Harnessing nature-based climate solutions (NbCS) to help simultaneously achieve climate and conservation goals is an attractive win-win. The contribution of NbCS to climate action relies on both biogeochemical potential and the ability to overcome environmental, economic and governance constraints for implementation. As such, estimates of additional NbCS-related terrestrial biosphere storage potential

Emma Pearce discusses the use of hammer source seismic surveys to provide glaciological insight.

Minerals are widely assumed to protect organic matter (OM) from degradation in the environment, promoting the persistence of carbon in soil and sediments. In this Review, we describe the mechanisms and processes operating at the mineral–organic interface as they relate to OM transformation dynamics. A broad set of interactions occur, with minerals adsorbing organic compounds to their surfaces and/or

An article in Environmental Research Letters documents how end of life strategies impact the carbon emissions associated with a pair of jeans.

Hamed Gamal El Dien describes the application of atom probe tomography to the geosciences and discusses its use in understanding mantle heterogeneity.

A study in JGR Earth Surface examines the link between Hurricane María and sediment mobilization by landslides in Puerto Rico.

Supercontinents signify self-organization in plate tectonics. Over the past ~2 billion years, three major supercontinents have been identified, with increasing age: Pangaea, Rodinia and Columbia. In a prototypal form, a cyclic pattern of continental assembly and breakup likely extends back to ~3 billion years ago, albeit on the smaller scale of Archaean supercratons, which, unlike global supercontinents

An article in Earth and Planetary Science Letters reports detailed magma movement through dikes during a rift episode in 2017 at the Reykjanes Ridge, Iceland.

Initialized Earth System predictions are made by starting a numerical prediction model in a state as consistent as possible to observations and running it forward in time for up to 10 years. Skilful predictions at time slices from subseasonal to seasonal (S2S), seasonal to interannual (S2I) and seasonal to decadal (S2D) offer information useful for various stakeholders, ranging from agriculture to

Mónica Ramírez-Calderón outlines the use of fission track dating to provide constraints on the break up of the Pangea supercontinent

Threats posed by the climate crisis have created an urgent need for sustainable green energy. Geothermal resources have the potential to provide up to 150 GWe of sustainable energy by 2050. However, the key challenge in successfully locating and drilling geothermal wells is to understand how the heterogeneous structure of the subsurface controls the existence of exploitable fluid reservoirs. In this

Krystal Vasquez describes chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) and its use in atmospheric chemistry.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) links terrestrial and marine systems, but has often been overlooked in coastal nutrient budgets because it is difficult to quantify. In this Review, we examine SGD nutrient fluxes in over 200 locations globally, explain their impact on biogeochemistry and discuss broader management implications. SGD nutrient fluxes exceed river inputs in ~60% of study sites, with

The recognition of slow earthquakes in geodetic and seismological data has transformed the understanding of how plate motions are accommodated at major plate boundaries. Slow earthquakes, which slip more slowly than regular earthquakes but faster than plate motion velocities, occur in a range of tectonic and metamorphic settings. They exhibit spatiotemporal associations with large seismic events that

A study in the Journal of Hydrology explores the connections between climate conditions, intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams across four countries.

Matthew Payne describes the use of satellite imagery in tracking and understanding deforestation for oil palm.

Sarah Crump explains the use of sedimentary DNA analyses in paleoecology studies.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that emits in large quantities to the atmosphere (>6,000–8,000 Mg Hg per year) through anthropogenic activities, biomass burning, geogenic degassing and legacy emissions from land and oceans. Up to two-thirds of terrestrial Hg emissions are deposited back onto land, predominantly through vegetation uptake of Hg. In this Review, we assemble a global database of over

An article in Nature Food documents how food systems contribute approximately one-third of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2011 Mw 9.1 earthquake and tsunami caused incomprehensible damage along the northeast coast of Japan. This Snapshot discusses the measures that have been put in place over the past 10 years to mitigate hazards of a future tsunami disaster.

