Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Sustained planetwide storms may have filled lakes, rivers on ancient Mars
A new study from The University of Texas at Austin is helping scientists piece together the ancient climate of Mars by revealing how much rainfall and snowmelt filled its lake...
Genevieve passing close to Mexico's Baja as Cat 1 hurricane
A weakened Hurricane Genevieve buffeted the southern end of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula with heavy rain and strong winds Wednesday night, making what was expected to be a close pass...
On This Day, Aug. 20: The Menendez brothers kill their parents
On Aug. 20, 1989, 18-year-old Eric Menendez and 21-year-old Lyle Menendez -- the Menendez brothers -- killed their parents with a gun.
U.S. blacklists two UAE-companies, businessman over Iran
The United States has blacklisted two Dubai-based companies and an Iranian businessman for helping to supply U.S.-designated Mahan Air with key parts and logistic services.
U.S. ends 3 bilateral agreements with Hong Kong over new law
In a move that is expected to further heighten tensions between Washington and Beijing, the Trump administration on Wednesday suspended or terminated three bilateral agreements with Hong Kong.
Helicopter pilot dies fighting fires in California as wildfire expand over night
California fire officials blamed continued lightning and intense heat for expanding fires in the San Francisco Bay area and several other areas in Northern California.
Sustained planetwide storms may have filled lakes, rivers on ancient Mars
A new study is helping scientists piece together the ancient climate of Mars by revealing how much rainfall and snowmelt filled its lake beds and river valleys 3.5 billion to...
Hurricane Genevieve weakens to Category 1 off Mexican coast
Hurricane Genevieve weakened to a Category 1 storm Wednesday and was expected to bring severe weather conditions to parts of the shoreline in the coming days, forecasters say.
Heating our climate damages our economies: Study reveals greater costs than expected
Rising temperatures due to our greenhouse gas emissions can cause greater damages to our economies than previous research suggested, a new study shows.
Bacteria can defuse dangerous chemical in Rassaic River
Bacteria that can help defuse highly toxic dioxin in sediments in the Passaic River - a Superfund hazardous waste site - could eventually aid cleanup efforts at other dioxin-contaminated sites...
Dozens dead after migrant boat explodes off Libyan coast
At least 45 people died this week when the boat they were using to cross the Mediterranean Sea exploded off the coast of Libya, the United Nations said Wednesday.
Alaska's salmon are getting smaller, affecting people and ecosystems
The size of salmon returning to rivers in Alaska has declined dramatically over the past 60 years because they are spending fewer years at sea, scientists report. Salmon are critically...
Microbes living on air a global phenomenon
Researchers have found their previous discovery of bacteria living on air in Antarctica is likely a process that occurs globally, further supporting the potential existence of microbial life on alien...
San Francisco blanketed in smoke as California fires rage
Crews were battling wildfires in the San Francisco Bay Area and thousands of people were under orders to evacuate as dozens of wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering...
Plane landing delayed by wayward bear on the runway
A plane attempting to land at a Russian airport was delayed for about 20 minutes due to an unusual hazard on the runway -- a wandering bear.
Firefighters rescue police officer trapped in handcuffs
A police officer in Britain needed the assistance of firefighters when he accidentally was bound by his own handcuffs.
Some California cities think they're safe from sea level rise. They're not, new research shows
Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, yet a world away from San Francisco, in an unincorporated and oft-overlooked area known as Marin City, sea level rise is rarely the...
Machine learning unearths signature of slow-slip quake origins in seismic data
Combing through historical seismic data, researchers using a machine learning model have unearthed distinct statistical features marking the formative stage of slow-slip ruptures in the earth's crust months before tremor...
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite snaps Tropical Storm Higos' landfall
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided forecasters with a visible image of the landfall of Tropical Storm Higos on Aug. 18.
NASA-NOAA satellite provides overnight watch on hurricane Genevieve
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite kept an eye on Hurricane Genevieve overnight and provided infrared imagery to forecasters who were monitoring the storm's strength, structure and size. Because Genevieve is close...
Watch: Glowing plankton create bioluminescent waves off California coast
A California aquarium shared video of an unusual light show that resulted when light-producing plankton caused bioluminescent waves to crash toward shore.
Genevieve approaches Mexico's Baja as Category 3 hurricane
Powerful Hurricane Genevieve began flinging rain at Mexico's Baja California Peninsula on Wednesday and it threatened to bring hurricane-force winds to the tourist region even if its center wasn't likely...
Creating meaningful change in cities takes decades, not years, and starts from the bottom
Newly published research in Science Advances by University of Chicago researcher Luis Bettencourt proposes a new perspective and models on several known paradoxes of cities. Namely, if cities are engines...
California wildfires expand overnight to burn thousands of acres
California fire officials blamed continued lightning and intense heat for expanding fires in the San Francisco Bay area and several other areas in Northern California.
Plastic debris leaches toxins into the stomachs of sea birds
New research suggests plastic pollution can poison sea birds, leaching toxins into the stomachs of birds that ingest plastic.
NORAD begins air exercise over Arctic Ocean
An Arctic Ocean air exercise involving Canadian and U.S. planes is underway this week, the North American Aerospace Defense Command [NORAD] announced.
Watch: California family finds bear swimming in backyard pool
A California family captured video of a bear escaping from the summer heat by taking a dip in their backyard pool.
Scientists on Arctic mission make unplanned detour to pole
A German icebreaker carrying scientists on a year-long international expedition in the High Arctic has reached the North Pole, after making an unplanned detour because of lighter-than-usual sea ice conditions.