Nature Geoscience, Published online: 11 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02099-7

Rapid caldera collapse during submarine eruptions could increase tsunami magnitude, suggests an analysis of the geomorphological evolution of the caldera formed in the climactic eruption of Hunga volcano (Tonga) in 2022.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02082-2

Our global analysis of multi-source, multilayer soil moisture datasets shows that droughts become particularly damaging when moisture deficits occur simultaneously throughout the soil profile, eliminating vertical hydrological buffering. These vertically compound droughts have intensified across much of the globe and pose a growing threat to carbon uptake in forests and croplands.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02094-y

The single-cell Hadley circulation on Mars limits the mixing of materials across the cell’s interior and exterior, and it also leads to a pole-to-pole connection. This regime is created by the dominance of the mean flow over turbulences, which are dampened by the rapid temperature relaxation in the Martian atmosphere.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02069-z

Since 1725, weather extremes in Western Europe have been closely linked to the Atlantic–European jet stream, which is projected to strengthen by 2100 while becoming less extreme, according to daily sea-level pressure records and climate model simulations.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02093-z

An analysis of data from 15 subduction zones finds no relationship between metrics of the topography of the plate interface and the largest earthquake it can generate, implying that this topography is not a key control on subduction zone seismicity.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02116-9

Publisher Correction: Hadley circulation drives material isolation and pole-to-pole teleconnection on Mars

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02088-w

The minerals needed to transport water into the deepest parts of the Earth’s mantle remain unclear. High-pressure and -temperature experiments conducted at lower-mantle conditions suggest that iron oxyhydroxide phases may be important to such transport.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02067-1

Dense iron oxyhydroxide phases may form from an early basal magma ocean, trapping water and potentially contributing to the formation of thermochemical anomalies in the deep mantle, according to high-pressure and high-temperature experiments.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02085-z

The soot fraction of global black carbon emissions increased from 16% in 1750 to 35% in 2019, mainly driven by fossil fuel consumption, suggesting a higher warming potential per unit mass, according to an analysis of atmospheric measurements.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 07 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02086-y

During the last ice age, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) underwent a series of abrupt reorganizations. The global impact of these events reflects the accumulation of heat in the ocean interior during the weak AMOC mode and its loss during the strong mode, facilitated by radiative feedbacks that altered the planetary energy balance.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02079-x

Nature-based solutions in savannas and grasslands that seek to maximize tree cover and carbon uptake can erode biodiversity, create fragile carbon stocks and disrupt the livelihoods of people who depend on these landscapes, all for uncertain climate benefits.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02065-3

Siderite has a debated formation route — abiotic or microbially mediated — with implications for both the early Earth and Mars, as Neha Mehta explains.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02084-0

Biocrusts can substantially enhance snow retention, sustaining soil biogeochemistry, microbial activity and soil ecosystem functions in cold deserts, according to a long-term field study of how moss-dominated biocrust cover influences snow cover duration and depth.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 11 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02039-5

Integrated model simulations suggest that air quality across China could be substantially degraded by emissions from fossil fuel power plants during renewable energy droughts in the 2050s, underscoring the need for a deeper clean energy transition.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02056-4

Long-term soil biogeochemical measurements in a cold desert in China suggest that moss biocrusts can substantially extend snow cover duration and increase snow depth during snow events, thereby sustaining soil biological activity and ecosystem function under a warming climate.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 10 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02070-6

Variations in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation strength through abrupt Dansgaard–Oeschger events during Pleistocene glacial periods controlled ocean heat content, and heat uptake by the planet as a whole, according to a synthesis of simulations.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 06 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02052-8

Humble hydromagnesite is a hydrated carbonate with outsized importance. Yongjie Lin and Ian Power explore its potential for both carbon sequestration and unlocking the secrets of potential past microbial life on Mars.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 06 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02073-3

Opinions grounded in evidence and expertise play an important role in scientific discourse. The most effective opinion pieces do not simply express a viewpoint — they acknowledge limitations, nuance, and diversity of perspectives, and help move the conversations forwards.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02037-7

The European Union’s climate goals rely on forests as carbon sinks. Remote sensing data reveal accelerating biomass loss and distinguish the contributions of harvesting and natural disturbances, helping to better inform forest policy and climate actions.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02062-6

Frequent Arctic nucleation events arise from coupled iodine and sulfur chemistry, with organics driving rapid growth. Ship-based observations show that this process can increase cloud condensation nuclei by up to 50-fold near marginal sea ice.