Contributor

Alexander Askew

Alexander Askew is a PhD student contributor to Physics World. He is at the University of Sheffield researching the palaeoecology of Northern Spain during the Middle Devonian period using plant microfossils.

Contributor archive

Photo of Rachael Treharne in the Lofoten archipelago

Vegetation ‘browning’ threatens Arctic carbon balance

Climate change damages Arctic plants more than previously thought

Ecuadorean cloud forest and deforested grazing land. (Courtesy: Nicholas Loughlin)

Reality of ‘pristine’ cloud forest revealed

19th-century explorers saw a human-influenced forest, not unspoilt wilderness

Photo of Zachary Quinlan and Nyssa Silbiger collecting water samples during the experiment. Courtesy: Henry Shiu

Nutrient pollution threatens coral reefs

Elevated nitrate and phosphate levels may leave corals vulnerable to ocean acidification

Sea-level rise threatens US Pacific coast wetlands

Marshes in Washington, Oregon and California may be completely lost as oceans rise

Climate change to shift timing of glacial runoff

Freshwater runoff from many glaciers likely to alter as planet warms, affecting downstream communities

Climate change may increase volcanism as planet warms

Warming could increase frequency and severity of volcanic eruptions, threatening transport and agriculture

Logged forests still offer refuge for endangered tropical species

Selectively logged tropical forest can still shelter species from climate change, research shows

Climate change to give planes a bumpy ride

Flight turbulence could double unless emissions are curbed, simulations reveal

Honeybees under threat from pesticide use on oilseed rape

Oilseed rape an important resource for bees, contrary to previous research

Scale is key to predicting climate-change responses

Sweden’s Torneträsk lake reacted much more slowly than smaller lakes nearby, sediments reveal

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