Ethiopia’s Forest in the Clouds: Unusual Plants and Wildlife Live in the Harenna Forest
A range of unusual plants and wildlife lives in the Harenna Forest, but they face pressure from development. There are few places in Ethiopia—or the…
Earth News
Luck Played a Major Role in Keeping Earth Fit for Life
A study by the University of Southampton gives a new perspective on why our planet has managed to stay habitable for billions of years –…
NASA SnowEx Campaign Digs Deep in 2021
Whether the first snowflakes of winter fill you with glee or make you groan, winter snowfall is a crucial water source for drinking, agriculture and…
First Global-Scale Assessment Finds Nature Sanitizes 41.7 Million Tons of Human Waste a Year
The first global-scale assessment of the role ecosystems play in providing sanitation finds that nature provides at least 18% of sanitation services in 48 cities…
River Colors Across the United States Are Changing
In the past 35 years, one third of large rivers in the United States have changed their dominant color, often due to sediments or algae….
A Nighttime Glow Over Mount Etna – Highly Active Italian Volcano
An Earth science satellite detected an illuminated plume spreading across Sicily during a night of heightened activity at the Italian volcano. At 1:37 a.m. local…
A Deadly Torrent of Debris Flows From a Himalayan Mountain
The torrent of debris from a mountain in the Himalayas devastated remote valleys in Uttarakhand, India. Sheer, glacier-covered ridges separated by gorges soar over the…
Asteroid Dust Found in Crater Closes Case on What Killed the Dinosaurs
Researchers believe they have closed the case of what killed the dinosaurs, definitively linking their extinction with an asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million…
42,000-Year-Old Trees Enable Accurate Analysis of Earth’s Last Magnetic Field Reversal
Radiocarbon measurements on the remains of 42,000-year-old New Zealand kauri trees provide the basis for better calibration of geological archives of this period. The last…
From Russia With Questions: Distinctive Striping Pattern in Siberia Puzzles Researchers
Researchers are puzzling over a distinctive striping pattern in the Central Siberian Plateau. Earth science satellites are generally used to observe certain features of the…
Ocean Warming Predicted to Amplify Tropical Rainfall Extremes
Ocean warming predicted to cause a twofold increase in amplitude of rainfall fluctuations over the tropical Pacific. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most…
A Sea of Garbage: Ocean Floor Landfills
The Long Journey of Litter to the Seafloor The Messina Strait, a submarine bridge separating the island of Sicily from the Italian Peninsula, is the…
Getting to Net Zero Carbon Emissions – and Even Net Negative – Is Surprisingly Feasible and Affordable
New analysis provides detailed blueprint for the U.S. to become carbon neutral by 2050. Reaching zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from energy and industry…
Monster Saharan Dust Plume Heading for Europe
A substantial dust plume drifted over the Atlantic Ocean, with some of the airborne grains steering toward the northeast. Each year more than 180 million…
Unexpected Decrease in Ammonia Emissions in China Due to COVID-19 Lockdowns
Most Chinese working in the cities return to work today after a 7-day national holiday of Spring Festival. The annual Spring Festival, which is also…
Earth’s Magnetic Field Reversal 42,000 Years Ago Triggered a Global Environmental Crisis
Nearly 42,000 years ago, when Earth’s magnetic fields reversed, this triggered major environmental changes, extinction events, and long-term changes in human behavior, a new study…
Is the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica on the Brink?
In early 2019, all eyes were fixed on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, where a massive iceberg, around the size of Greater London, appeared…
Italy’s Mount Etna Erupts, Spewing a Fountain of Lava and Ash Into the Sky
Italy’s Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has erupted twice in less than 48 hours, spewing a fountain of lava and ash…
