climate

As if we didn’t have enough climate worries on Earth, a new threat is coming: space tornadoes

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Before we looked at the sky to predict the weather. Now we look at the forecast in an app provided by incredibly powerful simulations based on radar and satellite data. Thus, we can see the path of a hurricane days before it makes landfall, potentially saving thousands of lives. But what about the “tornadoes” that come from space? Sorry? It turns out that interplanetary space is not a quiet vacuum, and a new study warns of a phenomenon that has already been baptized with a disturbing name: “space tornadoes.” They are not wind funnels that carry the debris of the galaxy with them; They are actually rotating vortexes of plasma and magnetic fields that travel at insane speeds through space. But the most worrying thing is not that they exist, but where are formed. The research reveals that these vortices do not necessarily originate from the Sun, but can be born spontaneously in deep space, as a result of collisions between larger solar storms. And yes, they are powerful enough to wreak havoc on Earth. A magnetic problem. When astronomers talk about space weather, they’re not talking about a meteor shower. The weather engine of our solar system is the Sun. From time to time, our star spits out gigantic eruptions of charged particles and magnetic fields. The most powerful event of this type is Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). CMEs travel at speeds of up to 2,900 kilometers per second. When one hits the Earth, it interacts with our natural magnetic shield (the magnetosphere) and can cause a geomagnetic storm. The good thing is that this interaction produces incredibly beautiful northern and southern lights. The downside is that a severe geomagnetic storm can interfere with power grids, overheat transformers to the point of failure, and damage satellites vital to communications and GPS. The mystery of ghost storms. This is where the new research begins. In 2023, a team of scientists at the University of Michigan ran into a problem: They were recording geomagnetic storms on Earth that didn’t match any CME that had been predicted to hit us. They were “phantom storms.” The hypothesis: that smaller, more dangerous space weather events were forming on the way from the Sun to the Earth, rather than directly at the Sun. According to a paper by the researchers in The ConversationThe main suspect was structures known as “flux ropes,” bundles of magnetic fields twisted back on themselves that are affectionately referred to as magnetic tornadoes. They had already been observed, but their exact origin and whether they were powerful enough to cause problems on their own were unknown. The problem was how to detect them. Current space weather simulations are designed to look at “big” things (CMEs), not little vortices. These flux ropes were too small for the models to resolve. The researchers compare it to “trying to forecast a hurricane with a simulation that only shows you global weather patterns.” Since they couldn’t increase the resolution of the entire solar system (it would be computationally prohibitive), the team did something smarter: they created an ultra-high-resolution simulation “corridor,” nearly 100 times finer than previous models, centered on the path of a specific solar flare that occurred in May 2024. And then they saw them. The simulation revealed the birth mechanism of these tornadoes. It happened when the CME “crashed” into the slower solar wind in front of it. The researchers’ own analogy is perfect: it was like “watching a hurricane generate a cluster of tornadoes in its wake.” The study confirms this phenomenon for the first time through simulation. The collision between the CME and the solar wind creates an intense “current sheet.” In that area, a process called magnetic reconnection (when magnetic field lines violently break and reconfigure) “spits out” these mesoscale vortices. Why are they dangerous? The simulation demonstrated that these mesoscopic “flow ropes” are not minor phenomena. They contain magnetic fields (about 30 nanoTeslas) “strong enough to trigger a significant geomagnetic storm” on their own. The real danger is that, to our current systems, they are almost invisible. While a giant CME is an obvious and massive threat that we can track from the Sun, these “space tornadoes” that form along the way would appear, at best, as a “small blip” on monitors. We could be hit by a geomagnetic storm capable of damaging the electrical grid with little prior warning. Our best weapon. Satellite constellations. This discovery shows that our way of monitoring space weather is insufficient. Instead of single-point satellites (like the DSCOVR observatory, which can only measure what passes in front of it), we need a constellation of satellites flying in formation. Researchers have proposed a mission designed precisely for this. It would be called SWIFT (Space Weather Investigation Frontier) and it would be a constellation of four satellites flying in a tetrahedron formation, capable of measuring these vortices with precision. Only by measuring the same phenomenon from multiple points at the same time can we understand its real 3D structure and its danger. Image | NOAA, Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti and Chip Manchester In Xataka | NASA has calculated how much time we would have to prepare for a devastating solar storm and has set to work to get that time

Houses built on the sea are part of the US identity. Until climate change began to engulf them

