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Climate

Climate effects of greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions.

Papers

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5,011

Last 3 yrs · papers

Last 3 yrs · cites

1,868

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2008 2026

The lab grew out of work on the carbon cycle, and we keep returning to it: where emissions come from, how natural sinks respond, and what trajectories of greenhouse gas and air-pollutant emissions imply for global and regional climate. We've contributed to near-real-time monitoring of CO₂ emissions, attribution of carbon trends across countries and sectors, and analyses of how committed and avoidable warming each depend on choices being made now. Climate is the integrating axis across our other systems — the metric by which energy, food, water, and material decisions are ultimately scored.

Papers in this system · 37

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FEATURED · Nature Climate Change · 2026 · ENERGY · HEALTH · CLIMATE · MITIGATION · IMPACTS

Residual emissions may perpetuate community-scale inequalities in US air pollution

Candelaria Bergero, Jing Cheng, Qiang Zhang, Yang Ou, Haewon McJeon, Morgan R. Edwards, Destenie Nock, Inês Azevedo, Steven J. Davis

Limiting carbon dioxide removal (CDR) leaves lower residual co-pollutant emissions and so avoids more PM₂.₅-related deaths--disproportionately benefiting non-white and low-income communities, implying that—absent deliberate transition planning—large-scale CDR deployment could undercut the equitable distribution of the health co-benefits of decarbonization.
FEATURED · Nature · 2026 · CLIMATE · WATER · IMPACTS

Forest carbon protocols underestimate climate-driven carbon loss risks

Chao Wu, Grayson Badgley, Michael L. Goulden, James T. Randerson, Anna T. Trugman, Jonathan A. Wang, Linqing Yang, Nezha Acil, Susan C. Cook-Patton, Danny Cullenward, Steven J. Davis, Christopher A. Williams, William R. L. Anderegg

Existing buffer pools in U.S. forest climate mitigation projects are too small by an average factor of 6.3 to protect against reversal risks of natural disturbances like drought, pests, and fire.
Nature · 2025 · CLIMATE · ENERGY · MITIGATION

The global hydrogen budget

Zutao Ouyang, Robert B. Jackson, Marielle Saunois, Josep G. Canadell, Yuanhong Zhao, Catherine Morfopoulos, Paul B. Krummel, Prabir K. Patra, Glen P. Peters, Fraser Dennison, Thomas Gasser, Alexander T. Archibald, Vivek Arora, Gabriel Baudoin, Naveen Chandra, Philippe Ciais, Steven J. Davis, Sarah Feron, Fangzhou Guo, Didier Hauglustaine, Christopher D. Jones, Matthew W. Jones, Etsushi Kato, Daniel Kennedy, Jürgen Knauer, Sebastian Lienert, Danica Lombardozzi, Joe R. Melton, Julia E. Nabel, Michael O’Sullivan, Gabrielle Pétron, Benjamin Poulter, Joeri Rogelj, David Sandoval Calle, Pete Smith, Parvadha Suntharalingam, Hanqin Tian, Chenghao Wang, Andy Wiltshire
Nature · 2025 · ENERGY · CLIMATE · IMPACTS · MITIGATION

Strategies for climate-resilient global wind and solar power systems

Dongsheng Zheng, Xizhe Yan, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Ken Caldeira, Yuanyuan Lin, Yaqin Guo, Jingyun Li, Peng Wang, Liying Ping, Shijie Feng, Yang Liu, Jing Cheng, Deliang Chen, Kebin He, Qiang Zhang
Environmental Research Letters · 2024 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Human activities now fuel two-thirds of global methane emissions

Robert B. Jackson, Marielle Saunois, Adrien Martinez, Josep G. Canadell, Xueying Yu, Mengze Li, Ben Poulter, Pete A Raymond, Pierre Regnier, Philippe Ciais, Steven J Davis, Prabir K Patra
Communications Earth & Environment · 2024 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Perceptions of carbon dioxide emission reductions and future warming among climate experts

Seth Wynes, Steven J. Davis, Mitchell Dickau, Susan Ly, Edward Maibach, Joeri Rogelj, Kirsten Zickfeld, H. Damon Matthews
Nature Communications · 2024 · ENERGY · CLIMATE · IMPACTS · MITIGATION

Climate change impacts on the extreme power shortage events of wind-solar supply systems worldwide during 1980–2022

Dongsheng Zheng, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Yue Qin, Yang Liu, Ruochong Xu, Jin Yang, Xizhe Yan, Guannan Geng, Huizheng Che, Qiang Zhang
Nature Reviews Earth and Environment · 2023 · WATER · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Toward impact-based monitoring of drought and its cascading hazards

