From lazy ripples to towering breakers, the mechanics of ocean waves should vary widely from one planet to another, according to a model developed by scientists at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

A new study published in Big Earth Data systematically evaluates the data quality of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) in ecological conservation applications. Focusing on red-crowned crane habitats in Hokkaido, Japan, the research compares VGI data from eBird and OpenStreetMap (OSM) against authoritative datasets from GBIF and CASEarth. The findings indicate that while VGI demonstrates higher thematic accuracy and broader spatial coverage for vector-based species distribution data, OSM exhibits significant classification errors and coverage gaps in raster-based land use data, particularly for croplands and grasslands. This study underscores the critical need for tailored validation strategies across different VGI types to enhance their utility in ecological research.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, researchers simulated Greenland ice sheet evolution during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition (about 3.0 to 2.5 million years ago) using an Earth system model and a 3D ice sheet model. They found that as the ice sheet grew, its dominant variability shifted from precession-related cycles toward a stronger 41,000-year obliquity cycle, and shorter-timescale variability became more pronounced after about 2.7 million years ago.

New research reveals a powerful yet overlooked driver of climate change: Intensifying ocean eddies. These swirling currents—that break off from major currents—are redistributing heat and nutrients in the ocean and amplifying climate extremes in key coastal ecosystems.

In a surprising new study, Australia’s most famous plant-eating dinosaur has been described as a “picky eater with a nose for good food” when it roamed across the continent around 96 million years ago.

After examining different parts of the skull from new bones of the large-bodied ornithopod Muttaburrasaurus langdoni, fossil experts from across Australia and the US have released several new insights in a journal article published in PeerJ.