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

Earth Science

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Feb-2026 04:11 ET (25-Feb-2026 09:11 GMT/UTC)

Code for Earth launches 2026 climate and weather data challenges

ECMWF
Business Announcement

ECMWF has launched a new round of Code for Earth data challenges, inviting innovators to develop open-source solutions to real-world weather and climate problems. This year’s challenges are related to wildfires, floods, machine learning reliability, and for the first time, a dedicated stream focused on joint challenges with African partners.

Chapman University researcher warns of structural risks at Grand Renaissance Dam putting property and lives in danger

Chapman University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new peer-reviewed study led Dr. Hesham El-Askary, Ph.D., professor of computational and data science at Chapman University, concludes that the saddle dam of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam shows significant vulnerabilities that if breached could threaten downstream communities, property, and infrastructure if urgent monitoring and mitigation steps are not taken.

Journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Funder: Department of Education

Blaming beavers for flood damage is bad policy and bad science, Concordia research shows

Concordia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Concordia researchers show blaming beaver dams for flooding in Quebec’s Charlevoix region (2005, 2011) is unfounded. Advanced modelling found failed dams had minimal impact on flood levels. Fast runoff and log jams from intense rainfall were more likely causes, and beaver structures support river health rather than worsen flooding.

Journal: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Magdalen Islands’ peatlands hold vital clues about ancient Atlantic hurricanes, Concordia research finds

Concordia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Concordia researchers used peatland cores from the Magdalen Islands to reconstruct 4,000 years of Atlantic storm activity, revealing ancient periods of heightened hurricane impact. The study links storm frequency to climate conditions, improving understanding of long-term patterns and future risks as warming accelerates storm impacts in Atlantic Canada.

Journal: Climate of the Past
Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Fonds de recherche du Québec

Scientists discover land plants began reshaping Earth 455 million years ago

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Pinpointing when early land plants colonized terrestrial environments and began influencing Earth's systems is a core question in the evolution of the Earth system. A research team led by Prof. ZHAO Mingyu at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has uncovered evidence indicating that land plants may have started reshaping Earth's surface environments far earlier than previously recognized.

Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Methane’s missing emissions: The underestimated impact of small sources

Osaka Metropolitan University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

More thorough testing of methane and ethane emissions in Osaka, Japan, identified numerous natural gas-related large methane sources that were mostly overlooked in current predictions. These sources may be useful future targets for mitigating emissions.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology
Funder: Environmental Defense Fund, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

More trees where they matter, please

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Research reveals a strong disparity in the amount of heat-mitigating tree cover within nine cities across the globe, with wealthy neighborhoods benefitting from shade the most.

Journal: Nature Communications

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