Earth and Environmental Sciences

Key questions remain about carbon removal strategies in open environmental systems.

Human mobility data expand ecological analyses of people's impact on wild animals.

Sustainable human-wildlife coexistence requires a mechanistic understanding of the many ways that humans affect animals. However, progress is hampered by the lack of accessible data measuring the dynamic presence of people. Here, we leverage mobile-device data to disentangle how human presence and landscape modification differentially influence the use of geographic and environmental space for 37 mammal and bird species across the United States. Human presence affected more than 65% of species, with substantial variation across species. For ~60% of species that responded to human activities, the effects were interdependent-animals tended to react more strongly to human presence in less modified habitats. Our results demonstrate that human presence and landscape modification have complex combined effects on wildlife, which need to be considered for effective management.

Abstract Isoprene is the most abundant unsaturated hydrocarbon in the troposphere. Carbonyl oxides, also called Criegee intermediates, are highly reactive transient species in the ozonolysis of alkenes that play important roles in tropospheric oxidation. Despite decades of efforts, direct observation of Criegee intermediates in isoprene ozonolysis has not been achieved. Here we show the first direct measurement of Criegee intermediates produced in isoprene ozonolysis. Ultra-violet spectra of Criegee intermediates are captured with cavity ringdown spectroscopy and match oscillatory π* ← π transitions of CH 2 OO. The in-situ concentration time profiles of Criegee intermediates allow direct kinetic studies and benchmark the isoprene ozonolysis reaction network. The results indicate that CH 2 OO dominates stabilized Criegee intermediate chemistry in the low-pressure region, while the role of larger stabilized four-carbon Criegee intermediates could be important in tropospheric oxidation.

Carbon emissions from groundwater depletion (GWD) can be involved in the global carbon cycle; however, it is poorly understood that how much contribution they have. We here generate two maps on global GWD using measurements from >171,000 monitoring wells and on global groundwater bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) concentrations using the meta data from 28,902 measurements. We then evaluate the global GWD-induced carbon emissions and show that 1) the total emissions from GWD can be a type of significant source (52 ± 18 MMT CO₂ yr⁻¹) within the global carbon cycle, which have exceeded the net emissions of grasslands (~35 MMT CO₂ yr⁻¹), one of the world's main carbon sources; 2) the total GWD is approximately 550 ± 73 km³/year in recent 20 years, which is generally consistent with previous studies; 3) China (6.7 ± 1.6 MMT CO₂ yr⁻¹), Brazil (6.6 ± 2.5MMT CO₂ yr⁻¹), and India (5.8 ± 1.5 MMT CO₂ yr⁻¹) are the top three contributors of GWD-induced carbon emissions.

The marginal ice zone (MIZ) is the region of sea ice that is strongly influenced by open-ocean processes, particularly ocean waves. The width of the Antarctic MIZ is often quantified by applying thresholds to satellite-derived maps of sea-ice concentration, although this definition lacks any connection to waves. Laser altimetry provides snapshots of wave penetration, but is restricted by cloud cover. To overcome these limitations, we refine radar altimetry techniques to estimate the Antarctic MIZ width from Ka-band radar altimeter data (2013-2024), producing a decade-long climatology of the wave-affected MIZ. Our analysis reveals the regionality and seasonality of the MIZ width, highlighting the under-appreciated dependence of wave penetration on ice-edge aspect (the alignment of the ice edge, relative to north). The wave-affected MIZ covers around 16% of the sea-ice zone. This technique offers a tool for measuring MIZ width and could be applied to earlier satellite datasets, enabling creation of a multi-decade climatology of this important zone and assessment of long-term changes in wave-ice interactions in the Southern Ocean.

