Earth

  1. Climate

    Arctic passageways let species mingle

    People aren’t the only animals likely to use passages that open up as the Arctic melts.

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  2. Physics

    The science of avalanches

    High-tech instruments are helping researchers study how temperature can change the character — and danger — of an avalanche

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  3. Physics

    Halo of light crowns Antarctica

    Ice crystals in the air bend sunlight into a ring over a research base in eastern Antarctica.

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  4. Paleontology

    Bubbles may have sheltered Earth’s early life

    Bubbles formed on ancient shorelines offer scientists a new place to look for traces of early life.

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  5. Climate

    Report card shows which states are best prepared for climate change

    A preparedness report card shows that some states aren’t ready for the extreme heat, droughts, wildfires and flooding that may come with climate change.

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  6. Astronomy

    Exoplanets need right stuff to be habitable

    The elemental makeup of a star can reveal whether planets in its solar system could support sustained plate tectonics, a requirement for Earth-like life, researchers propose.

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  7. Agriculture

    Number of wild bees drops where they’re needed most

    Wild bee abundance in the United States is lowest in agricultural regions, according to a new model.

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  8. Earth

    Solid inner, inner core may be relic of Earth’s earliest days

    Earth’s innermost inner core may have formed billions of years earlier than previously thought, shortly after the planet’s accretion.

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  9. Animals

    Fog ferries mercury from the ocean to land animals

    Scientists have traced mercury in the waters of the Pacific Ocean to animals, including mountain lions, in California.

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  10. Climate

    Why some rainbows are all red

    Red rainbows are caused by the position of the sun in the sky, appearing more often during sunrise and sunset, new research finds.

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  11. Climate

    Fireworks brighten the sky but dampen the view

    Fireworks and other pyrotechnics severely reduce visibility during celebrations such as New Year’s Eve and Guy Fawkes Day, researchers report.

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  12. Climate

    Ice rafts traveling farther and faster across the Arctic Ocean

    Climate change may be causing Arctic sea ice to travel farther and faster than it did 15 years ago, taking pollutants and other material along for the ride.

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