Earth

Earth

Machine learning and gravity signals could rapidly detect big earthquakes

Large earthquakes make speed-of-light adjustments to Earth’s gravitational field. Researchers have now trained computers to detect the signals.

Agriculture

These six foods may become more popular as the planet warms

Millet, kelp, Bambara groundnut and cassava are resilient, sustainable and nutrient dense — good options for future dinner plates.

Agriculture

Oat and soy milks are planet friendly, but not as nutritious as cow milk

Plant-based milks are better for the environment, but nutrition-wise they fall behind cow milk.

Climate

Replacing some meat with microbial protein could help fight climate change

Just a 20 percent substitution could cut deforestation rates and land-use CO2 emissions by more than half by 2050, a new study suggests.

Oceans

How some sunscreens damage coral reefs

In lab experiments, sea anemones and coral turned oxybenzone into a toxin activated by light. But helpful algae may provide a layer of protection.

Climate

How much does eating meat affect nations’ greenhouse gas emissions?

How much meat eating affects worldwide greenhouse gas emissions comes clear in new country-by-country analyses.

Earth

Ancient zircons may record the dawn of plate tectonics

A change in gemstone composition starting about 3.8 billion years ago may offer the earliest record of one tectonic plate sliding over another.

Particle Physics

Muons spill secrets about Earth’s hidden structures

Tracking travel patterns of subatomic particles called muons helps reveal the inner worlds of pyramids, volcanoes and more.

Climate

Coastal cities around the globe are sinking

Of 99 coastal cities, nearly one-third are sinking in some places at more than a centimeter per year, making them more vulnerable to rising seas.

Anthropology

How ancient, recurring climate changes may have shaped human evolution

Climate changes drove where Homo species lived over the last 2 million years, with a disputed ancestor giving rise to H. sapiens, a new study claims.

Agriculture

More than 57 billion tons of soil have eroded in the U.S. Midwest

Researchers discovered startling soil erosion rates in the Midwest. Farming has worsened erosion, but no-till practices and cover crops can help.

Climate

Climate change intensified deadly storms in Africa in early 2022

Tropical storms battered southeast Africa in quick succession from January through March, leading to hundreds of deaths and widespread damage.