New Regius Professor puts people at heart of climate debate

University of Reading

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Regius Professor Hannah Cloke at the University of Reading

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Credit: University of Reading

One of the UK’s leading experts on weather and flooding, Professor Hannah Cloke OBE, has been appointed Regius Professor of Meteorology and Climate at the University of Reading.   

The appointment is a rare honour recognising her position as a world-leading scientist in her field, becoming only the second holder of the University of Reading’s sole Regius Professorship.   

To mark the appointment, Professor Cloke will deliver a keynote public talk in Reading next month, exploring how human imagination is at the heart of weather and climate science. The talk will explore what is happening to our weather, and why; what this could mean for Reading and towns and cities like it across the country; and how science can put people in charge of their own futures, by helping communities to prepare and respond. 

Professor Hannah Cloke, who joined the University of Reading in 2012, said: “The weather is rightly a British obsession, because it affects every part of our lives. By understanding it better, we can make better decisions and prepare for what’s ahead. 

“Weather and climate science are too important to leave to the scientists. With extreme weather affecting homes, health and neighbourhoods, people should know that we have the power to see and shape our own future. This event is an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and explore what lies ahead with curiosity and confidence.” 

"The climate futures we dare to imagine” will take place at Reading Town Hall on Monday 15 June (7–8.30pm) as part of Reading Climate Festival. The event will include a panel discussion and opportunities for audience questions.  

 Find out more and book your place:  The climate futures we dare to imagine  

Global reputation 

The title of Regius Professor is awarded by the Sovereign and is given only to a small number of universities in recognition of outstanding research.   

Professor Hannah Cloke has been honoured with the title for her internationally recognised work in hydrology and meteorology, specialising in floods, climate extremes, and disaster risk reduction.  

A Research Fellow at the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Professor Cloke has developed flood forecasts and heat hazard warning systems. In 2019, Regius Professor Cloke was awarded an OBE for services to flood forecasting and the development of hazard early warning systems. 

Professor Cloke supervises a large and internationally diverse cohort of PhD researchers, working closely with operational partners including the Met Office, Environment Agency, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to ensure research delivers real-world impact.  

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said [DRAFT]: "Professor Hannah Cloke helps people see the world around them more clearly, and show what changing weather means for us all.  

“Her research has already helped communities around the world prepare for floods and extreme weather, and her ability to clearly explain complex ideas helps us dare to dream of new futures. Anyone with wants to understand more about our changing weather, and what it means for Reading and beyond, should come to her talk and join the conversation.” 

Professor Keith Shine was the first holder of the post, having been appointed in 2013. In the role, Keith has made many important contributions to understanding how energy from sunlight and heat moves through the atmosphere, pioneering methods to quantify the role of greenhouse gases, air pollution, clouds and aviation in driving climate change. 

Speak to Hannah Cloke 

Alongside her internationally recognised research, Regius Professor Hannah Cloke is a leading public voice on climate, flooding, and environmental risk. She regularly provides expert commentary for national and international broadcasters and publications, helping audiences understand the links between extreme weather, flooding, and climate change. Beyond broadcast and print media, she advised on the Chloe's Ark climate drama on BBC Radio 4, collaborated with the Science Museum on public engagement projects, and advised governments and filmmakers on flooding, climate change and extreme weather.  

Journalists, broadcasters and organisations are invited to contact the University of Reading Press Office for interview opportunities.   

For enquiries, contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk. 

Read more about Professor Hannah Cloke’s research and expertise:  

• European State of the Climate report: expert comments 

• ‘Japan earthquake could be a precursor for something bigger’ 

• Britain’s relentless rain shows climate predictions playing out as expected 

• How diverse voices are transforming the UN’s climate science 

• Hurricane Melissa: impact of climate change 

• 'Storm Éowyn's winds turn everyday objects into missiles’ 

21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

How does gold keep its glitter? Tulane University researchers uncover why it resists tarnish

Tulane University

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Gold has been prized for thousands of years for its enduring shine, but Tulane University researchers have discovered that gold’s resistance to tarnishing depends on more than its chemistry. 

In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, researchers found that atoms on certain gold surfaces naturally rearrange themselves into protective patterns that dramatically suppress reactions with oxygen.

The discovery helps explain why gold jewelry and other gold objects can remain untarnished for centuries — and could also point the way toward designing more effective gold-based catalysts for industrial and energy-related applications.