Abstract The Atacama Desert is the most arid non-polar region on Earth, yet the timing and drivers of its hyperaridity remain debated. The earliest record of extreme aridification is preserved in the Coastal Cordillera of Northern Chile at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. However, clast exposure ages on low-relief surfaces and supergene mineralisation ages suggest that low precipitation, and thus limited surface activity and weathering, may have been established earlier. To test the Miocene hyperaridity hypothesis, we have established a record of surface activity based on cosmogenic 21 Ne concentrations in 135 locally-derived quartz clasts from low-relief surfaces in the desert’s core. Thirty-two clasts have modelled exposure durations of Oligocene age or older. Their long-term surface preservation suggests exceptionally low landscape evolution rates and implies that aridification initiated earlier than the development of the Humboldt Current and major Andean uplift. We hypothesize that global cooling following the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum was likely a key driver of regional aridification.

Larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) are major carbonate producers in shallow marine ecosystems and serve as sensitive indicators of environmental change on continental shelves. We developed and tested species distribution models for four peneroplid species (Peneroplis planatus, P. pertusus, P. arietinus, and Coscinospira hemprichii) using 355 occurrence records from the Arabian Gulf and 32 environmental variables to predict their range expansion under the current climate change and future scenarios. Beyond well-established temperature controls, our models identified iron concentration (68% of explained variance), light attenuation (21%), and dissolved oxygen (10%) as the primary environmental drivers of LBF distributions. The models achieved exceptional predictive accuracy with 92% Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) for regional validation and 85% AUROC when extrapolated globally, demonstrating strong transferability across ocean basins. Climate change projections for 2100 predict significant westward range expansion, particularly into Atlantic Ocean regions previously unsuitable for these species. The projected expansion remains constrained within tropical and subtropical latitudes (50°N-50°S), indicating that temperature continues to impose fundamental limits to biogeographic dispersals. These findings reveal the importance of iron-supported symbiotic relationships in determining LBF distributions and suggest that climate-driven iron enrichment will increase LBF abundance and carbonate production in shallow marine systems worldwide, with significant implications for reef and shallow-water ecosystem structure, and global carbon cycling.

Abstract Understanding whether and how the mechanical state of the crust evolves is a central challenge in intraplate regions. We investigate the southeastern Alps region by analyzing the frequency-magnitude distribution of ten years of seismicity (14776 earthquakes) with magnitudes in the range 0 ≤ M L ≤ 4.5. We analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of the b-value, a proxy for crustal stress and strength. Using the b-positive method and Singular Spectrum Analysis, we observe a persistent b-value decrease since 2020 in the Friuli region, which we interpret as evidence of the evolving stress state of the system towards crustal weakening. . By linking b-value trends to the Hoek–Brown failure criterion, we interpret the crustal stress evolution in terms of rock mass disturbance. Our results suggest that, even under low loading rates, distinct crustal volumes may evolve differently over time, with some potentially approaching critical conditions while others remain stable. Whitin this framework, b-value variations may provide a physically grounded approach to monitor fault weakening and assess seismic hazard in slowly deforming continental regions.

The Jurassic period represents a pivotal phase in the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the North China Block (NCB), marked by the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean and the initiation of Paleo-Pacific subduction. The Jurassic clastic successions of the Liaodong Peninsula (LP), situated in the northeastern NCB at a critical tectonic junction, serve as a key archive for deciphering the complex geodynamic processes that shaped the northern margin of the NCB (NMNCB). Based on an integrated provenance analysis of the Jurassic Tianshifu section in the LP, utilizing detrital zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotopes, zircon trace elements, sandstone framework composition, and heavy mineral assemblages, this study reveals a clear provenance evolution. The Early-Middle Jurassic sediments were consistently sourced from a mixed provenance involving the NMNCB and the Xing-Meng Orogenic Belt (XMOB). A significant shift occurred in the Late Jurassic, marked by an increased contribution from the NMNCB, a decrease from the XMOB, and a minor input of local material. Regional comparison of sedimentary-provenance systems reveals that the central-western segment of the NMNCB (west of the Tan-Lu fault) had lost its detrital connection with the XMOB by the Late Jurassic, due to the development of intracontinental uplift along the northern margin. In contrast, in the eastern segment of the NMNCB (e.g., the LP), XMOB-derived detritus remained a significant component during the Late Jurassic, indicating that the marginal uplift did not form a complete barrier there. Based on these spatiotemporal patterns of differential uplift, we propose that the geodynamic mechanism governing the NMNCB was primarily associated with the west-to-east scissor-like closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean.