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Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, has a problem. The Atlantic is devouring their houses. Literally. For years, the chalets raised on stilts and built on the coast were one of its most emblematic sights, but their privileged position has become a trap as the sea level rises and hurricanes occur like those that hit the area a few days ago. The result: eight houses demolished in record time. What has happened? That hurricanes Humberto and Imelda have left an unusual impression on the Outer Banksthe chain of islands that covers much of the coast of North Carolina, on the Atlantic coast of the United States, where the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Recently the virulence of the waves devastated eight houses of the area, causing them to collapse in a matter of a few days. On Tuesday, September 30, the storm struck five homes in less than an hour in Buxton (Cape Hatteras), the sixth collapsed that same night amid waves of several meters, the seventh suffered a similar fate on the first day of October and the eighth did not last much longer. The buildings were unoccupied. Why is it important? Beyond how shocking it is to see homes swept away by waves, what happened on the North Carolina coast is interesting for several reasons. To begin with, because these are not typical houses. As can be seen in the videos and photos released by C.B.S., AP, BBC either NBC The buildings were houses similar to stilt housessupported on exposed wooden piles. Hence they are a unmistakable piece of the landscape from areas like Rodanthe. Are they the first to fall? No. And that is the second reason why what happened in recent days in the Outer Banks is much more than a curiosity or a misfortune attributable to two virulent hurricanes. A quick search in the newspaper archive arrives to find similar news: two houses on wooden stilts collapsed in September 2024 in Rodanthe, another in November in the same community, another demolished in 2023 precisely because of the threat of the Atlantic waves… the list goes on and on until there are more than a dozen cases. USA Today calculate that since mid-2020, at least twenty houses have been lost throughout the Outer Banks. Very similar data handles Washington Postthat assures that during the last five years 17 buildings have collapsed in Rodanthe and Buxton alone, a list that could soon be expanded, since there are other houses that are also in a precarious situation. “It’s becoming commonplace,” he resigns Rob Young, director of a program focused on coastal studies at Western Carolina University. “It’s not a problem here. There are homes on the verge of collapse in many places.” Why do they fall? In the case of the houses that collapsed in recent days, the final trigger was the Hurricanes Humberto and Imeldabut in reality the problem is broader. Their position, the sandy nature of the terrain but above all the intensification of storms and the rise in sea level caused by climate change is leaving them in a complicated situation. The reason: coastal erosion, a phenomenon that is already is felt in Rodanthe and Buxton. How does it affect them? As I remembered last year in X the architect Pedro Torrijos, the Cape Hatteras It is already such a narrow strip of land that it is difficult not to build near the coast, but in the last 40 years erosion has acted in such a way that today there are houses that have remained practically above the sea. And so it’s a problem. Piles that were once surrounded by dunes are now sometimes covered by the ocean, affecting their foundations. In 2024 the state Department of Environmental Quality published a report which concludes that of almost 8,800 structures built facing the sea in North Carolina, 750 They are in a delicate situation due to erosion. What do the US authorities say? They are aware of the problem, they are controlling the houses that give in and explore solutions“These are typical elevated coastal-style homes, situated on stilts, with a concrete driveway, parking, and septic system. Many private properties adjacent to Rodanthe, which previously contained patio land, dunes, and dry sand, are regularly partially or completely covered with seawater,” the National Park Service acknowledges. “During severe weather events, private homes facing the sea and in vulnerable areas are hit by strong winds and large waves, which has caused homes to collapse in recent years,” recognize the agency, which has counted 21 collapsed houses since 2020 in Seashore. And what is the way out? Good question, difficult answer. There are those who have chosen raise your houses or even move them away to leave them safe from the waves (for now), but it is not a cheap solution and time is against them. Another option is for the authorities to take care of them, although it has its weaknesses: two years ago the Park Service acquired two houses in Rodanthe to demolish them and thus open an area of ​​public access to the beach. They cost him $700,000. Images | Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Flickr) and National Park Service In Xataka | Milton once again puts a big problem on the table: houses on the beach are losing their value due to climate change

If we want to know how climate change will affect the Pyrenees, you should not look at heat or level. You have to study the caves