“People have generally thought gold doesn’t tarnish simply because it doesn’t interact strongly with oxygen,” said Matthew Montemore, associate professor in Chemical Engineering in Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering. “What we show is that for two of the most common gold surface types, the surface atoms actually rearrange themselves in a way that makes the gold much more resistant to oxidation.”

Using computer simulations that predict how atoms and electrons behave, Montemore and co-author Santu Biswas, postdoctoral fellow in Tulane’s Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, studied how oxygen molecules interact with two common gold surface structures. They found that without this atomic rearrangement, oxygen molecules could break apart and react with gold much more easily.

Instead, the rearranged surfaces suppress oxygen reactions by a factor of a billion to a trillion, essentially creating a protective atomic-scale barrier that helps gold stay shiny indefinitely.

The findings offer a new explanation for one of gold’s best-known properties while also opening the door to potential advances in catalysis.

Gold-based catalysts — materials that help speed chemical reactions — are already used in some industrial oxidation reactions. But gold’s natural resistance to breaking apart oxygen molecules, the same trait that makes it attractive for jewelry and electronics, can also limit its usefulness in chemical manufacturing and energy applications.

Gold-palladium catalysts are used to make vinyl acetate, a chemical building block for many plastics and other materials. Researchers are also studying gold catalysts for uses such as cleaning up carbon monoxide in car exhaust and making propylene oxide, an important industrial chemical.

“If you can trick gold into dissociating oxygen, it can actually become a very effective catalyst for certain reactions,” Montemore said. “Our work suggests a new strategy for potentially doing that by preventing or reversing these surface rearrangements.”

Researchers have traditionally tried to improve gold catalysts by combining gold with other metals or using tiny gold nanoparticles on oxide surfaces. The new findings suggest surface geometry itself may provide another route to enhancing gold’s catalytic activity. 

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Journal

Physical Review Letters

DOI

10.1103/g3bc-t1qv 

Article Title

Role of reconstruction in the inertness of gold toward oxygen

Article Publication Date

21-May-2026

 

Record-breaking ice loss in Central Asia in 2025

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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Central Asian glaciers are a critical water source for millions of people living downstream in arid regions. During the dry summer months, glacier meltwater sustains rivers that support agriculture, hydropower production, ecosystems and drinking water supplies across countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. “Glaciers in Central Asia act as natural water towers,” Van Tricht explains. “As glaciers shrink, meltwater can temporarily increase, but eventually runoff declines as less ice remains. This raises major concerns for long-term water security in the region.” The strong dependence on these shared water resources, combined with their unequal distribution between countries, already contributes to recurring tensions and so-called water conflicts in Central Asia.

Using field observations from 16 glaciers across the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains, combined with regional glacier modelling, the researchers estimate that glaciers in Central Asia lost around 30 km³ of ice in a single year, equivalent to nearly 2% of the region’s remaining glacier volume. For comparison, this corresponds to roughly 30% of all glacier ice that still remains today in the European Alps. The study shows that the extreme losses were caused by exceptionally warm spring and summer temperatures, combined with a strong reduction in snowfall frequency during the melt season. These conditions triggered an unusually early disappearance of seasonal snow cover, exposing darker glacier ice earlier in the year and strongly amplifying melt through the snow-ice albedo feedback.

“2025 stands out as an exceptional year because the extreme losses occurred almost everywhere across Central Asia simultaneously,” said Dr Lander Van Tricht, lead author of the study. “Nine of the 16 monitored glaciers experienced their most negative mass balance ever observed, while many others ranked among their worst years on record.” The strongest losses occurred in the western Pamir and western Tien Shan, where some glaciers lost between 2 and 4% of their total ice volume in a single year. Regional modelling further indicates that 64% of all experienced their most negative year since at least 1991.

The researchers also show that the 2025 event is part of a broader global pattern of recent record-breaking glacier melt years, following extreme losses previously observed in, among others, the European Alps and the Pyrenees (2022), western North America (2023), and Svalbard (2024). “In the Alps, extreme glacier melt is often linked to short but intense heatwaves,” Van Tricht added. “In Central Asia, however, the 2025 event was driven by persistently warm conditions from spring until late summer, combined with very limited snowfall during the melt season.”

The study concludes that Central Asian glaciers are becoming increasingly vulnerable as warming temperatures not only enhance melting, but also reduce the frequency of snowfall events that would normally protect glaciers during summer. “We cannot prevent glaciers from responding to climate warming,” Van Tricht said. “But sustained glacier monitoring and improved modelling are essential to better understand future water availability and the impacts on downstream communities.”

