When we talk about greenhouse gases and climate change, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) usually receive most of the attention. Yet another gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), quietly plays an important role in our changing climate. Commonly known as “laughing gas”, N2O is a powerful greenhouse gas with nearly 273 times the warming potential of …[Read More]
(Schematic cross-section showing leaf stomatal O_3 uptake, chloroplast oxidative stress, and the resulting downregulation of Earth’s global photosynthetic carbon uptake (GPP)) We usually think of ozone as a shield high in the atmosphere or as an air pollutant that harms human lungs near the ground. But plants also “breathe” ozone. Through microscopic pores called stomata, …[Read More]
Climate models help us understand how the climate system works, project future climate change, and provide evidence that supports international assessments such as exposed on the IPCC. At this point, there is a fundamental question that is rarely discussed and solved: Can we access and reproduce the climate models used throughout the history of the …[Read More]
Every time something burns incompletely —whether in a car engine, a factory furnace, a cooking fire, an agricultural field set alight after harvest, or a vast wildfire sweeping through savanna grasslands— tiny particles of black carbon are released into the atmosphere. You might know these more simply as soot. These particles are so small that …[Read More]
Berlin just went through a brutal heatwave, and then out of nowhere, the temperature crashed between June 28 and 29. The daily mean temperature dropped from nearly 33°C to 25°C—a dramatic drop of about 8°C in just 24 hours (based on ERA5 reanalysis data structure accessed via Open-Meteo). Scientists call these abrupt shifts temperature volatility: rapid …[Read More]
For the 500 million people living along the Mediterranean coast, the sea breeze is an essential component of the regional climate. They are more than a pleasant coastal wind, as they are critical for easing summer heat stress, dispersing pollutants, and triggering convection (the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air), sometimes leading to severe …[Read More]
Introduction Human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events around the world, and Europe is no exception. These events typically last from a few days to several weeks or even months. Using climate models and reanalysis products, scientists are studying how extreme weather events will evolve and where they are likely to …[Read More]
Dear climate community, The EGU General Assembly 2026 (3–8 May) is almost here. With more than 21,000 presentations (orals, posters, and PICOs) on the schedule, it is time to plan your week. Before you travel, please keep these important updates and reminders in mind: Get the App: Download the EGU26 App (iOS or Android) to …[Read More]
Invited guest from the EGU 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award Wind is not easily visible. On historical time scales, its directions and velocities have been measured and recorded by instruments. To some degree, these parameters can also be simulated by climate models. But how about winds in the more distant past? …[Read More]
Around 8,200 years ago, the climate of the Northern Hemisphere experienced an abrupt disturbance. In Greenland ice cores, the signal is unmistakable: a rapid drop in temperatures, followed by a gradual return to previous conditions. This episode, which lasted about 150 years, is known as the 8.2 ka event (“ka” meaning thousand years before …[Read More]