Amir AghaKouchak, Laurie S. Huning, Mojtaba Sadegh, Yue Qin, Yannis Markonis, Farshid Vahedifard, Charlotte A. Love, Ashok Mishra, Ali Mehran, Renee Obringer, Annika Hjelmstad, Shrideep Pallickara, Shakil Jiwa, Martin Hanel, Yunxia Zhao, Angeline G. Pendergrass, Mazdak Arabi, Steven J. Davis, Philip J. Ward, Mark Svoboda, Roger Pulwarty, Heidi Kreibich
Nature · 2023 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Climate warming increases extreme daily wildfire growth risk in California

Patrick T. Brown, Holt Hanley, Ankur Mahesh, Colorado Reed, Scott J. Strenfel, Steven J. Davis, Adam K. Kochanski, Craig B. Clements

2023 226 cites 2026
One Earth · 2023 · CLIMATE · HEALTH · IMPACTS · MITIGATION

A synergistic approach to air pollution control and carbon neutrality in China can avoid millions of premature deaths annually by 2060

Jing Cheng, Dan Tong, Yang Liu, Guannan Geng, Steven J. Davis, Kebin He, Qiang Zhang

2024 125 cites 2026
Science · 2023 · HEALTH · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Record-high CO₂ emissions from boreal fires in 2021

Bo Zheng, Philippe Ciais, Frederic Chevallier, Hui Yang, Josep G. Canadell, Yang Chen, Ivar R. V. D. Velde, Ilse Aben, Emilio Chivieco, Steven J. Davis, Merritt Deeter, Choapeng Hong, Yawen Kong, Haiyan Li, Hui Li, Xin Lin, Kebin He, Qiang Zhang

2022 319 cites 2026

In the news: Washington Post·CNN·New Scientist·Financial Times
Science bulletin · 2023 · HEALTH · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

High downward surface solar radiation conducive to ozone pollution more frequent under global warming

Wenbin Kou, Yang Gao, Shaoqing Zhang, Wenju Cai, Guannan Geng, Steven J. Davis, Hong Wang, Xiuwen Guo, Wenxuan Cheng, Xinran Zeng, Mingchen Ma, Houwen Wang, Qiaoqiao Wang, Xiaohong Yao, Huiwang Gao, Lixin Wu
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A · 2022 · WATER · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Status and prospects for drought forecasting: opportunities in artificial intelligence and hybrid physical–statistical forecasting

Amir AghaKouchak, Baoxiang Pan, Omid Mazdiyasni, Mojtaba Sadegh, Shakil Jiwa, Wenrui Zhang, Charlotee A Love, Shahrbanou Madadgar, Simon Michael Papalexiou, Steven J. Davis, Kuo-Lin Hsu, Soroosh Sorooshian
FEATURED · Nature Plants · 2022 · CLIMATE · FOOD · ENERGY · MITIGATION

Economic and biophysical limits to seaweed farming for climate change mitigation

Julianne DeAngelo, Benjamin T. Saenz, Isabella B. Arzeno-Soltero, Christina A. Frieder, Matthew C. Long, Joseph Hamman, Kristen A. Davis, Steven J. Davis

Seaweed farming for climate mitigation costs $480–beyond profitable levels—except when producing valuable products instead of sinking biomass.

2022 108 cites 2026

Brief
National Science Review · 2022 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Global mitigation efforts cannot neglect emerging emitters

Can Cui, Dabo Guan, Daoping Wang, Jing Meng, Vicky Chemutai, Paul Brenton, Shaohui Zhang, Yuli Shan, Qiang Zhang, Steven Davis
The Lancet Planetary Health · 2022 · HEALTH · CLIMATE · IMPACTS · MITIGATION

Role of climate goals and clean-air policies on reducing future air pollution deaths in China: a modelling study

Yang Liu, Dan Tong, Jing Cheng, Steven J. Davis, Sha Yu, Brinda Yarlagadda, Leon E. Clarke, Michael Brauer, Aaron J. Cohen, Haidong Kan, Tao Xue, Qiang Zhang

2022 122 cites 2026
Geophysical Research Letters · 2020 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Local Anomalies in the Column-Averaged Dry Air Mole Fractions of Carbon Dioxide Across the Globe During the First Months of the Coronavirus Recession

Frédéric Chevallier, Bo Zheng, Grégoire B. Ciais, Zhu Liu, Steven J. Davis, Zhu Deng, Yilong Wang, François‐Marie Bréon, Christopher W. O'Dell
Environmental Research Letters · 2020 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Climate effects of China's efforts to improve its air quality

Yixuan Zheng, Qiang Zhang, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Ken Caldeira
Nature Climate Change · 2020 · HEALTH · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Weakening aerosol direct radiative effects mitigate climate penalty on Chinese air quality

Chaopeng Hong, Qiang Zhang, Yang Zhang, Steven J. Davis, Xin Zhang, Dan Tong, Dabo Guan, Zhu Liu, Kebin He
Nature Climate Change · 2020 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Climate effects of aerosols reduce economic inequality

Yixuan Zheng, Steven J. Davis, Geeta G. Persad, Ken Caldeira
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2019 · HEALTH · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Impacts of climate change on future air quality and human health in China

