The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is known for a  stunning spectacle of light in the night sky but this near-Earth manifestation, which is caused by explosive activity on the sun and carried by the solar wind, can also interrupt vital communications and security infrastructure on Earth. Using artificial intelligence, researchers at the University of New Hampshire categorized and labeled the largest ever database of aurora images that could help scientists better understand and forecast the disruptive geomagnetic storms.

Hydroclimate whiplash – rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather – has already increased globally due to climate change, with further large increases expected as warming continues, according to a team of researchers led by UCLA’s Daniel Swain.

Michigan State University researcher Dalton Hardisty contributed to a new Yale University-led study finding that Earth’s early atmosphere hosted a battle royal between iodine and oxygen. This war effectively delayed the creation of a stable ozone layer that would shield complex life from much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, or UVR. The new theory, described in a study in the journal may solve a mystery that has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years.

Researchers from the University of Toronto analyzed 22 recent studies exploring HIV-related outcomes in the context of climate change and identified several links between extreme weather events and HIV prevention and care.

New research published in Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment reveals the increased land use efficiency and environmental benefits in an alfalfa–almond intercropped ecosystem under a Mediterranean climate.