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Sometimes we have already talked about the threat that climate change supposes for the Pyrenees, for their ecological balance and for one of the key elements in the economy of the region, skiing. The mountainous regions are vulnerable areas in the face of changes in the weather, but to discover how we do not have to look at their snow, but in their stones. 16,500 years. A new study He has studied The evolution of temperatures in the surroundings of the Pyrenees during the last 16,500 years. The study allows us to establish a correspondence between the evolution of temperatures on this natural border of the Iberian Peninsula and the evolution of the climate in other regions of the world. Almost seven degrees. One of the details emphasized by the study responsible for the study is a sharp change in the temperature of the region registered about 14,600 years: an increase of about 6.7º Celsius (with a margin of error of about 2.8º) in the temperature of the mountainous environment. This increase in temperatures corresponds to a change in the climate of the northern hemisphere that occurred during the same era and has a counterpoint: a decrease of more than six degrees occurred almost two millennia later, about 12,800 years ago, during the event known as Younger Dryastowards the end of the last glacier period. This increase in temperatures corresponds to a change in the climate of the northern hemisphere that occurred during the same era and has a counterpoint: a decrease of more than six degrees that occurred almost two millennia later, about 12,800 years ago, during the event known as Younger Dryas, towards the end of the last glacier period. Analyzing stalagmites. The study was conducted by applying A new technique It allows to extract new climatic data from the incursions of water trapped in stalagmites, the mineral deposits that are formed in numerous tests, similar to the stalactites but whose growth occurs from the bottom up. The analysis was carried out in two caves of Ostolo and Mendukilo, in the north of Navarra. According to The team stands out Responsible for the study, the new analysis allows us to “not only identify the qualitative temperature changes of the last 16,500 years, but also to offer quantitative numbers of these variations with high chronological precision.” The details of the study have been published In an article In the magazine Climate of the past. Learn for the future. The new study is proof that our environment responds “quickly and synchronized” to changes in the global climate and also does so in relatively short time scales. This can help us to prevent the local impacts of future changes in the weather with greater precision, something of unique importance in an environment already vulnerable to these alterations. “Know how the climate in the past It helps us to better understand what can happen in the future in the face of similar disturbances. So that the future predictions of the climatic models are as robust as possible need data from the past to understand how the climate has worked in the face of phenomena such as the thermhaline circulation stop or previous increases in CO2 ”, stood out in a press release Ana Moreno, co -author of the study. In Xataka | The Pyrenees have become a huge weather laboratory: torrential rains have multiplied by four in Spain Image |

Before the great fire wave in Spain, science already has a culprit of its propagation: climate change

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This 2025 It has been a devastating year for Spain and Portugal Because of the A large amount of forest fires that they have been giving, In many cases intentionallybut that were fueled without control. A new scientific analysis has concluded that the climatic crisis has played a determining role, multiplying by 40 the probability that the extreme weather conditions that fueled the flames would be given. Not just that. The study determines that these phenomena were 30% more intense than they would have been in a world without global warming. And this is important to highlight it: the study does not indicate that climate change causes fires, but they intensify their force of destruction when they make them uncontrollable more likely. Putting figures. The reportprepared by the World Weather Attribution network, put figures to a catastrophe of historical dimensions. On September 1, the fires had calcined about 380,000 hectares in Spain and 260,000 in Portugal. In total, 640,000 hectares, an area four times higher than that of London and represents approximately 1% of the surface of the Iberian Peninsula. In historical terms, for Spain 2025 it will close as the fifth year with the highest burned surface since there are records in 1961. If we are going to European, we can affirm that the worst year since The EFFIS system (European Forest Fire Information System) began registering data in 2006, with more than one million hectares calcined, being two thirds of those corresponding to Spain and Portugal. Impresses researchers. “The size of these fires has been amazing”, affirms Clair Barnes, scientist at Imperial College in London and co -author of the study. “Warmer, dry and flammable conditions are becoming more severe with climate change and are giving rise to fires of an unprecedented intensity.” And it is that the surprise is logical. According to the data they have analyzed, they point out that these extreme risk conditions for the propagation of fire will be given every 15 years with the current climate. This is something that only happened once every 500 years in the preindustrial era. An explosive cocktail. The fuel of these megaincendios was an unprecedented weather situation. The large amount of fires occurred during a heat wave in Spain that was one of the longest ever registered, with a duration of 16 days (from August 3 to 18). But it was not only the longest, but also the most intense, with an upper 4.6 ° C temperature anomaly compared to a pre -industrial climate. The impact of climate change in this extreme heat is even more pronounced. According to the analysis, a ten -day heat wave as intense as the lived is now an event that is expected once every 13 years. Before humans began to heat our environment, such a heat was extremely rare and it was only expected to happen less than once every 2,500 years. It is not just the weather. Although the report points to climate change as the great amplifier, it is not the only factor. Scientists highlight that both in Spain and Portugal, rural depopulation and population aging have left large extensions of forest land without managing, creating a massive accumulation of dry vegetation that acts as a perfect fuel. One of the examples that is put is in the decrease of traditional practices such as extensive grazing has reduced natural control over that vegetation. David García, applied mathematician of the University of Alicante and co -author of the study, points out that the public debate in Spain has focused a lot on the decline of these rural activities. It points to that “much less the effect of climate change has been discussed in these fires, which, as has been demonstrated, has been immense.” To this is added that human ignition, whether accidental or intention, is behind about 90% of fires whose causes are identified. With huge fuel loads and extreme weather conditions, minor human actions can trigger catastrophic results. The science behind. To reach these conclusions, the research team analyzed the weather conditions that the fires propitiate using the daily severity index (DSR), which is a metric derived from the Canada Fire Meteorological Index (FWI). In summary, this index combines long -term rainfall data, temperature, humidity and wind to estimate the probability and severity of a fire. In this way, the scientists compared the meteorological data observed in the current climate (which has been heated from the pre -industrial era) with a counterfactual of how these conditions would be in a climate without that warming. In this way, with the methodology used, the “footprint” of climate change in a specific extreme event can be isolated and quantified. The result. The climatic crisis is taking the ecosystems and response capacity to the limit. For the first time, Spain activated the EU Civil Protection mechanism to request help in the fight against forest fires, and now they are already raised to apply new regulations with the aim of preparing for the future that awaits our country. Images | Ume (x) Matt Palmer In Xataka | The plan to clean the air capturing as a blow of reality has just received: the earth does not have as much space as we believed

