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Earth Science

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-May-2026 05:16 ET (31-May-2026 09:16 GMT/UTC)

Innovative satellite network for computed tomography of clouds to improve climate predictions will be initiated in orbit

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Business Announcement

Scientists from Israel and Germany have completed integration and testing of the first nanosatellite in the CloudCT network, an innovative space mission designed to improve climate predictions through three-dimensional imaging of clouds. The satellite is scheduled for launch from California in June 2026, with ten additional satellites planned for 2027 if the precursor mission succeeds.

Led by Prof. Ilan Koren of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Prof. Yoav Schechner of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and Prof. Klaus Schilling of Zentrum für Telematik, the project introduces a novel cloud observation method inspired by computed tomography (CT) used in medicine. The system combines simultaneous multi-angle satellite imaging, polarization-sensitive cameras, and AI-based analysis to reconstruct the internal structure and microphysical properties of clouds in unprecedented detail.

Researchers say the mission addresses major uncertainties in climate and weather modeling by capturing small cloud formations that are difficult to observe with existing remote-sensing technologies. The miniature precursor satellite weighs about 4 kilograms and must autonomously orient itself toward target clouds with extremely high precision.

The project was supported by a European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant.

Journal: Acta Astronautica

Tropical cyclones give rise to unique type of heat wave in Japan

Tokyo Metropolitan University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have categorized a unique, previously unclassified type of heat wave in Japan, so-called “moist heat waves” which are accompanied by an approaching tropical cyclone. These heat waves are accompanied by high humidity and/or heavy precipitation, and their frequency has been rising over the last thirty years, accounting for approximately a quarter of the heat wave days surveyed. They may potentially trigger multiple natural hazards at once.

When AI imagines cities, smaller communities can disappear

Virginia Tech
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The team of researchers at Virginia Tech, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), and the University of Alabama discovered that AI-generated images were consistently better at representing larger metropolitan areas than smaller towns such as Blacksburg. The findings raise questions about how generative artificial intelligence tools portray places and whose communities are most visible online.

Journal: Technology in Society

Frontiers in Science Deep Dive webinar series | Soil science: how AI could help scientists secure a vital global resource

Frontiers
Meeting Announcement

Explore how AI tools can revolutionize soil science, helping researchers better understand and adapt soils—and the systems they nurture—to a changing climate.

Scientists map rocks with rare earth element potential, helping pinpoint new deposits

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new atlas charts the global distribution of unusual, critical‑metal‑bearing igneous rocks, finding that they often form near the thick and ancient cores of the world’s major continents.

Journal: Nature Geoscience

Global rice paddy greenhouse gas emissions have doubled during the past six decades

Boston College
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Since the 1960s, greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies have doubled to the approximate equivalent of 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, a team led by Boston College researchers reports today in the journal Nature Food. But practical changes in farming practices around the world could reduce methane emissions and support global climate targets without sacrificing food production.

Journal: Nature Food

Digging deeper: The hidden carbon bank beneath our farmlands

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In the global effort to combat climate change, soil has been recognized as the largest terrestrial carbon sink. Yet, most climate policies and carbon accounting systems focus only on the top 30 centimeters. A comprehensive new review, led by an international team of scientists from institutions including The University of Western Australia, Amity University, and Tsinghua University, explains why this surface-level view is dangerously incomplete and calls for a fundamental shift in how we manage the massive carbon reserves stored deep within the Earth.

This extensive work synthesizes global research to build a cohesive picture of deep soil carbon—the organic matter stored below the standard sampling depth. The analysis confirms that these subsoil layers contain a colossal amount of carbon, estimated at over 850 petagrams worldwide, which accounts for 50% to 60% of the total carbon stock in the top meter of soil. By examining the sources, distribution, and stability of this carbon, the review provides a critical framework for understanding its role in long-term climate mitigation and soil health.

Journal: Carbon Research
Funder: CAUL and its Member Institutions

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