Nature Reviews Earth & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Reply to ‘The challenge of defining effectively no snow’","authors":"Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, Benjamin J. Hatchett, Alan M. Rhoades","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00826-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00826-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 10","pages":"756-756"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A biological carbon pump code of practice for high seas fisheries","authors":"Emma L. Cavan, Angela H. Martin, David G. Reid, André W. Visser, Jérôme Pinti, Gaël Mariani, Samuel P. S. Rastrick, Katherine Wright, Harriet Harden-Davies","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00825-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00825-8","url":null,"abstract":"Fishing has long been a concern to ocean ecosystems, but it can also impact the carbon cycle by disturbing the biological carbon pump (BCP). This Comment discusses whether a ‘BCP fisheries code of practice’ could and should be developed to incentivize natural resource management mechanisms that protect the BCP.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 10","pages":"649-650"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochar beyond incrementalism","authors":"Xiaokai Zhang, Meththika Vithanage, Hailong Wang, Stephen Joseph, James A. Ippolito, Lukas van Zwieten, Feng He","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00824-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00824-9","url":null,"abstract":"Biochar applications can help mitigate climate change, improve soil health and support a circular economy. Reducing production costs and safety risks, maximizing design and co-benefits, and scaling up to the carbon markets are key priorities in realizing this potential.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 10","pages":"651-652"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice properties and processes","authors":"Melinda A. Webster, Stefanie Arndt, Angela Bliss, Sahra Kacimi, Ted Maksym, François Massonnet, Aku Riihelä, Takenobu Toyota","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00816-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00816-9","url":null,"abstract":"Although sea ice covers only ~9% of the world’s oceans, its presence and absence greatly alter the energetic balance of Earth’s climate. Owing to geographic differences, Arctic and Antarctic sea ice have different dominant properties and processes, which in turn produce different responses to natural climate variability and anthropogenic climate change. This Review surveys the changes in sea-ice properties and processes of the Arctic and Antarctic environments. The Arctic melt season has lengthened by ~7.4 days per decade during 1979–2024, alongside decreases in winter sea-ice thickness (1.6 m mean total over 1980–2023), summer surface albedo (0.03 per decade over 1979–2020) and spring snow depth (2.5 cm per decade over 1954–2024). Changes in the Antarctic are smaller than those in the Arctic owing to contrasting regional and temporal trends. From a dynamic perspective, sea-ice motion in both hemispheres has increased, by 0.63 cm s–1 per decade in the Arctic (1978–2024) and 0.69 cm s–1 per decade in the Antarctic (1982–2024), whereas trends in polynya occurrence differ by region. This Review highlights major knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for joint model-observation efforts to improve understanding of sea ice and its role in Earth’s climate system. Sea ice modulates the energy exchange between the atmosphere and ocean through complex, time-varying processes. This Review describes changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice properties and processes, discusses the future sea-ice environment and provides recommendations to improve understanding of sea ice and its role in Earth’s changing climate.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 10","pages":"688-707"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The challenge of defining effectively no snow","authors":"Adrienne M. Marshall, Timothy E. Link","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00819-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00819-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 9","pages":"647-647"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148904392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photochemical interactions between iron minerals and dissolved organic matter","authors":"Jingjing Wang \u0000 (, ), Hailiang Dong \u0000 (, ), Georges Ona-Nguema, Juan Liu \u0000 (, ), Qiaohui Fan \u0000 (, ), Ping Li \u0000 (, ), Zhao Huang \u0000 (, ), Jingxiong Zhou \u0000 (, ), Fan Chen \u0000 (, ), Xiaoquan Liu \u0000 (, ), Yanru Liang \u0000 (, ), Yuheng Wang \u0000 (, )","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00814-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00814-x","url":null,"abstract":"Interactions between iron minerals and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are ubiquitous across environmental systems, but the global effects of photochemical synergies between DOM and iron minerals