Highest Recorded Temperature in European History Reported in Italy
Italy may have just recorded the hottest temperature in European history, according to preliminary reports from local meteorologists. And perhaps fittingly, the culprit of the heat wave has been named Lucifer.
Syracuse, a city on the coast of the Italian island of Sicily, registered temperatures of 119.85 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius) (Aug. 11). If the measurement is confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization, it will break the previous European record of 118.4 F (48 C) recorded in Athens in 1977.
The measurement comes amid a scorching heat wave that has baked the Medditeranean for more than a week, feeding devastating wildfires that have destroyed homes and claimed lives in Italy, Greece, Algeria and Turkey.
Aug 13, 2021
China's Plan to Become Carbon-neutral by 2060
China's industrialization has occurred at a breathtaking pace, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and transforming the country into the world's factory floor. That's also made it the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas driving climate change. The most-populous nation has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2060, a challenging target given it hasn't even reached its emissions peak. To get there, President Xi Jinping wants to transition away from an economy reliant on coal and other fossil fuels by switching to renewable energy and developing new technology to capture emissions.
Aug 10, 2021
Indian Ocean Warming at Faster Pace
According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate than other oceans, with scientists warning that India will witness increased heat waves and flooding, which will be the irreversible effects of climate change.
The authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), "Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis", said the warming of the ocean will lead to a rise in sea levels, which will contribute to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-level areas.
Aug 08, 2021
Ladakh Glacier Retreating, May Influence Summer and Winter Pattern
Establishing with observations that the Pensilungpa Glacier located in Zanskar, Ladakh, is retreating due to an increase in the temperature and decrease in precipitation during winters, a study shows how it is possible that the precipitation of summer periods at higher altitudes will change from snow to rain, and that may influence the summer and winter pattern.
Since 2015, a team of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun, has ventured to study the less explored region of the Himalayas, focusing on Zanskar, Ladakh.
Aug 06, 2021
Jurassic-Period Crocodile Ancestor Unearthed in Chile
Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of small-sized mesoeucrocodylian from the fossilized remains found in the Patagonian mountains of southern Chile.
The newly-discovered crocodile species roamed Earth during the Late Jurassic epoch, some 148 million years ago.
The ancient creature lived alongside giant titanosaurs and other sauropod dinosaurs as well as smaller herbivorous species such as Chilesaurus diegosuarezi.
Previously recorded members of non-pelagic Jurassic Mesoeucrocodylia are the presumably fresh-water Atoposauridae, Goniopholididae and Paralligatoridae.