Earth

  1. Oceans

    On East Coast, sea levels lean southward

    On North America’s East Coast, sea levels tilt slightly downward to the north, new research finds.

    By
  2. Health & Medicine

    Stoplights are hot spots for airborne pollution

    Drivers get a big chunk of their exposure to pollutants from short stops at traffic intersections.

    By
  3. Oceans

    Millions of tons of plastic end up in oceans each year

    A new estimate quantifies how much plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans.

    By
  4. Climate

    Worst drought in a millennium predicted for central and southwest U.S.

    Comparing reconstructions of past drought conditions with models of future dryness shows that the Central Plains and Southwest U.S. will become the driest in a millennium.

    By
  5. Earth

    Mineral hunting, mob math and more reader feedback

    Readers ask about Earth's most abundant mineral and discuss the notoriously unpredictable behavior of pedestrians.

    By
  6. Physics

    Raindrops kick up soil chemicals

    The champagne-like fizz produced when a raindrop hits the ground may be responsible for the earthy aroma after a rainstorm.

    By
  7. Climate

    Artificial fixes for climate change nixed — for now

    Experts says schemes to manually adjust the world’s climate are not ready for use, but should be studied just in case.

    By
  8. Health & Medicine

    Fallout from nuclear bomb testing presaged today’s radioactive tracers

    Scientists in 1965 measured buildup of radioactive carbon from nuclear bomb testing in people.

    By
  9. Environment

    Humans’ environmental rap sheet gets longer

    Ice cores reveal human-caused air pollution 240 years before the Industrial Revolution.

    By
  10. Environment

    Funding canceled for clean coal plant

    The Department of Energy has scrapped funding for FutureGen, a project to use new technology to sequester carbon dioxide emissions from a coal power plant.

    By
  11. Environment

    Funding canceled for clean coal plant

    The Department of Energy has scrapped funding for FutureGen, a project to use new technology to sequester carbon dioxide emissions from a coal power plant.

    By
  12. Ecosystems

    Termite mound paradises help buffer dry land against climate change

    Landscapes dotted by Africa’s great termite mounds look on the verge of turning into desert but are, in fact, more resilient.

    By