Earth

  1. Earth

    Ground shakes expose faraway earthquake hot spots

    A major earthquake in Costa Rica revealed faraway areas where fluids have weakened rock and boosted the risk of a major earthquake, new research suggests.

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  2. Oceans

    Phytoplankton flunk photosynthesis efficiency test

    Nutrient-poor ocean waters make phytoplankton photosynthesis inefficient

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  3. Earth

    Five things science can (and can’t) tell us about North Korea’s nuclear test

    North Korea’s claim about its recent nuclear bomb test isn’t entirely backed up by scientific evidence.

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  4. Science & Society

    Climate, new physics and Jupiter on the horizon for 2016

    The first issue of the new year features stories about what will, editor in chief Eva Emerson predicts, hold on as scientific newsmakers during 2016.

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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. 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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  12. 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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