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Humans Have Increased Atmospheric Mercury Sevenfold, Study Finds

Yale E360

Humans have raised the level of mercury in the atmosphere sevenfold, largely by burning coal, a new study finds. Read more on E360 →

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The Upper Atmosphere Is Cooling, Prompting New Climate Concerns

Yale E360

A new study reaffirming that global climate change is human-made also found the upper atmosphere is cooling dramatically because of rising CO2 levels. Scientists are worried about the effect this cooling could have on orbiting satellites, the ozone layer, and Earth’s weather. Read more on E360 →

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A Grim Signal: Atmospheric CO2 Soared in 2024

Inside Climate News

By Bob Berwyn The latest anomaly in the climate system that cant be fully explained by researchers is a record annual jump in the global mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured in 2024.

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Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

Union of Concerned Scientists

In that year, El Nio added to the increased warming caused by the build-up of heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere, leading to that record-breaking heat. Humans have a direct effect on albedo through emitting industrial aerosols such as sulfates, which accumulate in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.

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HotSpots H2O: Unusually Powerful ‘Atmospheric River’ Pummels British Columbia and Pacific Northwest

Circle of Blue

The rains were the result of a weather phenomenon known as an “atmospheric river,” a narrow column that transports water vapor from the tropics to the poles. Atmospheric rivers are projected to intensify as the climate continues to warm. Atmospheric rivers are not uncommon in the region.

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Why the World Needs a New UN Study on the Effects of Nuclear War

Union of Concerned Scientists

New scientific information has yielded insights, including updates to our understanding of, and ability to model, the atmosphere, and the studies of the long-term effects of radiation on affected populations have yielded new information. New studies are being published and commissioned and research gaps are being identified.

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What Is a Climate Model and How Does It Work?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate models are the main tool climate scientists use to predict how Earth will respond to more heat-trapping pollutants in the atmosphere. Just by looking at the name, you can see that a GCM is a model that simulates the circulation of Earths different physical systems like the atmosphere and ocean. What causes a circulation?