Despite drought and climate change, Andalusia is today greener than in the 90s. It is not as positive as it seems

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A few months ago we count that Spain was getting greener. We did not refer to renewablesbut to the spectacular effects of a spring Exceptionally rainy that He moved the ghosts of the past. The problem was what would happen after those rains and If the drought would call back to the door. Now we are in a totally different scenario: heat waves and, Like every summer of recent years, The fight against fires. In spite of everything, and to climate change, NASA shows that Andalusia is today more “green” than in the 90s. And it is not to be too excited. Short. Spain is a country with drastic microclimal changes on which the flora depends. In the south of the peninsula, they are the Mediterranean forests Those who occupy 26% of Andalusia and the conditions of much of the soil have made pines and holm oaks are the dominant speciesS, since they adapt well to areas without plant cover. Andalusia is a good study scenario because climate change clearly draws its effects, such as upward temperature, decline rains and increased aridity. And, as we see in Physa team of researchers has published in Ecological Indicators How these forests have responded during the last 30 years. Tools. For the analysis, the researchers used more than 5,000 satellite images captured between 1994 and 2021 obtained Thanks to Landsat 5 and Landsat 7NASA. In total, they analyzed 2,358 plots that compared with data from Google Earth Engine and created an “greenery” index measured by Ndvi. They are the acronym of ‘Standardized Difference Vegetation Index ”, a way of quantifying, through satellite images or remote sensors, how much living vegetation there is in an area. In short, it is something that indicates the amount and vigor of the vegetation, being a tool widely used in studies of agriculture, natural resources management or those associated with climate change. Black squares represent 2,358 farms analyzed. In the most dependent areas of agriculture, the effects are much more limited What do we see. In general, except red eucalyptus, all species have shown an increase in this NDVI value, something that points to sustained revergeration. In trees such as holm oaks, cork oaks and pines, the maximum moment of activity is concentrated in the soft winter months, falling in the summers. And the chestnut, which is the only deciduous species of the study, operates on the contrary. The Effects of climate change And aridity have a decisive role in these cycles, extending the activity period of the Carrasco pine and the resin in the driest places and shortening that of other pine species, such as the wild, and that of the wild olive tree. Between 1994 and 2005, the growth of these species was evident, and followed its course from 2005 to 2021, although at a more moderate speed. ¿Because? The result is that, the green territory is now greener and the conclusion is that many species have maintained or increased its green coverage. There are several explanations, and very diverse. Carrasco or Encina pine are designed to support heat and droughtwhich allows them to remain active when other species lower the activity. Here the policies of natural reforestation and regeneration have played a role, as well as global factors such as the increase in Atmospheric co₂ that would act as fertilizer. There are also factors directly related to human activity, such as a progressive abandonment of farmland in certain areas that has favored the natural regeneration of the forest, as well as changes in land use, such as the decrease in livestock pressure that reduces the degradation of the undergrowth. We have also influenced the contrary, as with a cork oak, which we extract cork periodically, limiting the regeneration of the tree. Nuances. The study is very useful to see the current situation of the Andalusian Mediterranean forest, but also to observe which are the most resilient species and those that best adapt to changing conditions and a rampant aridity. And the conclusion of the study is that things are not going well, but due to that resilience of some species and, despite the continuous increase in annual average temperatures, most species did not demonstrate a relationship between phenological metrics and that temperature increase. And, perhaps, the most important thing is that the greenest does not equals a healthier vegetation, since various factors (natural and human) intervene and we see that this revergence is nothing uniform, with a south and this drier in which the vegetation is hardly growing. But well, as researchers point out, see what species are more resistant and adapt better is something that allows you to find the best options for adequate reforestation policies, Not how we are doing in many places in Europe. Before we talked about that rainy spring that moved the ghost of drought and that summer was returning to reality. And the Recent restrictions in Galicia They are a sad sign of this. Image | José Sánchez Rodríguez and Rafael Palomo López In Xataka | Spain has been dismissing its forest firefighters in winter for years. Fire show that it may not be a good idea

