EurekAlert! News by Subject: Atmospheric Science - News by Subject: Atmospheric Science

Atmospheric Science

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Jul-2025 10:10 ET (12-Jul-2025 14:10 GMT/UTC)

It’s not just El Niño: New climate phenomenon impacts Hawai‘i rainfall

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is known to have a significant impact on climate across the Pacific, including Hawai‘i, and adjacent continents. However, new research led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa atmospheric scientists revealed that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), another climate pattern that operates in the eastern Pacific Ocean, plays a major role in the variability of rainfall in Hawai‘i.

Journal: Journal of Climate
Funder: Hawai'i State Climate Office

What NASA is learning from the biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

On May 10, 2024, the first G5 or “severe” geomagnetic storm in over two decades hit Earth. The event, named the Gannon storm in memory of leading space weather physicist Jennifer Gannon, did not cause any catastrophic damages. But a year on, key insights from the Gannon storm are helping us understand and prepare for future geomagnetic storms.

Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics

Methane: Where it comes from and why we’re running out of time

CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Methane levels are now over 2.5 times higher than pre-industrial levels, contributing around 0.5°C of warming in the 2010s—two-thirds as much as CO₂. Understanding and quantifying the global methane budget is important for assessing realistic pathways to mitigate climate change. A new paper, involving an international team of researchers including CMCC’s Sergio Noce, provides insight on global methane sources and sinks. From the little known role of termites to the costs and benefits of mitigating emissions, the Budget offers a comprehensive view of the geographical regions and economic sectors whose emissions have changed the most since 2000.

Journal: Earth System Science Data

Is air pollution exposure equal across South Korea?

Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by POSTECH Professor Hyung Joo Lee found that NO₂exposure levels were consistently higher in areas with higher socioeconomic status—an outcome shaped by South Korea’s distinctive history of rapid economic development and urban planning.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology

The atmospheric memory that feeds billions of people: Newly discovered mechanism for monsoon rainfall

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Across the globe, monsoon rainfall switches on in spring and off in autumn. Until now, this seasonal pattern was primarily understood as an immediate response to changes in solar radiation. A new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows for the first time that the atmosphere can store moisture over extended periods, creating a physical memory effect. It allows monsoon systems to flip between two stable states. Disrupting this delicate balance, would have severe consequences for billions of people in India, Indonesia, Brazil and China.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Cutting greenhouse gases will reduce number of deaths from poor air quality

University of Leeds
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Up to 250,000 deaths from poor air quality could be prevented annually in central and western Europe by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, say researchers.

Journal: Earth's Future

2025 Laureates of the prestigious Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel announced

New York Academy of Sciences
Grant and Award Announcement

The Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and The New York Academy of Sciences announced today the Laureates of the prestigious 2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel. This year’s Laureates, who will each receive US$100,000, are:

Yonatan Stelzer, PhD (Life Sciences) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for breakthroughs in modeling the intricate process of mammalian embryonic development and for advancing our understanding of epigenetics, holding significant promise for regenerative and therapeutic medicine.

Benjamin Palmer, PhD (Chemical Sciences) – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev – Recognized for pioneering research on how organisms create crystals, revealing the biological processes underlying their formation and the unique ways they interact with light, leading to the emerging field of organic biomineralization and inspiring sustainable optical materials.

Chaim Garfinkel, PhD (Physical Sciences & Engineering) – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Recognized for advancing our ability to predict climate change on timescales from months to decades, improving weather forecast systems and providing critical insights for climate policy and adaptation strategies.

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