Drylands are an essential component of the Earth System and are among the most vulnerable to climate change. In this Review, we synthesize observational and modelling evidence to demonstrate emerging differences in dryland aridity dependent on the specific metric considered. Although warming heightens vapour pressure deficit and, thus, atmospheric demand for water in both the observations and the projections

Convergence of the Indian Plate towards Eurasia has led to the building of the Himalaya, the highest mountain range on Earth. Active mountain building involves a complex interplay between permanent tectonic processes and transient seismic events, which remain poorly understood. In this Review, we examine the feedbacks between long-term tectonic deformation (over millions of years) and the seismic cycle

Owing to their toxicity, persistence and capacity for long-range atmospheric transport, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are internationally regulated. However, forests can uptake and sequester POPs from the atmosphere, acting as a filter as they are transported to the poles as part of the so-called grasshopper effect. In this Review, we summarize POP (and polyaromatic hydrocarbon) cycling and

An article in Nature Communications reports a high-temperature melting curve of MgSiO3 at pressures > 245 GPa, with implications for mantle melting during the formation of rocky planets

Ophiolites, which represent segments of oceanic lithosphere obducted onto the continental crust, provide an important window into processes such as continental rifting, mantle melting, asthenospheric upwelling and cooling of oceanic lithosphere. Traditionally, research has focused on crustal sections of ophiolites. However, there is a growing recognition that mantle sections contain important information

Louisa Brotherson outlines the use of laboratory frictional sliding experiments in the study of earthquake mechanics

Robbie Mallett describes the use of snow crystal cards to determine snow microstructure.

An article in Environmental Research Letters documents how emissions from wetlands in East Africa influenced atmospheric methane growth rates in 2018 and 2019.

Hailstorms are dangerous and costly phenomena that are expected to change in response to a warming climate. In this Review, we summarize current knowledge of climate change effects on hailstorms. As a result of anthropogenic warming, it is generally anticipated that low-level moisture and convective instability will increase, raising hailstorm likelihood and enabling the formation of larger hailstones;

A study in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms examines how landscape connectivity influences sediment transport and deposition in the Argentine Andes.

Glaciers in the Himalaya–Karakoram mountain ranges harbour approximately half of the ice volume in High-mountain Asia and modulate the flow of freshwater to almost 869 million people within the Indus, Tarim, Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins. Since the mid-twentieth century, rising temperatures have led to unsustainably high melting rates for many glaciers, particularly in the Himalaya, temporarily

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00145-z.

The absence of vegetation in urban areas contributes to the establishment of the urban heat island, markedly increasing thermal stress for residents, driving morbidity and mortality. Mitigation strategies are, therefore, needed to reduce urban heat, particularly against a background of urbanization, anthropogenic warming and increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves. In this Review, we evaluate

An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes how glacier–rock interactions could fuel chemosynthetic primary production in Icelandic sediments.

An article in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta reports a Nd-isotope record of terrestrial dust from northern Tibetan Plateau sediments since 52 Ma, revealing insight into regional uplift and climate changes from inland Asia.

The increasing availability of satellite data at higher spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions is enabling new applications in agriculture and economic development, including agricultural insurance. Yet, effectively using satellite data in this context requires blending technical knowledge about their capabilities and limitations with an understanding of their influence on the value of risk-reduction

An article in Nature Climate Change outlines how the connection between the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation might break down under a warming climate.

An article in Geomorphology examines the role of plants in coastal sand dune formation through wind tunnel experiments and field observations.

Short-duration (1–3 h) rainfall extremes can cause serious damage to societies through rapidly developing (flash) flooding and are determined by complex, multifaceted processes that are altering as Earth’s climate warms. In this Review, we examine evidence from observational, theoretical and modelling studies for the intensification of these rainfall extremes, the drivers and the impact on flash flooding

Join us in celebrating the first anniversary of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.