The “cold stain” of the North Atlantic is one of the greatest enigmas in the oceanic climate. We may have already solved it

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There is a region of the North Atlantic that for years intrigue to experts in weather and oceanography. They call her The “cold stain” of the Atlantic And it is a small oasis in an ocean whose waters have been tempered over the years. In a matter of weeks, two studies bring us closer to the resolution of this enigma. Two studies. The two new research published in recent weeks, one in the magazine Communications Earth & Environment And the other in Sciences Advances They address the enigmatic stain and give differentiated but complicitary explanations of the oceanographic dynamics behind this cold spot on the surface of the sea. One of the central axes for both studies is The southern overturning circulation of the Atlantic (AMOC)one of the most important sea currents for the climate on both sides of the “puddle.” A cold stain. The cold stain of the Atlantic is a relatively small region of the ocean surface whose average temperature has dropped (about 0.3º Celsius) instead of ascending as has happened with most surface waters. La Mancha is located south of Greenland, not far from the coasts of Newfoundland, near the waters of the Arctic Ocean. AMOC. Both works indicated directly to the AMOC current as the centerpiece of this climate puzzle. But what is exactly AMOC? The southern overturn circulation of the Atlantic is a current connected to the thermhaline circulation that transports water from north to south and from south to north in the Atlantic Ocean. The North Atlantic the current transports through the surface layers of the ocean the warm waters of tropical latitudes towards high latitudes and the border with the Arctic. Arrival to these latitudes, the water cools and descends to the deepest layers of the ocean, where it is dragged into a current back towards the South Atlantic. This current not only transports water masses of different temperature but also of different salinity: the water of the tropics is warmer more salty than the water in the Arctic environment. A weakened current. He first of the studies He focused on the weakening of this current observed in recent years. In its analysis, the team used direct observations of the current in the last two decades with indirect measures taken throughout the last century in order to “rebuild” the changes in this circulation. They contrasted these data With predictions that different oceanographic models generated under different assumptions. According to its analysis, only a weakened AMOC current could be linked to the data corresponding to compiled observations. “It’s a very robust correlation,” explained in a press release Yuan Li, co -author of the study. “If you look at the observations and compare them with all simulations, only a monoc-debilitated scenario reproduces the cooling in this unique region.” By sea and by air. He Second study He pointed out, however, the weakening of the AMOC current may not be the only relevant factor in the appearance of the Atlantic cold stain. According to this study, the weakening would have been The initial triggerbut the cooling of the stain would have reduced in turn evaporation and moisture in the atmosphere of the region. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this would have been in turn in the reduction of this effect and therefore a regional cooling. “Reduce the greenhouse effect, so to speak, it will feed back the surface and amplify the existing cold anomaly,” also pointed to a press release Yifei Fan, co -author of this second study. In Xataka | 200,000 abandoned radioactive barrels are sought off the coast of Galicia: we have only found 1,000 Image | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Thousands of Americans want to flee from the country because of the political climate. And they have a preferential destination: Spain

