Latest science news in Earth & Climate
AI-assisted sorting, other new technologies could improve plastic recycling
Just 9% of plastic worldwide is recycled. Due to waste mismanagement, nearly three-quarters of it ends up in landfills or the environment.
Deep life's survival secret: Crustal faulting generates key energy sources, study shows
Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that "all life depends on sunlight." In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas...
Canada wildfires burn area the size of Croatia
Canada's wildfires have burned more than 13.6 million acres (5.5 million hectares) this year, an area roughly the size of Croatia, officials said Friday as the country endures one of...
Myanmar earthquake's fault rupture exceeded seismic wave speeds, offering rare evidence of supershear
The first studies of the 28 March 2025 magnitude 7.8 Myanmar earthquake suggest that the southern portion of its rupture occurred at supershear velocity, reaching speeds of 5 to 6...
Machine learning uncovers 10 times more earthquakes in Yellowstone caldera
Yellowstone, a popular tourist destination and namesake of an equally popular TV show, was the first-ever national park in the United States. And bubbling beneath it—to this day—is one of...
Dead Sea's salt giants reveal how massive salt deposits form over time
The Dead Sea is a confluence of extraordinary conditions: the lowest point on Earth's surface, with one of the world's highest salinities. The high concentration of salt gives it a...
Saturday Citations: Dogs like TV; mRNA vaccine enhances cancer therapy; old rhyme inaccurate
This week in science news: Researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain, digitally reconstructed the ribcages of four prehistoric Homo sapiens and theorize that climate influences...
The beauty of coral reefs is key to their survival—so we came up with a way to measure it
Why do people care about coral reefs? Why does their damage cause such concern and outrage? What drives people to go to great lengths to protect and restore them?
Rising rocket launches linked to ozone layer thinning
The rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer, says Sandro Vattioni. The problem is being underestimated—yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking,...
Rising seas threaten to swallow one of NZ's oldest settlement sites
One of Aotearoa New Zealand's oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research.
Why some 'biodegradable' wet wipes can be terrible for the environment
Have you felt disgust when taking a walk along the riverside or plunging into the sea to escape the summer heat, only to spy a used wet wipe floating along...
Controversial grizzly killed on island off B.C. coast, conservation officers investigating
British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service (COS) says a grizzly bear on an island off the Sunshine Coast has been shot and killed.
Alberta storm chasers find beauty, science, community up in the clouds
You know when Environment Canada tells you a storm is coming and to stay away from it? There's a group of people based in Alberta who find their happy place...
Inside the secret plan to relocate a wayward B.C. grizzly bear
As people continue to mourn the loss of a wayward grizzly on an island off the B.C. coast, many are left wondering why the bear wasn’t relocated to avoid what...
Scientists potentially narrow MH370 search area to 3 spots
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Scientists have potentially narrowed the search area for the missing Malaysian airliner to three specific locations in the southern...
Loss of sea ice leads walruses to early appearance in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Hundreds of Pacific walruses came ashore to a barrier island on Alaska's northwest coast, the earliest appearance of the...
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
Satellite images track Grand Canyon wildfires burning across thousands of acres
Lightning-ignited Grand Canyon wildfires burn tens of thousands of acres, as NOAA’s GOES satellites continue to monitor the fires.
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.
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.