Earth

Oceans

Ancient tsunamis reshaped Mars’ landscape

Ancient tsunamis generated by meteorite impacts may have reshaped ocean coastlines on Mars.

Oceans

The Arctic Ocean is about to get spicier

Variations in the saltiness and temperature of seawater of the same density, called spiciness, could increase as the Arctic Ocean warms.

Health & Medicine

Zika, psychobiotics and more in reader feedback

Readers respond to the April 2, 2016, issue of Science News with thoughts on Zika virus, planetary science, microbes in mental health and more.

Agriculture

New analysis: Genetically engineered foods not a health risk

No real evidence for health or environmental dangers of GE crops.

Oceans

Here’s where 17,000 ocean research buoys ended up

A combined look at 35 years’ worth of ocean buoy movements reveals the currents that feed into ocean garbage patches.

Earth

Remnants from Earth’s birth linger 4.5 billion years later

Shaken, not stirred: Tungsten isotopes reveal that mantle convection has left some remnants of ancient Earth untouched for 4.5 billion years.

Environment

When measuring lead in water, check the temperature

Lead contamination in drinking water can be much higher during summer than winter, new research suggests.

Environment

U.S. oil and gas boom behind rising ethane levels

Oil and gas operations on North Dakota’s Bakken shale are largely to blame for a recent rise in global emissions of the greenhouse gas ethane, researchers conclude.

Plants

Here’s what a leaf looks like during a fatal attack of bubbles

Office equipment beats synchrotrons in showing how drought lets air bubbles kill the water-carrier network of veins in plant leaves.

Animals

Cause of mass starfish die-offs is still a mystery

Sea stars off the U.S. west coast started dying off en masse in 2013. Scientists are still struggling to figure out the cause.

Earth

Rainwater can help trigger earthquakes

Rainwater plays a major role in the triggering of earthquakes along New Zealand’s Alpine Fault.

Climate

Fizzled 2014 El Niño fired up ongoing monster El Niño

The ongoing El Niño, one of the strongest on record, got a heat boost from a 2014 event that failed due to unfavorable winds.