Chaopeng Hong, Qiang Zhang, Yang Zhang, Steven J. Davis, Dan Tong, Yixuan Zheng, Zhu Liu, Dabo Guan, Kebin He, Hans J. Schellnhuber

2019 399 cites 2026
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2018 · ENERGY · CLIMATE · MITIGATION · IMPACTS

Economic carbon cycle feedbacks may offset additional warming from natural feedbacks

Dawn L. Woodard, Steven J. Davis, James T. Randerson
Geophysical Research Letters · 2018 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS · MITIGATION

Climatic responses to future trans-Arctic shipping

Scott R. Stephenson, Wenshan Wang, Charles S. Zender, Hailong Wang, Steven J. Davis, Philip J. Rasch
Environmental Research Letters · 2016 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Simulating the Earth system response to negative emissions

Chris D. Jones, Philippe Ciais, Steven J. Davis, Pierre Friedlingstein, Thomas Gasser, Glen P. Peters, Joeri Rogelj, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Josep G. Canadell, Annette Cowie, Robert B. Jackson, Matthias Jonas, Elmar Kriegler, Emma Littleton, Jason A. Lowe, Jennifer Milne, Gyami Shrestha, Pete Smith, Asbjørn Torvanger, Andy Wiltshire

2016 188 cites 2026
Nature Geoscience · 2016 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION · IMPACTS

Global climate forcing of aerosols embodied in international trade

Jintai Lin, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Ruijing Ni, Xiaoxiao Tan, Da Pan, Hongyan Zhao, Zifeng Lu, David Streets, Tong Feng, Qiang Zhang, Yingying Yan, Yongyun Hu, Jing Li, Zhu Liu, Xujia Jiang, Guannan Geng, Kebin He, Yi Huang, Dabo Guan

2016 103 cites 2026
Environmental Research Letters · 2016 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION · IMPACTS

Dislocated interests and climate change

Steven J. Davis, Noah Diffenbaugh
Environmental Research Letters · 2015 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Rate and velocity of climate change caused by cumulative carbon emissions

Anna LoPresti, Allison Charland, Dawn Woodard, James Randerson, Noah S. Diffenbaugh, Steven J. Davis
Environmental Research Letters · 2013 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Climate policy and dependence on traded carbon

Robbie M. Andrew, Steven J. Davis, Glen P. Peters
Biogeosciences · 2012 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

The Australian terrestrial carbon budget

Vanessa Haverd, Michael R Raupach, Peter R Briggs, Josep G Canadell, Steven J Davis, Rachel M Law, CP Meyer, Glen P Peters, Christopher Pickett-Heaps, Brad Sherman

2012 146 cites 2025
Geosphere · 2012 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Provenance of the Paleogene Colton Formation (Uinta Basin) and Cretaceous–Paleogene provenance evolution in the Utah foreland: Evidence from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons …

William R. Dickinson, Timothy F. Lawton, Mark Pecha, Steven J. Davis, George E. Gehrels, Richard A. Young

2013 118 cites 2026
American Journal of Science · 2012 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

The Cenozoic climatic and topographic evolution of the western North American Cordillera

C. Page Chamberlain, Hari T. Mix, Andreas Mulch, Michael T. Hren, Malinda L. Kent-Corson, Steven J. Davis, Travis Horton, Stephan A. Graham

2011 220 cites 2026
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2011 · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Accounting for carbon dioxide emissions: A matter of time

Ken Caldeira, Steven J. Davis
Geology · 2010 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

The Paleogene California River: evidence of Mojave-Uinta paleodrainage from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons

Steven J. Davis, William R. Dickinson, George E. Gehrels, Jon E. Spencer, Timothy F. Lawton, Alan R. Carroll
Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences · 2010 · FOOD · CLIMATE · MITIGATION

Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification

Jennifer A. Burney, Steven J. Davis, David B. Lobell

2010 1,567 cites 2026

In the news: TIME Magazine “Industrial Farming Slows Climate Change?” Bry
American Journal of Science · 2009 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Synorogenic evolution of large-scale drainage patterns: Isotope paleohydrology of sequential Laramide basins

Steven J. Davis, Hari T. Mix, Bettina A. Wiegand, Alan R. Carroll, C. Page Chamberlain
Geological Society of America Bulletin · 2009 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

Paleogene landscape evolution of the central North American Cordillera: Developing topography and hydrology in the Laramide foreland

Steven J. Davis, Andreas Mulch, Alan R. Carroll, Travis W. Horton, C. Page Chamberlain

2009 100 cites 2026
Earth and Planetary Science Letters · 2008 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS

The effect of drainage reorganization on paleoaltimetry studies: An example from the Paleogene Laramide foreland

Steven J. Davis, Bettina A. Wiegand, Alan R. Carroll, C. Page Chamberlain

Climate

Papers in this system · 37

Provenance of the Paleogene Colton Formation (Uinta Basin) and Cretaceous–Paleogene provenance evolution in the Utah foreland: Evidence from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons …