Earth
- Earth
What’s behind August 2020’s extreme weather? Climate change and bad luck
On top of a pandemic, the United States is having an epic weather year — a combination of bad luck and a stage set by a warming climate.
- Planetary Science
Earth’s building blocks may have had far more water than previously thought
Space rocks and dust from the inner solar system could have delivered enough water to account for all the H2O in the planet’s mantle.
- Earth
Improved three-week weather forecasts could save lives from disaster
Meteorologists are pushing to make forecasts good enough to fill the gap between short-term and seasonal.
- Earth
Carbon dioxide from Earth’s mantle may trigger some Italian earthquakes
In the central Apennines of Italy, spikes in natural carbon dioxide emissions line up with the biggest earthquakes.
- Earth
50 years ago, scientists clocked the speed of Antarctic ice
Today’s instruments offer a more precise view, and reveal the effects of climate change.
- Earth
Death Valley hits 130° F, the hottest recorded temperature on Earth since 1931
Amid a heat wave in the western United States, California’s Death Valley is back in the record books with the third hottest temperature ever recorded.
- Climate
Hurricanes have names. Some climate experts say heat waves should, too
A newly formed international alliance aims to raise awareness about extreme temperatures and protect vulnerable populations.
- Oceans
Species may swim thousands of kilometers to escape ocean heat waves
A new analysis of ocean heat waves shows latitude matters when it comes to how far fish and other sea species must go to find cooler waters.
- Earth
Predictions for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season just got worse
Wind patterns and abnormally warm seawater are conspiring to create especially hurricane-friendly conditions in the Atlantic.
- Climate
Emissions dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The climate impact won’t last
New estimates suggest coronavirus shutdowns cut global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels by nearly 30 percent, on average.
- Animals
Penguin poop spotted from space ups the tally of emperor penguin colonies
High-res satellite images reveal eight new breeding sites for the world’s largest penguins on Antarctica, including the first reported ones offshore.
- Ecosystems
To save Appalachia’s endangered mussels, scientists hatched a bold plan
Biologists have just begun to learn whether their bold plan worked to save the golden riffleshell, a freshwater mussel teetering on the brink of extinction.
