Earth

Environment

How planting 70 million eelgrass seeds led to an ecosystem’s rapid recovery

The study is a blueprint for restoration efforts that capitalize on seagrass habitats’ capacity to store carbon and that can be replicated elsewhere.

Earth

50 years ago, scientists were looking for ways to predict earthquakes

Though earthquake prediction remains elusive, early warning systems can help keep people safe.

Oceans

Large-scale changes in Earth’s climate may originate in the Pacific

A new study suggests that the melting of Alaska’s glaciers into the North Pacific could have far-ranging effects on ocean circulation and the climate.

Climate

By 2100, Greenland will be losing ice at its fastest rate in 12,000 years

The rate of loss of Greenland’s ice will soar over the next century even with greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment

Invasive jumping worms damage U.S. soil and threaten forests

Also known as snake worms, these writhing wrigglers turn forest leaf litter into bare ground, changing soil composition and ecosystems as they go.

Climate

Global warming may lead to practically irreversible Antarctic melting

Simulations suggest that even if the Paris climate goals are met, melting Antarctica ice will still cause sea levels to rise by more than 2 meters.

Environment

What we know and don’t know about wildfire smoke’s health risks

As wildfires become more frequent and severe in California, Oregon and throughout the West Coast, concerns rise about harmful air pollution.

Oceans

Underwater earthquakes’ sound waves reveal changes in ocean warming

A new technique uses the echoes of earthquakes in seawater to track the impact of climate change on the oceans.

Earth

Earth’s rarest diamonds form from primordial carbon in the mantle

Chemical analyses of the rarest diamonds suggest the planet’s carbon cycle may not go as deep as scientists thought.

Environment

This moth may outsmart smog by learning to like pollution-altered aromas

In the lab, scientists taught tobacco hawkmoths that a scent changed by ozone is from a favorite flower.

Agriculture

How does a crop’s environment shape a food’s smell and taste?

Scientific explorations of terroir — the soil, climate and orientation in which crops grow — hint at influences on flavors and aromas.

Climate

New maps show how warm water may reach Thwaites Glacier’s icy underbelly

New seafloor maps around Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica reveal how deep channels could help warm ocean water melt the glacier from below.