Neustonic organisms inhabiting the ocean surface have a unique ecology but remain poorly understood, particularly regarding longevity, due to difficulties in culturing and unpredictable occurrence. The blue button Porpita porpita is a colonial hydrozoan characterized by a chitinous, disc-shaped float that provides buoyancy and serves as the structural basis for zooid attachment, yet its growth and longevity have not been quantified. Here, we reared ten colonies for ≤ 21 days to measure float growth. Smaller colonies exhibited clear float enlargement, while larger colonies showed no detectable growth. Histology revealed peripheral accretion of new cuticular laminae at the float margin, suggesting margin-specific growth coupled to zooid budding. Based on the size-dependent decrease in growth rate, the observed radii were fitted with a Bayesian von Bertalanffy growth model. Estimated growth curves suggest that the sampled colonies persist for months to a few years, placing P. porpita on an intermediate timescale between short-lived scyphozoan medusae and long-lived benthic corals, and on a substantially longer lifespan than those previously reported for neustonic animals (< 1 year). These findings provide the first quantitative assessment of float growth in P. porpita, suggesting potentially long-term developmental strategy that enables colony persistence and contributes to a unique neustonic ecosystem.

The taxonomy of the endemic Mediterranean genus Pachypus Dejean, 1821 has long been complicated by cryptic diversity and limited morphological differentiation. Based on extensive results from previous studies and new genomic data analyses, we perform here an integrative taxonomic revision of the genus. Using the morphological examination of the type material of most species and de novo sequencing of 978 metazoan-level universal single-copy orthologous genes (mzl-USCOs) of the almost 200-year-old lectotype of Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840, we proposed refined species hypotheses within the genus. Resulting species entities from a recent study using mzl-USCOs were aligned within the framework of existing nomenclatorially available names inferred from Museomics and comparative morphological analyses. We additionally removed two existing taxon names from synonymy with Pachypus candidae and raised them to valid species: Pachypus cornutus (Olivier, 1789) and P. impressus Erichson, 1840. Pachypus excavatus Fabricius, 1792 is confirmed here as a valid species. This study also revealed one new synonymy: Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840 (= P. melonii Sparacio, 2008, syn. n.). Furthermore, we described seven new species which had been already delineated in our earlier study: Pachypus baroniensis sp. n., P. franginii sp. n., P. gallurensis sp. n., P. matzaccara sp. n., P. occidentalis sp. n., P. pelegrinus sp. n., and P. sulcis sp. n. Extensive morphometric analyses of five datasets (one based on distance measurements and four on body outlines), including about 1,900 specimens, confirmed the cryptic character of most Pachypus species, as morphospace plots of all traits largely overlapped among most of the species. This made the assignment of analyzed type specimens to retrieved morphometric clusters a poor predictor of the true identity of mzl-USCO-defined species. We designated a lectotype of Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840 and a neotype of Pachypus cornutus (Olivier, 1789). Finally, for the purpose of enhancing applied DNA-based studies and metabarcoding, we extracted the 5' COI DNA sequences from the raw DNA reads of our target enrichment nucleotide data as well as from the newly sequenced lectotype of P. impressus. The phylogenetic tree inferred from these data was compared with that obtained from the previously produced 3' COI data generated by Sanger sequencing. The habitus and male genitalia of all species are illustrated, an identification key is provided, and the distribution of the species is shown. As a result of our long-term studies of the genus, we also provide new insights into the ecology and distribution of the group, which may be relevant to conservation across the entire circum-Tyrrhenian region. Zoobank link: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:34F3F1E1-2A40-4450-95B3-0336E6E2CF52.

