Earth

  1. Climate

    Bloodflowers’ risk to monarchs could multiply as climate changes

    High atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can weaken the medicinal value of a milkweed that caterpillars eat, and high temperatures may make the plant toxic.

    By
  2. Health & Medicine

    Air pollution is triggering diabetes in 3.2 million people each year

    A new study quantifies the link between smoggy air and diabetes.

    By
  3. Animals

    Why humans, and Big Macs, depend on bees

    Thor Hanson, the author of Buzz, explains the vital role bees play in our world.

    By
  4. Earth

    Kilauea’s spectacular pyrotechnics show no signs of stopping

    Watch some of the most striking videos and images of the strange, fiery beauty of the Hawaii volcano’s ongoing eruption.

    By
  5. Earth

    Earth’s rivers cover 44 percent more land than we thought

    A global survey of rivers and streams based on satellite data suggests that these waterways traverse about 773,000 square kilometers.

    By
  6. Planetary Science

    Mars got its crust quickly

    The Martian crust had solidified within 20 million years of the solar system’s formation.

    By
  7. Genetics

    Readers ponder geothermal power and more

    Readers respond to stories from the May 26, 2018 issue of Science News.

    By
  8. Climate

    Why won’t this debate about an ancient cold snap die?

    Critics are still unconvinced that a comet caused a mysterious cold snap 12,800 years ago.

    By
  9. Earth

    This volcano revealed its unique ‘voice’ after an eruption

    Identifying patterns in a volcano’s low-frequency sounds could help monitor its activity.

    By
  10. Earth

    Underwater fiber-optic cables could moonlight as earthquake sensors

    The seafloor cables that ferry internet traffic across oceans may soon find another use: detecting underwater earthquakes.

    By
  11. Animals

    Here’s what narwhals sound like underwater

    Scientists eavesdropped while narwhals clicked and buzzed. The work could help pinpoint how the whales may react to more human noise in the Arctic.

    By
  12. Climate

    Antarctica has lost about 3 trillion metric tons of ice since 1992

    Antarctica’s rate of ice loss has sped up since 1992 — mostly in the last five years, raising global sea level by almost 8 millimeters on average.

    By