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.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02032-y

Satellite observations reveal accelerating aboveground biomass loss across Europe’s forests since 2018, increasingly driven by natural disturbances. These trends weaken the forest carbon sink and challenge climate mitigation efforts through forest policy.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 03 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02055-5

Northward movement of the Southern Ocean subtropical front diminished salt transport by Agulhas Leakage in the late Pliocene, although this had no apparent influence on the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, according to proxy records from marine sediment cores.

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 03 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02054-6

Eukaryotic microorganisms within a subglacial brine-fed system in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are largely of marine origin, a legacy of past incursions of seawater into the area, according to RNA sequencing and metatranscriptomic analyses.