Bias-free photoelectrochemical devices provide a sustainable route for solar hydrogen production from alkaline seawater, however, the requirement for large potential for anodic oxygen evolution and undesired chloride oxidation in seawater limit their efficiency. By leveraging the low oxidation potential of hydrazine, a toxic pollutant, bias-free devices can achieve high-performance hydrogen production and simultaneous degradation of hydrazine, effectively avoiding chloride oxidation. Here, we design a self-powered artificial leaf device, comprising a perovskite photocathode integrated with a noble-metal-free oxide catalyst for direct solar hydrogen production and hydrazine oxidation. The device exhibits a high photocurrent density of 25 mA cm–2 and stability for 3 days under 1-sun illumination. Upscaling the artificial leaf device enables near-complete hydrazine degradation to below 1 ppb within ≈ 30 h under zero-bias operation. This study provides a scalable and sustainable approach for simultaneous hydrogen generation and pollutant removal, advancing the use of solar energy in environmental applications. A self-powered artificial leaf integrating a perovskite photocathode with a noble-metal-free spinel oxide anode enables simultaneous solar-driven hydrogen production and efficient degradation of toxic hydrazine without any external bias.

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is a genetic disorder that accelerates atherosclerosis and leads to premature cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Whole food, plant-based diets (WFPB) are recommended worldwide for their cardioprotective properties but evidence regarding their effects in HeFH management remains unavailable. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a WFPB, in place of a standard American diet (SAD), on LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (primary outcome) and other CVD risk factors among adults with HeFH. In this randomized, two-period, two-treatment, crossover, controlled feeding trial, 50 adults with genetically confirmed HeFH, free of cholesterol-lowering medication, consumed a WFPB and a SAD for 4 weeks each in a random order, under fully controlled, isocaloric feeding conditions. The diets were separated by a two- to four-week washout period. LDL-C and other CVD risk factors were measured at the end of each diet. The WFPB induced a clinically significant reduction in LDL-C relative to the SAD ( - 17.9%, 95% CI: -21.7%, -14.3%; P < 0.0001). The study demonstrates the clinical significance of diet therapy in HeFH and supports its re-establishment as a cornerstone in clinical guidelines (clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT05181553; funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research).

Protecting the world's remaining forests is central to climate and biodiversity goals, but is often assumed to impose large opportunity costs on forest-land producers. These costs are typically estimated by summing local foregone production, without accounting for market feedback. Here, we applied partial-equilibrium models to three scenarios protecting an additional 471-863 million hectares of forest, assuming a global 30% protection target by 2030. Despite reductions in harvestable area and roundwood production, global net output value in the forestry sector increases modestly, driven by price increases under reduced supply. Most countries experience gains, although some incur losses. Despite broader economic impacts, including consumer welfare, substitution effects, and cross-sector response not being captured in this analysis, these results may indicate that approaches ignoring price adjustments may overestimate producer-side opportunity costs of large-scale forest protection.

Abstract Perchlorate (ClO 4 − ) contamination in water poses global health risks, yet its efficient reduction to harmless Cl − under mild conditions remains challenging. Here, we report a donor−acceptor catalytic system comprising defective MoS 2 on N-doped carbon (MoS 2 −NC) coupled with zerovalent iron (Fe 0 ), which enables rapid ClO 4 − reduction at near-neutral pH (rate constant, 2.36 h −1 ), yielding Cl − as the sole product. In the MoS 2 −NC/Fe 0 system, Fe 0 acts as the electron donor, while undercoordinated Mo atoms in defective MoS 2 serve as the active sites, and N-doped carbon mediates electron transfer and optimizes the electronic environment for ClO 4 − reduction. The reduction proceeds via oxygen atom transfer, involving Cl−O bond cleavage, O binding to Mo sites, and hydrodeoxygenation of the Mo-bound O atoms. Our observations offer a practical strategy for ClO 4 − reduction without harsh conditions or noble metals and underscore the promise of donor−acceptor-based, defect-engineered catalysts for reductive transformation of challenging oxyanions.