in surface environments remain to be comprehensively elucidated. Contrary to the assumption that minerals primarily stabilize organic matter, iron minerals also control the release, conversion and mineralization of associated organic carbon through dissolution, phase evolution and photo-oxidation. Concurrently, DOM modulates the photoreduction, transformation and reactivity of iron minerals via light-mediated electron transfer and photochemically generated reactive oxygen species. These mineral–organic interactions are shaped by environmental variables and molecular characteristics that exert a marked influence on the mobility, speciation and transformation of associated contaminants, particularly at dynamic environmental interfaces. This Review focuses on the reactivity, vulnerability and spatial heterogeneity of iron and carbon pools in response to solar radiation and provides an update on how light shapes the coupling of iron and carbon cycles in terrestrial and aquatic surface systems. Field observations integrated with laboratory experiments, and advanced analytical techniques could enable the photochemistry of iron minerals and DOM to provide a framework for improved understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of iron, carbon and contaminants, refining carbon budgets and informing sustainable remediation strategies. Iron minerals and dissolved organic matter contribute to elemental cycling, contaminant dynamics and biogeochemical processes. This Review provides an update on iron mineral–dissolved organic matter photochemistry and highlights research priorities that could improve climate model predictions, the accuracy of carbon budgets and understanding of contaminant behaviour under sunlight.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 9","pages":"591-611"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148904447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Suspended particulate matter along the land–ocean continuum","authors":"Michael Fettweis, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Saumya Silori, Nathan Terseleer, Duc Tran, Louise Delhaye, Luz Amadei Martinez, Auria Brun, Koen Sabbe, Maarten De Rijcke, Byung Joon Lee, Rolf Riethmüller, Xiaoteng Shen, Romaric Verney, Ho Kyung Ha, Xavier Desmit","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00815-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00815-w","url":null,"abstract":"Suspended particulate matter (SPM) — composed of interacting minerals and organic matter — influences the transport and fate of carbon, nutrients and contaminants in all natural aquatic environments. In this Review, we synthesize physical, sedimentological and biogeochemical evidence to explore how and why SPM concentration, composition and size vary along the land–ocean continuum. Despite the large variability in SPM characteristics, its concentration is robustly correlated with its composition, size, density and settling velocity. In general, organic matter content and floc size increase with decreasing SPM concentration. In addition, flocs are small and consist mostly of minerals in turbidity maximum zones, with particle size and organic matter content increasing as waters become clearer. SPM concentrations also influence carbon partitioning, with the ratio of particulate to dissolved organic carbon increasing with SPM concentration. Therefore, SPM concentrations can reflect a combination of physical and biogeochemical processes and ecosystem properties. Climate change and human activities, such as dam construction and land use change, are perturbing SPM dynamics, with implications for wetland stability, contaminant mobility and carbon export and sequestration. Future research should prioritize in situ and remote sensing observations to constrain anthropogenic perturbations of SPM dynamics in natural systems and improve understanding of the implications for sediment accretion or erosion, pollutant mobility and the carbon cycle. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) influences the transport and fate of carbon and environmental contaminants in natural aquatic systems. This Review explores SPM dynamics along the land–ocean continuum and discusses how human activities and climate change might affect its role in the carbon cycle and sediment transport.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 10","pages":"708-724"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity, biogeography and assembly mechanisms of groundwater microbiomes","authors":"Zongzhi Wu, Daliang Ning, Matthew W. Fields, Terry C. Hazen, Paul D. Adams, Adam P. Arkin, Jizhong Zhou","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00813-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00813-y","url":null,"abstract":"As the largest available freshwater resource, groundwater provides water for drinking and agricultural irrigation to billions of people worldwide. Subsurface environments are estimated to host over 30% of all microorganisms on Earth, with microbial communities having important roles in various groundwater processes. Discoveries of diverse and novel lineages of archaea, bacteria, microeukaryotes and viruses in groundwater have highlighted the key