Earth
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
-
- Ecosystems
Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony
Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.
- Ecosystems
Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony
Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