Solvent reverse osmosis is a pressure-driven, liquid-phase process for separating solvent mixtures, offering a potential low-energy alternative to thermal operations. Graphene oxide (GO) laminates provide tunable nanochannels to probe confined solvent transport, yet solvent-solvent separations remain underexplored due to solvation-induced structural instabilities and the small molecular sizes. Here we construct solvent-stable, supported GO nanochannel membranes that preserves integrity under pressurized solvents, and tune interlayer confinement and surface polarity via controlled chemical reduction. Across 51 solvent systems and 5 distinct nanochannels, we demonstrate that separation is governed by coupled nanoconfinement and solvent affinity, where selective interfacial association can surpass simple size-exclusion expectations. Maximum permselectivity arises from balancing channel size with retained polarity, indicating that channel shrinking alone does not optimize performance. These findings identify channel surface chemistry as a key design factor for polarity-rich solvent systems and provide a framework for rationally tailoring nanochannels for complex solvent separations.

Climate change is altering vegetation patterns on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where diverse Köppen climate zones reveal complex ecological responses. Here, we advance from a categorical view of climate, represented by Köppen-Geiger classifications, to a continuous characterization of the climate heterogeneity index to better capture the link between climate and vegetation across 1- and 10-km scales. We show that climate heterogeneity strengthens vegetation–climate relationships across spatial scales, with its influence increasing 1.2-fold at coarse resolution compared to fine scales. This enhancement stems from this index providing critical heterogeneity information absent in coarse macroclimate data, thereby refining suitability predictions in regions where fine-scale topographic variability is unresolved. At finer 1-km scales, topographic heterogeneity inherently dominates, reducing the relative impact of climate heterogeneity. Overall, incorporating climate heterogeneity compensates for coarse-scale data limitations, enhancing suitability predictions where topographic detail is lost, thereby bridging macroclimate biases and microscale dynamics, and advancing robust ecological forecasting. Climate heterogeneity strongly shapes how vegetation responds to environmental change, but is often overlooked in large-scale modelling. This study shows that incorporating climate heterogeneity improves vegetation suitability predictions, especially at coarse spatial resolutions.

This study investigated the spatiotemporal evolution and coupling relationship of land use carbon effects driven by new quality productive forces (NQPF) in Hubei Province, China, using remote sensing data (2000-2020) and socioeconomic statistics (2005-2020). An NQPF evaluation system comprising 19 indicators across three dimensions was constructed using a combined weighting method integrating entropy, coefficient of variation, CRITIC, and principal component analysis. The Tapio decoupling model and Moran's I spatial autocorrelation were employed to examine the NQPF-carbon emission relationship. Results indicated that: (1) Net carbon emissions increased from 4118.38 × 104 t to 19,867.15 × 104 t (382.4% growth), with construction land contributing 98.1% of total carbon sources by 2020. (2) The NQPF index rose from 0.152 to 0.860 (465.8% growth), with the "new objects of labor" dimension receiving the highest weight (0.5921), corroborating the green development-oriented nature of NQPF. (3) All three periods exhibited "weak decoupling," with elasticity coefficients declining from 0.740 to 0.261, indicating strengthening carbon constraints. (4) No significant spatial clustering was detected (|Z|< 1.96); riverside cities (Wuhan, Xiangyang, Yichang) formed "isolated high-emission centers" accounting for 54.2% of provincial emissions. This study pioneers the integration of NQPF theory into land use carbon research, providing scientific basis for regional low-carbon transition in central China.

The accurate quantification of carbon footprints in the coal industry is critical for high-quality energy transition. However, traditional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies predominantly rely on static emission coefficients, failing to capture the dynamic fluctuations inherent in mining operations. To address this limitation, this paper develops a time-dependent carbon emission assessment framework covering the entire coal extraction lifecycle. The study first characterizes the temporal variability of emission sources, identifying that carbon intensities are driven by fluctuating production loads, energy consumption profiles, and fugitive methane release. Consequently, emission factors exhibit significant heterogeneity across different operational phases. To precisely capture these shifts, a dynamic evaluation model is established, supported by an IoT-based continuous data acquisition infrastructure. This system enables the iterative recalibration of emission factors at discrete intervals, thereby replacing static estimates with high-frequency, empirically grounded data. This approach significantly enhances the temporal resolution and precision of emissions tracking. Based on the quantitative trends identified, the paper proposes data-driven decarbonization strategies, including process parameter optimization and energy recovery, providing a verifiable technical foundation for low-carbon mining operations.

