Research Papers
Peer-reviewed research papers and academic studies on climate change
Research that captures a changing world
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02623-yThis month marks 15 years since the first publication of Nature Climate Change. Here, we reflect on how both the world and...
15 years of change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02610-3Since Nature Climate Change was launched, not only has the journal itself changed but so have the subjects of the studies we...
A hybrid IoT-Hadoop-blockchain architecture for decentralized MRV and carbon data governance
Accurate, transparent, and scalable Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of greenhouse-gas emissions is foundational to credible climate governance, yet prevailing systems remain fragmented, low-frequency, and vulnerable to manipulation. This paper...
Decomposing Earthquake Moment Tensors Using PâWave First Motion: Insights Into Global Events With Significant NonâDoubleâCouple Components
Abstract The decomposition of earthquake moment tensors into isotropic and deviatoric components is standard in seismology. The deviatoric part is further separated into doubleâcouple (DC) and nonâdoubleâcouple (NDC) components, with...
DynamicallyâInformed Extreme Event Attribution Using Circulation Imprints
Abstract We present a novel extreme event attribution approach, isolating dynamical from other contributions to changing extreme event probability. Eventâspecific, multivariate circulation imprints are linked to impactârelevant hazard indices in...
SatelliteâBased Detection of Methane Emissions From Permafrost Peatland Warming
Abstract Columnâaveraged methane (XCH4) observations spanning 2018â2023 by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinelâ5 Precursor satellite are assessed for evidence of methane (CH4) emissions from permafrost regions. Biâmonthly...
Multidecadal SST Variability Assessed as Primarily Forced in the Atlantic and Internal in the Pacific Using Rotated LowâFrequency Component Analysis
Abstract Whether multidecadal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the Atlantic and Pacific basins originates internally or is externally forced has long been debated. Here, we apply a novel Rotated...
Nonlinear ConvectionâSST Sensitivity as a Bridge for the Asymmetric LowâLevel Wind Response to ENSO
Abstract Observations and model simulations reveal that El NiĂąo generates stronger westerly anomalies than the easterlies induced by La NiĂąa. Here we show that this asymmetry arises from the nonlinear...
How do students and pre-service teachers perceive the climate crisis and global warming through the IPCC Lens?
Conceptual clarity in climate-related terminology is essential for enabling individuals to accurately interpret environmental phenomena and develop well-grounded attitudes. Despite growing scholarly attention to climate perceptions, comparative studies examining how...
Correction: Digital transformation in climate change management: tools for managing droughts, floods, and frost in South America: a systematic review
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Versatile SMAD2 and SMAD3 epitopeâtagged mouse models for genomic profiling of TGFβ signaling: Uncovering GDF9âSMAD2/3 targets
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceOur study reports the generation and characterization of two mouse models in which endogenous SMAD2 and SMAD3...
Regulation of STK38 by autophagy governs YAP1 activity during paligenosis
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceDuring tissue repair, mature, specialized cells can revert to a stem cellâlike state via cellular programs like...
Biomechanical anticoagulation by spherical platelets in extracorporeal systems
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceExtracorporeal life support currently relies on systemic anticoagulant drugs to keep circuits patent, but these drugs inevitably...
Co-opting the bacterial lipoprotein pathway for the biosynthesis of lipidated macrocyclic peptides
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceRibosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a superfamily of natural products that display antibiotic, antifungal,...
Cellular antibody affinityâbased CRISPR screening identifies JUNB as a broadly acting antiviral factor
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceCRISPR screens enable the identification of genes that contribute to specific phenotypes. Traditional virus-focused CRISPR screens rely...
The low-density lipoprotein receptor LDLR mediates cellular entry of nonenveloped hepatitis A virus
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceSubstantial controversy has surrounded the entry of nonenveloped hepatitis A virus (nHAV) into cells. Early studies suggested...
Species range shifts often speed ahead of their modeled climatic niches
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificancePredicting how and where species will move as climate changes is crucial for protecting biodiversity. Scientists often...
Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy reveals complex organicâmineral assemblages in asteroid Bennu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceSamples returned from asteroid Bennu provide a rare opportunity to study the earliest solar system materials in...
Dermcidin has antiviral activity and protects against influenza
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceThis study identifies dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide previously found in sweat, as a key factor in innate...
The audience shapes the information content of the honey bee waggle dance
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceWe show that the honey bee waggle dance changes depending on how many followers a dancer has...
Recent extremes in Antarctic sea ice extent modulated by ocean heat ventilation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceAntarctic sea ice is an integral component of the climate system, regulating heat and CO2exchange between the...
RETRACTION: Quantitative Prediction of Type II Solar Radio Emission From the Sun to 1 AU
Abstract RETRACTION: J.M. Schmidt and I.H. Cairns, âQuantitative Prediction of Type II Solar Radio Emission from the Sun to 1 AU,â Geophysical Research Letters 43, no. 1 (2016): 50â57, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL067271....
Application of Data Assimilation Methods to Reconstruct the 3â5 December 2015 Etna Eruption
Abstract The assessment of volcanic hazards is crucial to develop effective emergency plans, especially for volcanoes close to urban areas or under air traffic routes. Impact assessment for expected scenarios...
ObservationâInformed Machine Learning Convective Scheme: A New Training Strategy
Abstract Machine learning (ML)âbased schemes face challenges in online stability and biases because of the accumulated errors during longâterm integrations. Here, we propose a new ML training strategy for the...