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Work from A beach in Bali Or from a hidden place in Costa Rica it was an almost unattainable dream for many high qualification employees. Of those that call white collar. Then 2020 arrived and Everything changed. He Teleworking boom He created a diaspora of professionals, especially Americans, who seek to live in more friendly environments, without giving up the generous salaries offered by the US. The Iberian Peninsula has become the preferred destination in 2025 For those digital nomads. Portugal and Spain, as golden destinations. During the last year, web visitors on Expatriados Expatsi have prepared A survey to 113-363 Americans who were considering leaving the United States and working remotely from other parts of the world. 68% of them showed their preference for Europe as destination from which to work as a digital nomad. Portugal and Spain occupied the first and second place as a favorite destination, although both countries have hardened Its immigration policiesfollowed by the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ireland, France, Mexico, New Zealand and Costa Rica, which close the top 10 of destinations. Reasons for the United States. Among the reasons that the Americans argued To get out of the country It was imposed to venture into new experiences and personal growth with 61% of cases, marking a decrease of more than 10% compared to 2023. However, the perception that the US has become a country too conservative (56% of the answers) and that there is too polarized political climate (53%), have been the reasons that have grown the most during the last year. Something that has also been appreciated in the number of residence applications and American citizenship who want to leave the country In 2025. 48% of respondents ensure that one of the reasons that lead him to want to live outside the US is to avoid the threat of Weapons violence. The fourth importance in importance (with 48%) to abandon the so -called “The Land of Freedom” is, curiously, the search for “different freedoms“. Those who argue this reason ensure that they seek to move to countries in which homosexual relations (60%) and same -sex marriage are allow of cannabis They close the list of freedoms looking for those expatriates. Who wants to live in the Peninsula? The profile of digital nomads looking to leave the US in the coming months are mostly professionals with a partner (44%) and single people (28%). 28% correspond to families with children. The vast majority of candidates to become digital nomads are young between 25 and 44 years (39%). However, there is also a high number of professionals between 55 and 65 years. 30% of them have confessed that intends to retire In their destination countries. The data suggests that 68% of respondents say they want to leave as soon as possible from the US. 12% expect to be able to do it before six months, while 54% expect to do it before 2026. Spain is a country for nomads. The requirements to obtain the digital nomadic visa vary in each country. To request the digital nomad visa in Portugalthe candidate must demonstrate: Stable monthly income: equivalent to four times the Portuguese SMI (about 3,480 euros per month). Demonstible savings: at least 36,480 euros. Remote work: It must be an employee of a company outside Portugal or autonomous. Duration: The initial visa lasts one year and can be renewed annually. For its part, the Requirements for digital nomads in Spain They are somewhat more lax: Monthly income: equivalent to 200% of the monthly Spain SMI, so stable income of at least 2,368 euros per month must be accredited. Remote work: demonstrate a employment relationship with a foreign company or international clients, with minimum age of 3 months and demonstrable professional experience of at least 3 years. Legal requirements: Not having a criminal record and having a valid private insurance in Spain. Duration: The validity of the visa is one year, but you can request extenders until five years. In Xataka | Digital nomadic visas: the countries hook to attract the best digital talent without paying the cost to keep them Image | Unspash (Anastasiia Nelen)

