Earth

Environment

Ups and downs in the quest for clean air

Satellite views reveal good news on U.S. air pollution trends.

Oceans

World’s largest ocean dead zone may shrink as Earth warms

North Pacific dead zone may grow smaller, not expand, as climate change weakens Pacific Ocean trade winds.

Oceans

Mercury at ocean surface may have tripled since preindustrial times

Questions remain over dangers of toxic metal in environment.

Earth

Cloud seeding fueled fire about weather modification

Experiments in 1964 resulted in “exploding” clouds.

Earth

Siberian crater mystery may be solved

Thawing permafrost probably burped a ground-breaking methane bubble that ripped the huge hole in the Yamal peninsula.

Environment

Deepwater Horizon damage footprint larger than thought

In the Gulf of Mexico, most deep-sea corals have escaped damage from the Deepwater Horizon blowout. However, the impact does extend deeper and wider than previously thought.

Earth

Early life probably fell victim to massive space rocks

Planet-sterilizing impacts probably snuffed out early life on Earth until around 4.3 billion years ago.

Environment

Recycled water may flood urban parks with dangerous germs

Irrigating city parks with recycled water may flood the soil with drug-resistant microbes.

Earth

Merging magma can set off supervolcanoes in less than 10,000 years

The reconstruction of a massive eruption 4.5 million years ago near Yellowstone National Park suggests that magma chambers merging together beneath a supervolcano can trigger explosions in less than 10,000 years.

Oceans

Whales and ships don’t mix well

A 15-year study of blue whales off California has found that major shipping lanes cut through feeding grounds.

Earth

Wonders of the northern lights

An Icelandic aurora catches a photographer’s eye and a contest prize.

Chemistry

Molecular cage traps rare gases

Organic compound could cull valuable xenon from the air and detect cancer-causing radon in homes.