Earth

  1. Oceans

    The Arctic is a final garbage dump for ocean plastic

    Ocean currents dump plastic garbage from the North Atlantic into previously pristine Arctic waters, new research shows.

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  2. Earth

    ‘River piracy’ on a high glacier lets one waterway rob another

    The melting of one of Canada’s largest glaciers has rerouted meltwater from one stream into another in an instance of river piracy.

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  3. Oceans

    More than one ocean motion determines tsunami size

    The horizontal movement of the seafloor during an earthquake can boost the size of the resulting tsunami, researchers propose.

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  4. Chemistry

    New tech harvests drinking water from (relatively) dry air using only sunlight

    A prototype device harvests moisture from dry air and separates it into drinkable water using only sunlight.

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  5. Animals

    New worm-snail is a super slimer

    New worm-snail species shoots snot to snag a snack.

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  6. Ecosystems

    Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony

    Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.

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  7. Ecosystems

    Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony

    Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.

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  8. Climate

    The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing a major coral bleaching event right now

    A second coral bleaching event has struck the Great Barrier Reef in 12 months, new observations reveal, raising concerns about the natural wonder’s future.

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  9. Earth

    Whirlwinds of crystals called gravel devils spotted in Andes Mountains

    Large whirlwinds in northern Chile can carry gravel-sized gypsum crystals several kilometers before dumping them in mounds.

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  10. Environment

    When coal replaces a cleaner energy source, health is on the line

    Health concerns prompted a shift from nuclear power to coal. But that shift came with its own health troubles, a new study suggests.

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  11. Oceans

    Thinning ice creates undersea Arctic greenhouses

    Arctic sea ice thinned by climate change increasingly produces conditions favorable for phytoplankton blooms in the waters below, new research suggests.

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  12. Earth

    Deadly New Zealand quake hopscotched across faults

    The Nov. 14, 2016, earthquake in New Zealand was much larger than thought possible at the time, prompting a rethink of hazard assessments.

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