They had an extreme climate chaos

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If we say Transylvania, the historical region of the center of Romania, possibly the first thing that comes to mind are vampires or Dracula’s castle that Bram Stoker raised after his 1897 novel. We have already told him, in any case, myths about vampires They come from a real blood disorderbut if the people really feared Transilvano It was not his legends, it was something tangible they suffered in their flesh. An unprecedented climate chaos. Transylvania newspaper: chaos. A team of researchers in Romania has analyzed Historical documents 500 years ago to rebuild climatic effects of the Small ice age In Transylvania. This global cooling period, which covered from the fourteenth century to the mid -nineteenth century, brought hungry, pests and social conflicts throughout Europe. However, the newspapers and chronicles of the time have revealed unknown details. The writings suggest that their effects were not simultaneous in all regions. The findings, Published in Frontiers In Climate magazinehighlight how the inhabitants of Transylvania experienced and responded to drastic and chaotic climatic changes. The small ice age. To get an idea, The small ice age It was a period in which the average temperature of the northern hemisphere It descended approximately 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius). Although the exact causes are still discussed, it is believed that factors such as the decrease in solar activity, the increase in volcanism and alterations in atmospheric circulation contributed to this phenomenon. In several parts of the world, glaciers advanced and crops failed, which caused famines and revolts. In other regions, climate chaos even fed the persecution of legends like witchessince people were looking for guilty to explain their suffering. The study newspaper Historical documents to the climate past. Scientists often rebuild the climate of the past from natural archives, as ice coressediment samples and pollen records. However, these called as files of societywhich include chronicles, inscriptions and daily, offer a human perspective on how these events were lived. In The specific studyThe researchers examined documents written by people who lived in the Transylvania of the 16th century. The records indicate that the first half of the century was unusually warm and dry. A 1540 testimony describes an extreme drought: “The springs dried, and the rivers were reduced to small water threads. The cattle fell in the fields and the air was loaded with despair while people gathered in processions, praying for rain. ” A story that illustrates the deep emotional and spiritual impact of extreme climatic conditions. The second half of the century brought heavy rains and a flood of floods, especially in the 1590s. Interestingly, while other parts of Europe already experienced a strong cooling associated with the small ice age, transilvan documents record that The extreme heat was more frequent than the cold. This suggests that global cooling could have been manifested later in this region, a hypothesis backed by subsequent writings that mention severe winters and cold waves. Climatic catastrophes and transformations. Following the text revealed by scientists, Extreme climatic fluctuations triggered chain disastersincluding black plague outbreaks, prolonged famine and lobster invasions that devastated agriculture. To be more exact, 30 years of plague, 23 years of famine and nine years of lobster invasions. Scientists suggest that these events They could have influenced the settlement patterns of the region. How the people of Transylvania responded. The study indicates that The inhabitants of Transylvania could have responded to these climatic challenges with changes in their infrastructure and agricultural strategies. Some cities probably adopted flood -resistant constructions or migrated to more favorable areas. Also Climate instability may promote technological innovationsas improvements in food irrigation and storage systems. Limitations and value of documents. Despite its value, the work presents certain limitations. For example and as the researchers remember, the low literacy rate in the 16th century implies that These documents mainly reflect the perspective of an educated elite. In addition, records are fragmented and can be subjective, limited to local experiences. However, the authors emphasize that The combination of natural archives and historical writings is essential to understand the impact of the climate In human history. Analyzing how the societies of the past faced extreme climatic events not only allows to rebuild the past, but also offers clues about how current and future climatic changes could affect modern communities. Image | Gaceu et al., 2024. Pexels, Hersson Piratoba In Xataka | In 536 the sun began to shine less than the moon. The small ice age began then began In Xataka | A meteorological phenomenon is the only thing that separates Europe from its next “ice age”: amoc

A study has simulated what would happen on Earth if Asteroid Bennu ends up impacting in 2182. The climate we know would not exist