To celebrate the first anniversary of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, we asked five researchers investigating solid Earth processes to outline notable developments within their discipline and provide thoughts on important work yet to be done.

To celebrate the first anniversary of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, we asked six researchers investigating Earth surface processes to outline notable developments within their discipline and provide thoughts on important work yet to be done.

To celebrate the first anniversary of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, we asked six researchers investigating weather and climate to outline notable developments within their discipline and provide thoughts on important work yet to be done.

Life on Earth has existed for over 3.5 billion years and has caused fundamental changes in Earth’s biogeochemistry. However, the timing and impact of major events in the evolution of the biosphere are hotly contested, owing partially to the inherent difficulty in studying events that occurred in deep time. In this Review, we discuss the evolving structure of Earth’s biosphere and major changes in its

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-00134-8.

An article in Geophysical Research Letters reports that pCO2 levels at the surface of Taal Volcano crater lake can be used to continuously monitor volcanic CO2 flux, which could help provide important insights for eruption monitoring.

An article in Global Change Biology characterizes the diversity and abundance of biogenic volatile organic compounds from two coral species.

An article in Chemical Geology reports the use of magnesium and lithium isotopes to track olivine weathering in soils.

Coastal subsidence contributes to relative sea-level rise and exacerbates flooding hazards, with the at-risk population expected to triple by 2070. Natural processes of vertical land motion, such as tectonics, glacial isostatic adjustment and sediment compaction, as well as anthropogenic processes, such as fluid extraction, lead to globally variable subsidence rates. In this Review, we discuss the

An article in the Journal of Hydrology reports the impact of coal mining on groundwater resources and vegetation greenness in Inner Mongolia, China.

As the first year of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment draws to an end, we celebrate the successes and reflect on the areas of improvement needed for volume two and beyond. Thank you to all our authors, peer reviewers and readers.

Owing to a lack of understanding, and data being unavailable, unusable or unsuitable, weather and climate information is currently underutilized in Sustainable Development Goal implementation. Improvements are essential in knowledge brokering, clarifying responsibilities, multi-institutional and multi-stakeholder governance arrangements and research on systemic risks and decisions.

Beach nourishment — the addition of sand to increase the width or sand volume of the beach — is a widespread coastal management technique to counteract coastal erosion. Globally, rising sea levels, storms and diminishing sand supplies threaten beaches and the recreational, ecosystem, groundwater and flood protection services they provide. Consequently, beach nourishment practices have evolved from

Despite decades of observational, laboratory and theoretical studies, the processes leading to large earthquake generation remain enigmatic. However, recent observations provide new promising perspectives that advance knowledge. Here, we review data on the initiation processes of large earthquakes and show that they are multiscale and diverse, involving localization of deformation, fault heterogeneities

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Since the 1970s, ferromagnetic minerals were believed to be absent in the Earth’s mantle and, even if present, the temperatures were considered too high for such phases to carry magnetic remanence. However, new experimental data, measurements on mantle xenoliths and an improved understanding of long-wavelength features in aeromagnetic data require that the magnetization of the mantle be revisited.

Intermediate glacial states were characterized by large temperature changes in Greenland and the North Atlantic, referred to as Dansgaard–Oeschger (D–O) variability, with some transitions occurring over a few decades. D–O variability included changes in the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), temperature changes of opposite sign and asynchronous timing in each hemisphere

The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, Japan, released the largest quantity of radionuclides into the terrestrial environment since the 1986 accident at Chernobyl. This accident resulted in 2.7 PBq of radiocaesium (137Cs) contaminated forests, agricultural lands, grasslands and urban areas, which subsequently migrated through soil and waterways in the Fukushima Prefecture

Wind energy is a virtually carbon-free and pollution-free electricity source, with global wind resources greatly exceeding electricity demand. Accordingly, the installed capacity of wind turbines grew at an annualized rate of >20% from 2000 to 2019 and is projected to increase by a further 50% by the end of 2023. In this Review, we describe the factors that dictate the wind resource magnitude and variability