Harvard SEAS and University of Chicago researchers have tested and validated lightweight nanofabricated structures that can passively float in the mesophere, which is about 45 miles above Earth’s surface. The devices levitate via photophoresis, or sunlight-driven propulsion, which occurs in the low-pressure conditions of the upper atmosphere.

Biochar, hailed as a climate change mitigation tool for its ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may not be as effective as once thought when microplastics are in the picture. A new study investigates how polyethylene microplastics interact with aged biochar to affect carbon and nitrogen stability in Fluvic Cambisol soil, offering surprising results.

Climate modeling leveraged by calibrating the so-called “soil color” parameter to enhance surface albedo simulation in the Weather Research and Forecasting model. This weakens land-atmosphere interactions with attenuated sensible heat and evapotranspiration, and suppresses water vapor flow into the Tibetan Plateau. Eventually, it reduces summertime precipitation wet bias by ~16% on the plateau. This study highlights the promise of enhancing climate modeling through the optimization of key land surface parameters, which is highly affordable through satellite remote sensing.

This study reveals that female Helicoverpa armigera moths utilize plant-emitted CO₂ as a key cue for egg-laying, preferring young leaves with higher CO₂ emissions to enhance offspring survival. However, the increase of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere disrupts this oviposition strategy. Three gustatory receptors (HarmGR1, HarmGR2, and HarmGR3) were essential for CO₂ detection in H. armigera. Disrupting any of these receptors impaired CO₂ sensing and oviposition behavior. These findings highlight how climate change may alter insect reproduction and crop pest dynamics.

Natural weathering processes are removing CO₂ from the air in a wide range of environments across continents and ocean. Until recently these ‘CO₂ vacuum cleaners’ were often studied separately, without properly examining their complex interactions. Now, an international team of Earth scientists is proposing an integrated vision of the many factors that influence the removal of atmospheric CO₂ from the highest mountain peaks to the deep ocean floor, including their various interactions. The so-called weathering continuum provides a much more complete picture on what controls and regulates the natural removal of CO₂, which could help in the development of enhancing weathering techniques.