Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Scientists discover long-lost giant rivers that flowed across Antarctica up to 80 million years ago
Large flat surfaces carved by ancient rivers deep beneath East Antarctica are influencing how ice flows across the continent today, according to a new study.
Enormous blobs deep beneath Earth's surface appear to drive giant volcanic eruptions
Pillars of hot rock appear to connect continental-size moving blobs at the bottom of Earth's mantle to giant volcanic eruptions at its surface.
Study raises major questions about Earth's 'oldest' impact crater
Scientists thought this crater in Australia was the world’s oldest — but an independent analysis shows they might be off by at least 800 million years.
Nor'easters have become 20% more destructive in the last 80 years, scientists warn
Nor'easters are becoming more destructive as the climate warms, a new study finds, with a 20% increase in storm intensity recorded from 1940 to now.
Mount Thor: The mountain with Earth's longest vertical drop
Mount Thor, also known as Thor Peak, is a mountain in Nunavut, Canada with the largest vertical drop in the world — a terrifying escarpment with an average overhang of...
Tuvalu residents prepare for world’s first planned migration of an entire nation — and climate change is to blame
A first-of-its-kind lottery for residents of Tuvalu who want to move to Australia due to climate change threats is closing today, with more than 5,000 applications received.
First video of an earthquake fault cracking has revealed another surprise
A stunning video of the ground cracking during a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar is revealing new surprises.
From kelp to whales: How marine heat waves are reshaping ocean life
New research from the University of Victoria (UVic) highlights how marine heat waves can dramatically impact marine ecosystems and offers a stark preview of how future ocean warming will reshape...
Restoring nature beyond forests: A new map for rethinking ecological conservation
An international study led by the University of Liège proposes a new map of the potential for natural vegetation on Earth, far beyond forests. By incorporating the role of fire...
How Google's Android earthquake detection system can save lives
If you're in an earthquake-prone area and own an Android phone, it could save your life. It may even have already done so. The Android Earthquake Alert (AEA) system, which...
Spain taming fire that belched smoke cloud over Madrid
Spanish firefighters on Friday were bringing under control a forest fire near Madrid that had cloaked the capital in a huge cloud of acrid smoke.
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...
Boundaries set for Lancaster Sound, Nunavut, Canada's largest area of protected ocean
The Lancaster Sound national marine conservation area will protect 110,000 square kilometres of the Arctic, which is almost two per cent of Canada's oceans.
Lake trout 'a canary in a coal mine' for climate change: researcher
A new study out of the University of Manitoba shows some lake predators are changing their behaviour due to climate change, which may have a wide-ranging effect on aquatic ecosystems.
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
Why is the moon's far side so weird? China's lunar sample-return mission may have figured it out
The impact that carved out the moon's huge South Pole-Aitken basin may explain the puzzling differences between the lunar near and far sides.
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.