Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Oceans
How tiny phytoplankton trek long distances upward in the ocean
Taking in seawater while filtering out dense salts lets unicellular phytoplankton migrate tens of meters vertically toward sunnier seas.
- Science & Society
There’s a new term for attempting to own the wind: ventography
Nations established territorial claims underground to access oil and gas. Now they are expanding those claims upward to snag the wind.
- Earth
What leads rivers to suddenly change course?
An analysis of satellite data could help predict where rivers will change their course and where their rerouted flows will go.
- Climate
Climate change fueled the fury of hurricanes Helene and Milton
Two new studies find climate change amped up sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, fueling the hurricanes' intensity.
- Oceans
A transatlantic flight may turn Saharan dust into a key ocean nutrient
Over time, atmospheric chemical reactions can make iron in dust from the Sahara easier for organisms to take in, helping to create biodiversity hot spots.
- Animals
Some tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools clean
Eiffinger’s tree frog babies store their solid waste in an intestinal pouch, releasing less ammonia into their watery cribs than other frog species.
- Physics
Thunderstorms churn up a ‘boiling pot’ of gamma rays
A thunderstorm seen in gamma-ray vision is a complex, frenetic lightshow when viewed from above the clouds.
- Health & Medicine
A hurricane’s aftermath may spur up to 11,000 deaths
Hurricanes like Helene may indirectly cause deaths for years. Stress, pollution and a loss of infrastructure could all contribute to tropical cyclone fatalities.
- Climate
Why Hurricane Helene was so devastating
The tempest caused record-breaking storm surge on the coast and widespread and deadly flooding and debris flows in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Climate
How rapid intensification spawned two monster hurricanes in one week
New maps of wind impacts beyond Helene’s ‘cone of uncertainty’ track highlight how a hurricane’s power extends far inland.
- Climate
A thousands-year-old log demonstrates how burying wood can fight climate change
Burying wood can store carbon for thousands of years, according to an analysis of an ancient log unearthed in Canada.
- Earth
Reactive dust from Great Salt Lake may have health consequences
When inhaled, metals left by the shrinking lake could cause inflammation. Experts say more studies are needed to understand the impact.
