Earth

Climate

Multiple oceans may help stall global warming

The Atlantic and Southern oceans, not the Pacific, may be largely to blame for the recent pause in rising global temperatures.

Oceans

Viruses might tame some algal blooms

The rapid demise of a giant, carbon-spewing algal bloom points to the influence of viral wranglers.

Agriculture

Killer bug behind coconut plague identified

A pest has devastated coconuts in the Philippines, and scientists now realize the perp is not the bug they thought was causing the damage.

Environment

Fetuses may be exposed to antimicrobial compounds

Health risks remain uncertain as scientists find common soap chemicals in pregnant women and cord blood.

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.