Volume 5 Issue 3, March 2024

Growing awareness of environmental risks and mounting regulatory and consumer pressure have driven unprecedented demand for environmental science expertise in the corporate sector. Recruiting skilled individuals with academic backgrounds and fostering collaboration among businesses, research institutions, universities and environmental professionals are vital for enhancing environmental knowledge and capability in companies.

To explore career opportunities outside of academia, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment interviewed Tim Armitage about their career path from a postdoctoral researcher to a geoscience consultant at the British Geological Survey.

To explore career opportunities outside of academia, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment interviewed Sandra Snæbjörnsdóttir about their career path from postdoctoral researcher to Chief Scientist at Carbfix.

To explore career opportunities outside of academia, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment interviewed Sarah Clancy about their career path from a postdoctoral researcher to a technical policy advisor at Northumbrian Water.

Sandy Castellano explains how multiparameter meters are a quick and cost-effective method to monitor water quality in estuaries.

Hao Ding outlines the use of compact inverse Compton scattering sources to study the characteristics of radionuclides that can damage the environment.

With continued anthropogenic warming, an ice-free Arctic (sea ice area <1 million km²) is inevitable. This Review outlines the various characteristics of an ice-free Arctic, highlighting that future emission trajectories will determine where, how frequently and how long the Arctic will be ice free each year.

Drainage divides — the topographic boundary separating surface water flow — are dynamic features of the Earth’s surface that shape hydrological processes, sediment transport, carbon cycles and geographic connectivity of ecosystems. This Review explores the dynamics of divide migration and its implications.

The different contributions of long-term and short-term variability to the evolution of ice sheets lead to substantial uncertainties in ice sheet models. This Review describes the response of ice sheets to oceanic, atmospheric and hydrological processes across a range of timescales.

Moderate drought occurs widely, impacting crop yield. This Review discusses crop traits that can confer drought tolerance, the role of the environment and management, and how crop models predict their potential impact on yield.