A distinctive osmium isotopic signature linked to the Chicxulub impact marks the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in East Asia despite partial stratigraphic loss, according to geochemical analysis in East Asia.

Recurring supply security narratives have constrained politically feasible demand side reduction options in European Union raw materials governance over 25 years, according to an analysis of 183 policy documents from 2000 to 2024.

Biological cross-sectional polishing scanning electron microscopy preserves spatial context across heterogeneous matrices, providing a structural framework for targeted downstream analyses in laboratory-grown and field collected plant samples.

Incorporating regional diversity of aerosol hygroscopicity provides a more accurate representation of aerosol hygroscopicity in climate models, according to a machine learning approach trained on aerosol observational data.

Elevated in-situ Vp/Vs prior to M > 3 hydraulic-fracturing-induced earthquakes may reflect pore-pressure build-up before fault rupture, offering a new strategy for seismic hazard mitigation.

Permafrost may limit the suitability of up to 29% of newly suitable agricultural land in high latitudes under global warming, according to simulations integrating permafrost degradation and crop suitability for seven major crops.

Isotopic analyses of sanukitoid magmas, formed by the interaction of crust and mantle material, suggest Archean sanukitoids possess oceanic crustal signatures while more recent, Paleoproterozoic examples were likely influenced by recycled pelagic sediments.

Under light conditions, nitrous oxide fluxes mostly indicated net emissions that increased with higher photosynthetic activity; under dark conditions, fluxes suggested net uptake, based on a field study in a subarctic permafrost peatland.

Saharan dust produces larger droplets and weakens the first indirect cloud effect, shown by satellite and reanalysis data revealing reduced cooling in warm marine clouds

Three-dimensional canopy structure and wind dynamics show stronger controls on rainfall interception but are insufficiently represented in conventional leaf area index-based models, demonstrated by an artificial intelligence-based parameterization approach with explicit representation of 3-dimensional canopy morphology.

The twentieth century saw a rapid expansion in Arctic tundra vegetation. Dr Ingrosso and colleagues examined these changes over time by using plant-derived biomarkers (biopolymers from plant leaves and cell walls) from a sediment core in Svalbard. They found that Svalbard’s greening was driven by a decline of summer sea ice and glacier retreat, and that the expansion was associated with vascular plant species that are adapted to warmer conditions. These interactions could shape the future Arctic environment in the face of ongoing climate change.

Measuring meltwater coming off polar glaciers can help us to understand how climate change is impacting Antarctic ice sheets, but this meltwater is difficult to observe and track over time. Dr Zheng and colleagues solved this problem by using data collected by tagged seals. The seals were equipped with tags that measured temperature, salinity, and pressure, building a picture of Antarctic ice-shelf fronts. The team found that meltwater rises to the sea surface in winter, transporting heat and nutrients effectively upwards. They suggest that the processes measured by the seals need to be accounted for in climate modelling.

Generative artificial intelligence has unsettled higher education, raising fears that students will lose the ability to think. Drawing on classroom experience and student feedback, we argue that grounded inquiry sharpens judgement in Earth science teaching by limiting AI to set sources and auditing its claims.

War can have wide-ranging environmental impacts, including on agricultural production. Professors Gong and Lin and colleagues analysed satellite imagery over agricultural areas in five provinces of eastern Ukraine from 2019-2022. They found that production of wheat, sunflower, and rapeseed in these regions has declined by more than thirty percent in the subsequent growing season since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. This work demonstrates the devastating impact that war can have upon agriculture and therefore food security worldwide.

The Earth’s climate is regulated and stabilised by interconnected ecosystem processes. This Comment argues that following on from COP30, nature-based indicators should be integrated into formal climate policy processes—such as the Global Stocktake and Nationally Determined Contributions—to strengthen the coherence between climate governance and Earth System stability.

Adoption of the International Maritime Organisation’s Net Zero Framework was postponed by one year, to October 2026. This Comment argues that this time window must be used to address four outstanding challenges, and that success can turn the maritime sector into a model for achieving the Paris climate goals.