Projected Changes of Mesoscale Eddy Activity in Subantarctic Mode Water Formation Regions
Abstract Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) plays a vital role in the uptake of heat and carbon, thereby regulating global climate. Mesoscale eddies affect modeâwater subduction and transport in the Southern...
Observations and Simulation of Thermospheric Composition Changes During the 14 October 2023 Solar Eclipse
Abstract This study presents a fullâperiod imaging of the thermospheric composition response to the 14 October 2023 annular solar eclipse, combining GOLD (Globalâscale Observations of the Limb and Disk) farâultraviolet...
Nitrate Distribution in Pacific Winter Water Along the Northern Edge of the Chukchi Sea
Abstract Nutrientârich, Pacificâorigin winter water (PWW) is a primary source of nitrate for the western Arctic Ocean, spurring primary production at the base of the food web. This cold water...
PostâHiatus Enhancement of ENSO Forecast Skill via SalinityâMediated IndoâPacific InterâBasin Coupling
Abstract The El NiĂąoâSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) predictability has notably declined since the 1998â2013 global warming hiatus, challenging conventional sea surface temperature (SST)âbased forecast models. We identify sea surface salinity (SSS)...
Constraining the Relative Chronology of Repeated Large Earthquakes in the Longmen Shan Thrust Belt, Eastern Tibetan Plateau
Abstract The YingxiuâBeichuan Fault Zone (YBFZ), located in the Longmen Shan Thrust Belt (LSTB) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, is highly seismically active. However, direct evidence of large earthquakes at...
Meridional Currents of the Equatorial Electrojet
Abstract The equatorial electrojet (EEJ) is a prominent eastward geomagnetic current flowing at the dayside magnetic dip equator, peaking just before noon. Associated meridional currents also flow perpendicular to the...
Training thermodynamic computers by gradient descent
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. SignificanceAs modern computing becomes limited by energy consumption, there is growing interest in physical computing paradigms that...
Lone black holes promise fresh insights into the fates of massive stars
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026.
What is quantum biology?
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026. Quantum biology is the field at the intersection of quantum-related physics and the biology of living systems....
In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 14, April 2026.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): emerging markets as a decarbonization breakthrough, and collaborative challenges in global climate governance
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is increasingly recognized as a critical pathway for decarbonizing the carbon-intensive aviation sector amid escalating climate governance pressures. Current technological development follows a pattern: short-term optimization...
Observed global increases in tropical cyclone rapid acceleration and deceleration events
Understanding tropical cyclonesâ (TCs) forward motion is important in assessing the duration of storm impact. TCs do not travel at a constant speed but rather speed up (accelerate) or slow...
Arctic sustainability: perspectives on research advances and emerging agenda from a decade of Arctic-FROST coordination network
Arctic sustainability: perspectives on research advances and emerging agenda from a decade of Arctic-FROST coordination network
Enhancing climate mitigation: photovoltaic deployment as a complement to afforestation
Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) deployment and afforestation represent vital climate change mitigation strategies, yet the climate mitigation potential of PV deployment in regions where afforestation is constrained remains understudied. Using the...
Climate risks of global deployed solar photovoltaic systems
Solar photovoltaics (PV) are vital to the global energy transition, yet their climate resilience remains poorly understood. Existing projections typically evaluate theoretical PV power generation potential (PsolarPV) across all land...
Extreme events and the insurance industry in a changing climate
Extreme weather losses are increasing worldwide, driven by a combination of growth in socioeconomic exposure and hazards influenced by climate change. This trend is acutely felt in the insurance and...
Discrepancy in the sign of temperature trends in reanalysis datasets
Reanalysis datasets provide spatially and temporally complete climate fields and are widely used as observational surrogates. Temperature trends from these datasets underpin numerous geoscience studies, yet the alignment of their...
General and selective nickel-electrocatalyzed cross-electrophile C*(sp2)âC(sp2) coupling
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 13, March 2026. SignificanceC(sp2)âC(sp2) bonds are pivotal in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and functional organic/polymeric materials. Thus, developing robust, efficient methods...
Summers over land and ocean are becoming longer, transitioning faster, and accumulating more heat
The timing and length of summer weather conditions in the midlatitudes matter due to connections with extreme weather events, plant and animal phenology, economic productivity, human and ecosystem health, drought...
Determining the influence of water availability for photosynthetic life in Antarctica: a systematic review
Antarctica is paradoxically the driest continent on the planet, despite holding most of the Earthâs freshwater. In these conditions, water availability governs distribution, health, and survival of vegetation on the...
The m5C orchestrator NSUN7 drives SPARC/HMGB1 axisâmediated inflammation to exacerbate kidney injury
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 13, March 2026. SignificanceRNA modifications like 5-methylcytosine (m5C) are emerging as critical regulators of inflammation, but their functional role in...
Oseltamivir aziridines are potent influenza neuraminidase inhibitors and imaging agents
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 13, March 2026. SignificanceInfluenza remains a major global health threat. We introduce oseltamivir-based aziridines that unite transition-state mimicry for tight...
A Shape Optimization Approach for Inferring Sources of Volcano Ground Deformation
Abstract One of the main goals of volcano geodesy is to improve the understanding of how an increase in pressure related to magma accumulation causes ground deformation in order to...
Could Narrow Bipolar Events Serve as a Distinct Lightning Proxy for Revealing Overshooting Thunderclouds Development?
Abstract Narrow bipolar events (NBEs) are often generated in overshooting thunderclouds (OT) penetrating the stratosphere. However, how and under what conditions OT produces such discharges remains unclear. With 3âyear lightning...