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The chances of crashing an asteroid of “large” category on our planet They are, on average, 0.001%. Therefore, everything that begins to raise that figure begins to be “less” normal. Hence Let’s talk about 2024 YR4 and its 1.6%. That said, and although there are less possibilities that it will occur, due to its size, The Bennu Asteroid It would be one of the most dangerous of the solar system. How much? That is precisely what they wanted to find out in South Korea. Potentially dangerous. The Bennu Asteroid, an object close to the land of approximately 0.5 kilometers in diameter, has been identified as one of the greatest known space threats. His orbit brings him closer to our planet every six years, and although the risk of impact is extremely low (right now it is 0.037%), the possibility of colliding with the Earth on September 24, 2182 has led the scientific community to the scientific community analyze in depth its possible effects. An unprecedented recent study, Posted in Science Advances By researchers at the IBS Institute of Climate Physics of the National University of Pusan ​​in South Korea, it has modeled for the first time the climatic and ecological consequences of an impact of a medium -sized asteroid such as Bennu. The results, of course, are not the best. The legacy of an ancient asteroid. Scientists believe that Bennu detached himself from a larger asteroid, rich in carbon, between 700 million and two billion years ago, progressively approaching the Earth’s orbit. Its composition is of great scientific interest for a simple and fascinating reason: contains key elements for lifewhat motivated NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission to explore it in 2020 and bring samples to Earth in 2023. However, and beyond its scientific value, Bennu represents a real risk that, although unlikely, cannot be ignored. Impact simulation. As explained in the study, South Korean researchers designed Detailed models to analyze how that possible impact of Bennu would affect climate, biodiversity and food security. What did they find? The most extreme scenario revealed that the impact would inject into the atmosphere between 100 and 400 million tons of dust. In other words, more graphic: it would block sunlight and plunge the planet in abrupt cooling. As for the effects, the simulation showed a certainty: They would be global and devastating. Namely: reduction in the average planet temperature in up to 4 ° C, a decrease comparable to the eras glaciers, 15% drop in rainfall, affecting the water supply and agriculture, loss of 32% of the ozone layer , exposing life on Earth to dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation, and the decrease in photosynthesis by 20-30%, both in terrestrial and sailor ecosystems, which would cause a serious crisis in food production. In short, these combined effects would trigger, according to the study, A winter of impact that would last between three and four yearscausing global famine and an ecological crisis of enormous proportions. Comparison with past events. While a Bennu impact would be devastating, the truth is that the earth has faced major threats. The best known event occurred 66 million years ago, When an asteroid of 10 kilometers in diameter hit what is now Chicxulub, Mexicocausing the extinction of dinosaurs and climatic alterations that endured thousands of years. In comparison, Bennu is significantly smaller, but large enough to cause mass destruction and deeply alter the biosphere. Not just that. Other studies suggest that medium -sized asteroids such as bennu collide with the earth approximately every 100,000 to 200,000 years, indicating that Our prehistoric ancestors could have experienced similar events with impact on human evolution and global biodiversity. Impact on the oceans. Despite the catastrophic effects, Bennu’s impact could generate an unexpected reaction on the oceans. The iron released in the stratosphere would be deposited in the sea, stimulating the proliferation of phytoplankton and zooplanktonessential organisms for the marine food chain. According to the study, while land ecosystems would take two to three years to recover, Marine life could recover in just six monthsand even exceed their levels prior to the impact due to the increase in nutrients. Planetary Defense Strategies. Despite the low impact risk, NASA and other space agencies work on the development of planetary defense technologies. For example, the Dart mission (Double Asteroid Redirection Test)carried out in 2022, he successfully demonstrated the human ability to divert the trajectory of an asteroid, opening the door to future mitigation strategies. And besides Bennu, there are other more immediate threats. For example and as we have explained these days, Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 1.6% probability of impacting the Earth in 2032which reinforces the need to continue with research and develop effective prevention systems. What does seem clear to this last study is that not only reveals the vulnerability of our planet to cosmic events, but also highlights that need to advance surveillance and planetary defense technology. While the possibility that Bennu or any other asteroid impact the earth is minimal, geological history demonstrates that events of this type have shaped the evolution of life and could happen again in the future. Image | Ghost presentNASA In Xataka | All DNA bases and 14 of 20 amino acids: NASA has found molecules linked to life in Bennu samples In Xataka | Physicists have been looking for a fundamental “fifth strength.” Bennu may have approached us to find her

Severe climate will cause rains with sudden floods in southern US

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He southern United States It is under threat of severe climate For a storm system that is expected to move from southern California to Texas on Wednesday, causing rain and possible sudden floods. Santa Barbara County recorded the greatest amount of rain, with 2.23 inches, earlier this week, while Los Angeles recorded 1.62 inches and Santa Monica 1.38 inches. The west storm will reappear in the states of the southern plains late on Wednesday afternoon and during the night, with Possible severe climate in the center and north of Texas, including Dallas. In addition, this storm system will bring very strong rains and threat of sudden floods from Texas to western Kentucky, including Dallas, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee and Paducah, Kentucky. At the local level, some areas could see more than 4 inches of rain, which will cause sudden floods on Thursday, said ABC News. Winds and snow to the northern US Several fast -movement storm systems combined with the lake effect will bring strong winds and snow to parts of the great lakes and the northeast from today to Thursday. Early Tuesday, a snowstorm storm warning was issued for Syracuse, New York, where visibility was falling almost zero in some places. At least five states were this morning under snow and wind alerts from the west to the northeast. The most intense snowfall and the strongest winds will occur from northern Michigan to west of Pennsylvania and New York and northern New Englandwhere 30 cm of snow with wind bursts close to 96 km/h are predicted locally. In some of these most intense snow bands, bleaching conditions may occur. Further south and east, in the I-95 corridor, it is possible that they fall between 2.5 and 2.5 cm of snow from the Hudson Valley in New York to Connecticut and Massachusetts. Boston and Hartford could see snowfall. Continue reading:• Winter storm causes historical snowfall in Panhandle in Florida• More than 2,000 flights canceled by historic snowstorm that plagues southern US• Winter storms whip the northeast delaying holiday trips (Tagstotranslate) Winter climate

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