Although 2025 was the most extreme glacier melt year ever recorded in Central Asia, the researchers warn that such conditions could increasingly become the new normal in a warming climate.

Reference:

The publication is freely available online at : https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae6712

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Journal

Environmental Research

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/ae6712 

 

Long-serving CEOs may weaken innovation, study finds

Research into UK firms finds independent directors help maintain innovation and R&D investment to mitigate against caution

University of East London

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A new study from the University of East London has found that companies led by long-serving chief executives may become less innovative over time unless challenged by strong independent boards.

The research examined 215 FTSE 350 companies over an 11-year period between 2010 and 2021. It explored how CEO tenure and independent directors influence a company’s “R&D knowledge stock”, which is the research, expertise and technological capability built through investment in innovation.

The study published in the journal Corporate Governance found that CEOs who remain in office for many years often become more cautious and less willing to back risky research and development projects. These companies were more likely to reduce investment in innovation and long-term technological growth.

Firms with higher numbers of independent directors were more likely to continue building innovation capacity with experienced CEOs and independent directors forming an effective partnership, to combine deep company knowledge with outside challenge.

However, both experienced CEOs and independent directors become more cautious and less willing to back risky research and development projects when the company fails to meet performance aspirations, suggesting that independent directors do not have stable risk preferences.

The findings suggest that innovation is shaped not only by technology and finance, but also by leadership culture and corporate governance structures.

Author Dr Igbekele Sunday Osinubi, of the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, said:

“Long-serving CEOs can bring valuable experience and stability, but there is also a risk that leaders become too cautious or too attached to existing ways of thinking. Our findings show that independent directors play an important role in encouraging companies to continue investing in innovation, especially during difficult periods when firms may otherwise retreat from long-term research and development.”

He added:

“This matters beyond individual companies. Innovation drives productivity, competitiveness and economic growth. The study highlights how governance structures can influence whether firms continue building the knowledge and technologies that shape future industries.”

The paper argues that regulators and policymakers should consider governance reforms and incentives that encourage long-term innovation strategies, particularly in firms led by long-serving executives. The findings may also influence how boards think about CEO succession planning, oversight and the balance between short-term financial pressures and long-term investment.

Osinubi, IS (2026) “Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls”, Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society. DOI: 10.1108/CG-03-2025-0173.

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Journal

Corporate Governance

DOI

10.1108/CG-03-2025-0173 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Article Title

Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls

 

Himalayan rivers are shifting their course faster due to climate warming

Analysis of four decades of river data shows nearly doubled migration rates driven by glacier melt and thawing frozen ground

Cactus Communications

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Using satellite imagery and field observations spanning four decades, researchers found that rising temperatures, glacier melt, and thawing frozen ground are accelerating river movement and reshaping river channels across the upper Himalayas.

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Credit: "Steingletscher Moods" by ScrewJ Image source link: https://openverse.org/image/ffed3338-374d-4818-a0f6-a405ae2bd6bb?q=glacier+river&p=170

The Himalayas, often called the “Water Tower of Asia,” supply water to rivers that support nearly 2 billion people. However, new findings show that climate warming is threatening these river systems. Using satellite images and field observations from 1980 to 2020, researchers found that melting glaciers and thawing frozen ground are causing Himalayan rivers to shift course much faster than before, increasing the risk of flooding, erosion, and damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.

A worrying trend is unfolding in the Himalayas, where temperatures have been rising nearly twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. As glaciers melt and frozen ground thaws, rivers fed by Himalayan meltwater are changing more rapidly, raising concerns for millions of people living downstream across the plains and foothills of Asia. By studying how rivers shift and change course over time, scientists can better understand how climate warming is affecting river systems in the region.

To better understand how climate warming is reshaping Himalayan rivers, Professor Chengshan Wang and Dr. Zhongpeng Han from the China University of Geosciences, Beijing, along with Dr. Lin Zhipeng from Sichuan University, analyzed changes in river movement across three major Himalayan river basins over the past four decades.

In a study published in Volume 392, Issue 6799 of the journal Science on 14 May 2026, researchers examined the changes in Himalayan rivers between 1980 and 2020, investigating whether climate-driven glacier melt and thawing of frozen ground are accelerating river movement and reshaping river channels.

The way rivers move across the landscape can reveal how they respond to environmental changes. River movement affects flooding, erosion, sediment transport, and the stability of riverbanks. “The upper high Himalayas stand out as a region where climate warming and channel migration interact strongly, providing an opportunity to study the effects of a warming climate on river dynamics such as river meandering and planform morphodynamics,” says Dr. Han.

