Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Φsat-2 begins science phase for AI Earth images
Φsat-2, a miniature satellite, has completed its commissioning and has begun delivery of science data, using algorithms to efficiently process and compress Earth observation images, as well as detect wildfires,...
Unprecedented Fire Season Has Raged Through One of Earth's Biodiversity Hotspots
More than 500 fires have burned across Colombia, including in its delicate and unique highland wetlands, one of the fastest evolving ecosystems on Earth
Stratospheric skydiver Felix Baumgartner dies at 56 in tragic paragliding accident
Baumgartner is most well-known for breaking the sound barrier with his body during a freefall from the stratosphere in 2012.
Meteor impact may have triggered massive Grand Canyon landslide 56,000 years ago
A meteorite impact thousands of years ago may have triggered a landslide in the Grand Canyon and reshaped the Colorado River that runs through the national park.
Amateur astrophotographer captures trio of breathtaking nebulas from the Central Australian Desert (photos)
"There's some great targets in the southern hemisphere, including the Carina Nebula."
Science Behind The Mission
Explore NISAR MissionEarthNISARAboutMission OverviewAbout the SatelliteScience Behind the MissionGet to Know SARMission/Science TeamISRO Partnership News & UpdatesApplicationsApplications OverviewWorkshops & Working GroupsEarly EngagementDataMultimedia Science Behind the Mission Areas of Study Solid Earth Explore hands-on activities, interactive,...
Water
Explore NISAR MissionEarthNISARAboutMission OverviewAbout the SatelliteScience Behind the MissionGet to Know SARMission/Science TeamISRO Partnership News & UpdatesApplicationsApplications OverviewWorkshops & Working GroupsEarly EngagementDataMultimedia Water Get the White Paper View All Water: Sustaining Life Jul 18, 2025...
Citizen scientists will take to the field for U.S. eclipse
(Reuters) - When the moon passes directly in front of the sun on Aug. 21, casting a deep shadow across the United States, thousands of citizen scientists will be watching...
Senate panel raises hopes that NSF will restore killed grants
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Does the AI industry operate like a modern colonial empire?
In Empire of AI, journalist Karen Hao investigates OpenAI and the social and environmental costs of a multinational tech arms race.
How hot can Earth get? Our planet’s climate history holds clues
Earth has survived huge temperature swings over eons of climate change. Humans might not be so lucky.
Some penguins save energy by riding ocean currents
When navigating home, Magellanic penguins alternate between heading straight back in calm waters and swimming with the flow in strong ocean currents.
What to know about the extreme U.S. flooding — and ways to stay safe
An oceanographer explains how climate change, warming oceans and a souped-up atmosphere are creating conditions for deadly floods.
California reports sharp rise in valley fever cases for first three months of 2025
Weather patterns, construction activity and wildfires can all play a role in outbreaks of valley fever, caused by inhaling a fungus.
Monster earthquake could sink swath of California, dramatically heightening flood risk, study says
A long-feared monster earthquake off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington could cause some areas to sink by more than 6 feet, dramatically heightening the risk of flooding.
Edison hit with lawsuit saying Eaton fire exposed people to toxic substances
Lawyers filing the lawsuit cite an investigation by The Times in which the testing of soil samples at homes found toxic heavy metals in excess of California standards.
L.A. County finds high lead levels in soil on properties already cleaned by Army Corps
New soil testing has found high levels of lead in the soil at wildfire-destroyed homes that federal cleanup crews had determined to be cleared of such contaminants, according to Los...
Researchers call on Newsom to pay for post-fire soil testing in Los Angeles County
A group of environmental researchers is calling on the Newsom administration to step in and pay for soil testing at thousands of homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires.
Months after the fires, how safe is it to swim at L.A.'s beaches?
Assessing the January fires' environmental toll is tough on land. It's even harder in the sea.
California board voted to nix a controversial hazardous waste proposal
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control had planned to weaken rules for hazard waste disposal. An oversight board voted to kill that proposal.
A mysterious, highly active undersea volcano near California could erupt later this year. What scientists expect
Nearly a mile deep, the Pacific Ocean volcano known as Axial Seamount is drawing increasing scrutiny from scientists who only discovered its existence in the 1980s.
CalRecycle drafts revised plastic recycling rules that are more friendly to industry
Newsom scuttled the finalization of a landmark waste law, leading CalRecycle to propose new rules. Critics say the rules pander to industry by making broad exemptions.
'It's pretty bleak': A warming planet is poised to get even hotter, forecasters warn
Get ready for more fires, more droughts and more hurricanes.
Want to understand CalRecycle's chemical recycling rules? You'll need to pay
CalRecycle's latest attempt at rules to implement the state's plastic waste law is under fire — including for its decision to use ISO guidelines on hazardous waste that cost nearly...
Lawmakers ask Newsom and waste agency to follow the law on plastic legislation
More than two dozen lawmakers signed a letter urging the governor and CalRecycle to toss regulations drafted to implement landmark plastic legislation they say ignores the law.
On 7-5 vote, AQMD rejects gas appliance surcharge aimed at improving air quality
In voting to deny the measures, AQMD board member Janet Nguyen said the rule would unnecessarily penalize people by raising the cost of household appliances.
Salton Sea is emitting foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, triggering health concerns
Emissions of hydrogen sulfide raise health concerns in communities near California's largest lake, researchers say.
Trump signs laws to kill California auto emission standards. California AG sues
President Trump signed legislation that would overturn California's ambitious auto emission standards