contributions of groundwater microbiomes to elemental cycling, contaminant degradation, pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance. In this Review, we summarize the diversity and composition of prokaryotic, microeukaryotic and viral communities in groundwater, and describe the complex interactions between these different microbial groups. Groundwater microbiomes exhibit distinct biogeographic patterns, with key differences and similarities across groundwater types and other habitats. The community assembly of microorganisms across different groundwater environments is driven primarily by stochastic processes, whereas deterministic processes caused by environmental stress further modulate community structure and function. With regard to their function, groundwater microbiomes have crucial roles in shaping ecosystem functioning, including biogeochemical cycling, water quality and One Health. Finally, we highlight several future prospects for research to harness microbiomes as eco-sustainable solutions for groundwater restoration and protection in a changing world. Groundwater hosts a vast array of microbiomes that are essential to global water quality and ecosystem function. This Review discusses the diversity, biogeography and community assembly of the groundwater microbiome, and explores its role in biogeochemical cycling and sustainable groundwater management.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 9","pages":"570-590"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148904393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethical considerations for geohazard digital twins","authors":"Ramon Carbonell, Jörn Behrens, Cedric Bhihe, Flavio Cannavo, Arnau Folch, Steven J. Gibbons, Marisol Monterrubio-Velasco","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00811-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00811-0","url":null,"abstract":"Digital twin prototypes now exist for assessing and aiding disaster response to geophysical hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and earthquakes. We propose a systematic assessment framework to help determine the accuracy, transparency, reproducibility, and accountability of machine learning components within these emerging prototypes.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 8","pages":"489-490"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148696685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use, fate and environmental impacts of plastic films in agriculture","authors":"Jiamin Zeng, Xiaoping Wang, Jie Wang, Huike Dong, Yunqiao Zhou, Matthew MacLeod, Ian T. Cousins, Yanming Li, Xinghui Xia, Martine Graf, Davey L. Jones, Xuejun Liu","doi":"10.1038/s43017-026-00808-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43017-026-00808-9","url":null,"abstract":"Plastic agricultural films (PAFs) are widely used to enhance crop productivity, with global use projected to reach 9–14 million tonnes (Mt) per year by 2030. However, their use has led to contamination of soils with microplastics (MPs), nanoplastics and associated chemical additives. In this Review, we synthesize evidence on the global use of PAFs, their environmental fate and strategies to enhance their sustainable application. PAFs deliver substantial agronomic benefits, enhancing crop yields by 7–48% and soil water retention by 9–25%. However, films fragment and degrade under physical erosion, elevated ultraviolet radiation, temperature, humidity, and microbial and faunal activity. As a result, PAF use generates 3–5 Mt yr−1 of largely unmanaged waste, contributing to widespread plastic pollution in agricultural soils. For example, MP concentrations can reach ~13,000 items per kilogram, with PAFs accounting for 10–30%. Conventional polyethylene films degrade slowly and primarily undergo physical fragmentation, whereas biodegradable films fragment more rapidly, with cases of ~30% converted to MPs within 2 years. However, complete mineralization remains limited even for biodegradable materials. Additives in PAFs, including poorly characterized non-intentionally added substances, further increase environmental and toxicological risks, and their release varies substantially with environmental conditions and film type. MPs and additives affect soil health, crop yields and nutrient cycles. Mitigation strategies include substitution with safer additives, developing biodegradable waste-derived bio-based polymers, and conventional film recycling. Future work should improve field monitoring, develop a global database of PAF use and composition, and implement policy innovations to support sustainable PAF systems. Plastic agricultural films enhance crop productivity and support food security, but their use also contaminates soils with plastics and chemical additives. This Review examines the global production and use of agricultural films, their environmental impacts, and strategies to support their sustainable production and use.","PeriodicalId":18921,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Earth & Environment","volume":"7 8","pages":"528-545"},"PeriodicalIF":74.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148696683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}