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The Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) underwent dramatic changes over the Holocene, impacting global sea levels. In this Review, Jones et al. discuss changes in this ice sheet during the pre-industrial Holocene. The drivers behind these past changes are explored, as well as their relevance for current and future changes in the AIS.
Black carbon is produced by wildfire and fossil fuel burning, and persists in the environment over centuries to millennia. This Review describes black carbon sources and budgets, discusses its transport along the land-to-ocean continuum and highlights its enigmatic cycling in the ocean.
Biochar is a promising negative carbon emission technology with applications in wastewater pollution control. This Review assesses the performance of engineered biochar in various industrial, municipal and stormwater treatments, and discusses the partnerships required for biochar commercialization.
Clay minerals can retain metal ions, concentrate rare earth elements and be exploited for industrial waste disposal. This Review discusses the molecular-level mechanisms of metal ion retention in clay minerals and their importance for environmental and industrial applications.
Atmospheric warming has imbalanced the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalayan system (the Asian water tower (AWT)). Yao et al. review observed changes in atmospheric water and freshwater AWT constituents, focusing on their future consequences for freshwater resources and vulnerable societies across downstream basins.
Vegetation dynamics can be tracked using remotely sensed vegetation indices, but these metrics can result in conflicting conclusions. This Technical Review details the history, application and potential pitfalls associated with vegetation indices and makes recommendations for their best use.
Atmospheric aerosols alter Earth’s radiation balance and serve as cloud condensation nuclei, but their climate forcing potential is poorly understood. This Review describes the occurrence of aerosols in the atmosphere, assesses the known impact on climate and proposes approaches to further constrain their climate effects.
Tropical peatlands hold around 105 gigatonnes of carbon but are increasingly affected by anthropogenic activities. This Review describes the biogeochemistry of these systems and how deforestation, fire, drainage and agriculture are disturbing them.
Atmospheric transport of microplastics could be a major source of plastic pollution to the ocean, yet observations currently remain limited. This Perspective quantifies the known budgets of the marine-atmospheric micro(nano)plastic cycle and proposes a future global observation strategy.
The size and shape of alluvial river channels control and adjust to the flow of water and sediment, with consequences for flooding and ecological habitat. This Perspective examines how the sediment entrainment threshold constrains the size, shape and dynamics of alluvial rivers.
The planetary boundaries framework outlines a safe operating space for humanity according to key Earth system dynamics. This Perspective proposes the addition of a green water planetary boundary based on root-zone soil moisture and demonstrates that widespread green water modifications now present increasing risks to Earth system resilience.
The Chicxulub impact 66 million years ago caused catastrophic environmental changes, leading to the extinction of three-quarters of plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs. This Review explores how the Chicxulub impact structure provides insight into cratering processes and events leading to the Cretaceous–Palaeogene extinction.
Plastic debris and microplastics are ubiquitous in the Arctic. This Review describes the sources, distribution and consequences of this pollution, and calls for immediate action to mitigate further ecosystem impact.
Enhanced drought frequency and magnitude have impacted tree mortality, leading to multiple examples of regional-scale dieback. This Review outlines the mechanisms leading to mortality, including carbon starvation and hydraulic failure.
The use of organophosphate esters as flame retardants and plasticizers has increased, leading to their environmental pervasiveness. This Review describes the transport and distribution of these organic pollutants in the ocean and highlights the potential impacts on biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem health.
Mercury is emitted by anthropogenic activities and accumulates in the Arctic. This Review presents a mercury budget for the Arctic, describing fluxes and cycling.
Arctic deltas are ice-dominated systems that modulate river fluxes from permafrost terrain to the ocean. This Review provides an overview of the controls, seasonality and processes that give Arctic deltas their unique morphodynamics and the influence of climate change on their future evolution.
The mechanisms that sustain Earth’s long-lived geodynamo remain under scrutiny. This Review assesses the potential candidates—convection, precession and tides—revealing that convection, possibly helped by the exsolution of light elements, is the most likely scenario.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has a key role in the climate system. This Review documents AMOC variability since 1980, revealing periods of decadal-scale weakening and strengthening that differ between the subpolar and subtropical regions.
At the Permian–Triassic boundary (252 million years ago), a series of environmental crises triggered by the Siberian Traps eruptions caused the extinction of 81–94% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate families. This Review discusses the relationships between volcanism, environmental perturbations and ecosystem collapse at the Permian–Triassic boundary.
