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A post-Sturtian Snowball episode of ocean deoxygenation, followed by a shift toward less reducing, but still largely anoxic conditions in the ocean, is characterised by nutrient and sulfate limitation and recorded in the Taishir Formation, Mongolia.

Clay minerals played a vital role in the delivery of phosphorus (P) to shallow Neoproterozoic post-Snowball glaciation marine waters. The resulting increase in P bioavailability by at least 20-fold coincided with seawater oxygenation.

Based on geochemical and paleontological data, this study shows that habitable open-oceans extended to mid-latitude coastal oceans during the waning stage of the Marinoan snowball Earth, offering refugia for benthic photosynthetic eukaryotes

It remains unclear when and why the world’s oceans, once largely occupied by bacteria, became dominated by photosynthetic algae. Here, using fossil lipids in million year old rocks, the authors show that predation after the Snowball Earth glaciations created the opportunity for a global shift to algal ecosystems.

Despite dramatic changes in carbon sinks, severe Snowball Earth glaciations have not occurred since the Cryogenian. Here, via the measurement of global subduction zone lengths and carbon cycle modelling, the authors show that a two fold increase in volcanic CO₂ input likely thwarted global glaciation.

The Cryogenian Snowball Earth glaciations were followed by the deposition of massive cap carbonates. Geochemical modelling suggests that shallow-ridge volcanism supplied much of the alkalinity and cations that fuelled this deposition.

The presence of dynamic ice sheets during Snowball Earth glaciations is controversial. Geological evidence and ice sheet modelling suggest that ice sheets may have responded to orbital forcing when $p_{{\text{CO}}_2}$ reached a certain threshold.

Combining fossil-based and molecular calibrations with data on horizontal gene transfer events, the authors develop a time-calibrated phylogeny of Fungi. This timescale, which integrates analytic uncertainties, suggests an older age of crown Fungi (1,401–896 million years ago), as well as a minimum age for ancient interactions involving fungi and the algal ancestors of embryophytes in terrestrial ecosystems (1,253–797 Ma).

Impacts from a climate event can cascade through natural, anthropogenic and socio-economic systems. Here the authors assess cascading climate impacts on the EU and identify intervention points for adaptation related to water, livelihoods, agriculture, infrastructure and economy, and violent conflict.

How and why the ‘Snowball Earth’ occurred during the Cryogenian period is debated. Here, the authors show that the cryogenian ocean hosted diminished tidal amplitudes and associated energy dissipation rates, reaching 10-50% of today’s rates thus perhaps contributing to prolonged glaciations.

The Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth glaciations were separated by tens of millions of years, although models suggest glacial inception should occur within millions. Numerical modelling suggests that the delay could be explained by inherent limits on silicate weathering rates controlled by the availability of fresh rock.

This Analysis illustrates how nature-positive targets aimed at protecting biodiversity can be achieved at the scale of organizations. A canteen at one UK university college is used as a case study for the application of a four-step participatory approach comprising an estimation of food-related biodiversity impacts; definition of biodiversity targets; assessment of possible interventions; and exploration of different strategies.

'Atkins snowballs', solid layers of helium around an ion core in bulk superfluid He, have been investigated for simple ions but many properties remain unknown. Here, the authors show via photofragmentation experiments that a phase transition occurs in C₆₀-doped He droplets depending on the number of He atoms.

Phosphorus is a biolimiting nutrient that is important in regulating the redox state of the ocean–atmosphere system. Here, the ratio of phosphorus to iron in iron-oxide-rich sedimentary rocks through time has been used to evaluate the evolution of the marine phosphate reservoir. Phosphate concentrations have been relatively constant over the past 542 million years of Earth's history, but were high in the aftermath of the 'snowball Earth' glaciations some 750 to 635 million years ago, with implications for the rise of metazoan life.

An expert-elicitation process identifies current methodological barriers for monitoring terrestrial biodiversity, and how technological and procedural development of robotic and autonomous systems may contribute to overcoming these challenges.