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission provides unprecedented spatial coverage and temporal resolution of inland water surface elevation (WSE) and extent. This study examines SWOT high-rate raster product during a drought-to-flood transition in the Paraná River floodplain. SWOT observations are evaluated using in situ and satellite datasets, including multispectral imagery and nadir radar altimetry. These multi-sensor comparisons are used to characterize the spatial and temporal consistency of SWOT observations in floodplains under contrasting hydrological conditions, from disconnected low-water stages to widespread inundation. Results show that SWOT captures water level variability in channels with Pearson correlation coefficients exceeding 0.87 and mean absolute errors between 0.09 m and 0.21 m. Comparisons with Sentinel-6 A and Sentinel-3B reveal coherent WSE profiles (correlations up to 0.78) for transects covering channels and vegetated wetlands. Floodplain inundation extents derived from SWOT show high Precision (> 0.96) relative to multispectral products but moderate Recall (0.38-0.50 for GLAD), indicating inundated areas not detected by multispectral sensors. The inundated fraction detected only by SWOT increases with the flood pulse, reaching 53% of total water extent at peak flood in vegetated wetlands. These findings demonstrate SWOT's capability to monitor river-floodplain hydrodynamics and to improve large-scale water storage and budget assessments.

As sudden-onset geological disasters, the dynamic behavior of rock avalanches is significantly influenced by the size of the debris particles formed during rock mass disintegration. In this study, 59 sets of laboratory model tests were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of particle size on the characteristic parameters of landquake signals (Arias intensity, mean of the envelope, mean frequency, and vibration energy), and to explore the roles of release height and particle mixing. The results indicate that as particle size increases, the intensity-related parameters (Arias intensity, mean of the envelope, and vibration energy) exhibit exponential growth, while the mean frequency decreases exponentially. This suggests that larger particles release higher energy at lower frequencies-a particle size effect that is independent of release height and thus of universal validity. Granular flows with mixed particle sizes display an inverse grading characteristic during movement, causing the landquake signal characteristics to be biased toward those of the finer particles. This confirms that the landquake signal is primarily generated by the interaction between the lowermost layer of particles and the base plate. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for inverting rock avalanche particle size characteristics from landquake signals and for disaster early warning.

Prohemistomum vivax (Cyathocotylidae) is a significant parasitic threat in Egyptian African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) aquaculture, causing tissue damage, high prevalence, and economic losses. This study evaluated the dose-dependent efficacy of praziquantel against naturally occurring P. vivax encysted metacercariae (EMC) under controlled laboratory conditions and explored its potential mode of action via molecular docking. A total of 105 naturally infected catfish (150-250 g) were randomly assigned to seven groups. Each treatment consisted of three independent replicate tanks (experimental units), with five fish per tank (n = 15 fish per treatment). Treatments included a control group (0 mg/L) and six praziquantel groups administered as single doses (0.5, 2, or 3 mg/L for 24 h) or double doses repeated after 7 days. Parasitological, histopathological, and pro-inflammatory gene expression analyses (TNF-α, IL-1β) were performed. The highest efficacy was achieved with double-dose 3 mg/L, resulting in 94.2 ± 2.1% parasite reduction (p < 0.001), with clear dose-dependent trends (single-dose: 28.8-67.9%; double-dose: 43.7-94.2%). Histopathological analysis showed reduced cyst burden and tissue lesions, while inflammatory markers were significantly downregulated in treated groups. To investigate praziquantel's mechanism of action, in silico docking targeted P. vivax cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), a key mitochondrial enzyme. Praziquantel exhibited strong binding affinity (-6.1 kcal/mol; RMSD = 0.0 Å), forming stable hydrophobic interactions with conserved residues (Val55A, Ala58A, Leu88A, Phe91A, Trp142A). The localization of Trp142A within the active site suggests potential enzyme inhibition, supporting a mitochondrial mechanism of action. These findings confirm praziquantel's effectiveness against P. vivax EMC and identify COI as a potential molecular target. Given its critical role in human medicine, further research into resistance risks, environmental safety, and regulatory frameworks in aquaculture is recommended.