface heat support this outlook, suggesting potential for significant global weather disruptions, though uncertainties remain regarding specific impacts. |
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 | Cool Routes is a web-based tool that identifies pedestrian routes with reduced heat exposure by integrating hourly meteorological forecasts and detailed shade data to calculate mean radiant temperature. Testing on the ASU Tempe campus showed the tool reliably found cooler alternatives for over 70% of trips, reducing heat load by an average of 4.5°F with minimal added distance. Validation with direct measurements confirmed prediction accuracy. The framework supports broader applications in urban planning and can be scaled to larger areas with enhanced computing resources. |
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 | Ice-age sea-level falls likely increased mid-ocean ridge volcanism, enhancing hydrothermal iron release from the seafloor. This iron reached sunlit surface waters, stimulating phytoplankton growth and nutrient use in the eastern equatorial Pacific during deglaciations. The findings indicate a feedback loop linking sea level, seafloor volcanism, ocean biology, and carbon cycling. Alternative explanations, such as dust-borne iron, were less consistent with the data. |
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 | Vertical land motion in coastal regions, particularly subsidence, is highly variable and often nonlinear, leading to faster relative sea level rise than previously projected. Human activities such as groundwater extraction and natural events like earthquakes contribute to rapid land sinking, increasing flood risk. Some subsidence causes can be mitigated through land and water management policies. |
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 | Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclone-driven rainfall in Southern California, doubling the likelihood of extreme precipitation events by 2100. This heightened rainfall will significantly raise landslide risk, with exposure growing fastest among low-income households. Over 75% of Los Angeles County could face severe landslide risk by 2050 under high-emission scenarios. |
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 | Undone science refers to research left incomplete, unfunded, or ignored due to political or economic pressures, shaping environmental policy by creating regulatory blind spots. In Chile, this phenomenon allowed mining impacts on glaciers to escape scrutiny, first through lack of data (Pascua Lama) and later through contested scientific interpretation (Los Bronces). Political and economic interests determine what knowledge is produced or disputed, enabling delays or weakening of environmental protections even as scientific data increases. More research alone does not guarantee stronger regulation if underlying drivers of undone science persist. |
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 | Fragmented climate and nature policies often conflict, leading to inefficient use of resources and unintended ecosystem harm. Integrating environmental governance as a unified nature-climate system is essential to avoid trade-offs, maximize synergies, and ensure that actions addressing one issue do not undermine others. Enhanced coordination, interdisciplinary approaches, and joint monitoring are recommended. |
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 | Tyndall Glacier in southern Chile has experienced significant retreat and thinning, losing 2.2 km in length since November 2022, with a notable calving event in March–April 2023. The glacier's terminus, now heavily crevassed, continues to produce numerous small icebergs into Lago Geikie, and further iceberg calving is expected due to ongoing instability at the calving front. |
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 | Global progress toward the UN's forest goals is insufficient, with only 7 of 26 targets broadly met and deforestation and poverty eradication for forest-dependent people off track. Over 40 million hectares of forest were lost between 2015 and 2025, despite gains in protected areas and management. International cooperation, innovative financing, and stronger institutions are essential to reverse forest decline and achieve sustainable development objectives. |
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 | A pilot project in New South Wales demonstrated that deconstructing flood-damaged homes, rather than demolishing them, enables recovery and reuse of valuable old-growth timbers, reducing landfill waste and carbon emissions. The approach provided environmental, economic, and social benefits, including community engagement and preservation of cultural heritage, highlighting the potential of circular material management in disaster recovery. |
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 | Model simulations indicate that injecting calcite particles into the stratosphere can reduce stratospheric aerosol levels by 30%–40% and decrease the cooling effect of stratospheric aerosol injection by about one-third. This suggests that deliberate atmospheric scrubbing could counteract or modify the impacts of solar geoengineering, raising new considerations for climate intervention governance. |
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 | Steep alpine channels with fine-rich, less permeable sediments exhibit the highest erosion rates during debris flows due to increased water pressure and reduced friction. Advanced drone-based surveys and next-generation models that separately consider solid and liquid flow components provide more accurate simulations of debris flow dynamics and channel erosion. Erosion is most pronounced in steep channel sections and is influenced by both topography and sediment properties. |
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 | Biocide-free silicone paint demonstrated the highest effectiveness against marine fouling, outperforming both high- and low-copper antifouling paints, which showed similar efficacy regardless of copper content. The paint containing tralopyril, marketed as environmentally friendly, exhibited extreme toxicity and released biocides at levels thousands of times above acceptable limits. Silicone paint offered the best sustainability profile, combining strong antifouling performance with low environmental impact. |
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