The hypothesis that species are most abundant at the centre of their geographic range has been widely debated. Here, by analysing over 3,600 species, the authors find that this pattern is generally not true for animals but does occur in some plant groups, being influenced by dispersal traits and evolution.

Steroid biomarkers provide evidence for a rapid rise of marine planktonic algae between 659 and 645 million years ago, establishing more efficient energy transfers and driving ecosystems towards larger and increasingly complex organisms.

Increasing transparency about firms’ reporting of environmental impacts is especially important in the context of a growing ocean economy. This study analyses the content of sustainability and annual reports from 75 of the largest companies across 8 sectors of the ocean economy.

Historical information about the atmosphere is scarce. Huiming Bao and colleagues show that the triple oxygen isotope composition of sulphate from ancient evaporites and barites exhibits variable negative oxygen-17 isotope anomalies over the past 750 million years.

An expert recommendation is presented for the design and evaluation of research studies using transcranial electrical stimulation, resulting in the selection of a 66-point checklist aimed at improving the quality of transcranial electrical stimulation studies.

Degassing of CO2 during large igneous province (LIP) emplacement may drive transient warming, but most LIPs do not substantially cool the climate on million-year timescales, according to modelling of the break-up of Pangaea.

Analysis of policies for promotion criteria to full professor from academic institutions and government agencies worldwide reveals considerable variation in assessment practices, particularly between the Global North and South.

Climate issues are increasingly being presented before the courts, with both pro- and anti-regulation litigants aiming to affect policy outcomes. Analysis of domestic US climate lawsuits and interview data reveals the type of case and the strategies that succeed.

A coupled model of palaeoclimate and carbon cycling turns up the heat on the idea that Earth once became a giant snowball. It supports instead a milder 'slushball Earth' history — but piquant questions remain.

A diverse, multidisciplinary panel of 386 experts in COVID-19 response from 112 countries provides health and social policy actions to address inadequacies in the pandemic response and help to bring this public health threat to an end.

Volcanic eruptions at ocean ridges produce large volumes of glass that is rapidly leached by seawater. Geochemical calculations suggest that this process helps to explain the deposition of carbonates at the end of extreme ice ages.

As a moist atmosphere warms, it will reach a limit after which it is unable to radiate incoming solar radiation back to space, and a runaway greenhouse will occur. Calculations suggest that this limit is lower than previously thought and, for a water-saturated atmosphere, a runaway greenhouse can occur under present-day solar radiation.

Ancient sulfate mineral compositions reflect an increase in Earth’s oxidation state ~400 million years ago, likely including an increase in atmospheric oxygen levels and shift in mineral weathering pathways.

Spatially resolved JWST spectroscopy of a massive, quiescent galaxy at a redshift of ~4 reveals that it formed its stars and quenched rapidly, despite being surrounded by an abundant gas reservoir and gravitationally bound to a star-bursting companion.

The future challenges and potential opportunities of robotics and autonomous systems in urban ecosystems, and how they may impact biodiversity, are explored and prioritized via a global horizon scan of 170 experts.

The Neoproterozoic represents a key target of interest for future studies on the co-evolution of life and oxygen, according to analysis of survey responses from experts in Earth’s oxygenation history.

Speciation may not be a mechanistically or temporally uniform process. We show divergent evolution of sexual versus habitat isolation and flat versus linear accumulation of the latter for within- versus between-species comparisons, revealing a critical role for species.

Expression of a barley transcription factor SUSIBA2 in rice generates a plant with high-starch content and low-methane emissions by conferring a shift in the carbon flux that favours the allocation of photosynthates to aboveground biomass rather than to the roots.

Leveraging metabarcoding and metagenomics, a survey of bacteria in the benthic microbiome across 152 glacier-fed streams (GFSs) provides a global reference for future climate-change microbiology studies on the vanishing GFS ecosystem.

Analysis of sedimentary rocks from the mid-Proterozoic interval reveals traces of protosteroids, suggesting the widespread presence of stem-group eukaryotes that predated and co-existed with the crown-group ancestors of modern eukaryotes.