Using satellite imagery and field observations, the team studied 1,079 river bends covering about 1,582 km of river channels flowing through frozen ground. Many of these river bends were able to move freely without being blocked by surrounding landforms. The researchers measured the extent by which the river bends shifted over time and tracked other river changes, including cutoffs, where a river creates a new, shorter route and abandons part of its old channel; avulsions, where a river suddenly changes course into a new channel; and channel-pattern transitions, where rivers switch between single channels and multiple interconnected channels.

Their analyses showed that river movement has increased sharply over the past four decades. Overall, river migration rates increased by 33% between 1980 and 2020, while freely moving river bends showed an increase of nearly 97%. The number of cutoffs, avulsions, and channel-pattern changes also rose significantly during the assessed period.

The researchers found that these changes closely match rising temperatures, glacier melts, and the thawing of frozen ground across the Himalayas. Rising temperatures are increasing the amount of water and sediment flowing into rivers while weakening frozen riverbanks. Together, these changes appear to be making rivers more unstable and causing them to shift more rapidly.

Additionally, the study also reported that Himalayan rivers respond differently to warming than rivers in the Arctic. In Arctic regions, vegetation often helps hold riverbanks together and slows river movement. In contrast, the sparsely vegetated Himalayan landscape is more vulnerable to erosion and riverbank collapse caused by thawing ground, making the region especially sensitive to climate-driven river changes.

The researchers warn that these increasingly unstable rivers could have major consequences for water security, flood risks, sediment-related hazards, and infrastructure located along riverbanks. “For the billions who rely on Himalayan water sources, the acceleration of river dynamics documented in our study poses implications for water security, sediment-related hazards, and the stability of riparian infrastructure,” says Prof. Wang.

In conclusion, this study and its findings highlight the need to incorporate climate-driven river changes into long-term water management, flood control, and infrastructure planning across the Himalayan region.

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Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adg8401  

 

About China University of Geosciences, Beijing

China University of Geosciences, Beijing (CUGB) is a leading national research university in Beijing specializing in geology, natural resources, and environmental sciences. Founded in 1952 through the merger of geology departments from several major Chinese universities, CUGB has grown into one of China’s top geoscience institutions and is a part of the country’s “Double First Class” university initiative. The university has more than 16,000 students and strong international partnerships with universities worldwide. Known for its research on geology, climate, and Earth systems, CUGB has made major contributions to studies of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mineral resources, environmental change, and polar research.

Website: https://en.cugb.edu.cn/

About Dr. Zhongpeng Han from China University of Geosciences, Beijing

Dr. Zhongpeng Han received his B.S. degree in civil engineering and his Ph.D. degree in mineral survey and exploration from China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China, in 2010 and 2017, respectively. He is currently an Associate Professor with the Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China. His research interests include the sedimentation and tectonic evolution of Cenozoic basins on the Tibetan Plateau, as well as the study of sediment source-sink processes in the Yarlung Zangbo River.

About Professor Chengshan Wang from China University of Geosciences, Beijing

Dr. Chengshan Wang is currently a Professor with China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received the Master’s degree in geology from Chengdu University of Technology, China, in 1981. He has published more than 590 academic papers in both national and international journals, and has authored 11 books in both Chinese and English. His research interests encompass sedimentology, tectonics, sedimentary basin analysis, paleoceanography and paleoclimate, growth of the Tibetan Plateau, continental scientific drilling, and data-driven discovery in geoscience.

About Dr. Zhipeng Lin from Sichuan University

Dr. Zhipeng Lin received his Ph.D. in Sedimentology from the China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China, in 2023. He is currently an Assistant Researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resources and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China. His research interests include fluvial sedimentology and geomorphology, as well as their interactions with climatic, environmental, ecological, and geohazard systems.

Funding information

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 42488201); the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (grant no. 2019QZKK0204); the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant no. 2652023001) grants; the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 42402127); the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant no. BX20240237); the Sichuan Provincial Natural Science Foundation (grant no. 2026NSFSC1158); the IAS Postdoctoral Grant Scheme, the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (grant no. 2023NSFSC1989); the Sichuan University Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Innovation Fund; and the Sichuan University SKHL Open Fund (grant no. SKHL2221).

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Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adg8401 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Accelerated Himalayan river meandering and dynamics due to climate change

Article Publication Date

14-May-2026