Earth

  1. Physics

    Here’s what causes the aurora-like glow known as STEVE

    Amateur astronomer images and satellite data are revealing what causes the strange atmospheric glow called STEVE.

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  2. Animals

    Endangered green sea turtles may be making a comeback in the U.S. Pacific

    The numbers of green sea turtles spotted around Hawaii, American Samoa and the Mariana Islands have increased in the last decade.

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  3. Microbes

    A global survey finds that the Arctic Ocean is a hot spot for viruses

    Scientists mapped virus diversity around the world’s oceans. That knowledge may be key to making better climate simulations.

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  4. Earth

    More than a million tiny earthquakes revealed in Southern California

    By putting millions of tiny quakes on record, scientists hope to learn more about what triggers the big ones.

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  5. Earth

    Warm, dry winds may be straining Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf

    Wind-induced melting that occurred during the Antarctic autumn may be accelerating the Larsen C ice shelf’s collapse, which could raise sea levels.

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  6. Climate

    Tiny microplastics travel far on the wind

    Airborne bits of plastic that originated in cities ended up in pristine mountains at least 95 kilometers away, a study finds.

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  7. Climate

    Climate change made the Arctic greener. Now parts of it are turning brown.

    Arctic browning could have far-reaching consequences for people and wildlife, affecting habitat and atmospheric carbon uptake as well as increasing wildfire risk.

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  8. Climate

    Antarctica’s iceberg graveyard could reveal the ice sheet’s future

    Drilling deep into the seafloor beneath Antarctica’s “Iceberg Alley” could reveal new clues about how quickly the continent has melted in the past.

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  9. Earth

    How deadly, fast-moving flows of volcanic rock and gas cheat friction

    Mixtures of hot volcanic rock and gas called pyroclastic flows travel so far by gliding on air, a new study suggests.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Readers seek answers to stories about shingles, Neandertal spears and more

    Readers had questions about Neandertal spears, Earth’s inner core and more.

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  11. Plants

    A major crop pest can make tomato plants lie to their neighbors

    Insects called silverleaf whiteflies exploit tomatoes’ ability to detect damage caused to nearby plants.

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  12. Climate

    One Antarctic ice shelf gets half its annual snowfall in just 10 days

    Antarctica’s coasts get most of their snow from just a few big storms each year.

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