Earth From Space: Awe-Inspiring Vatnajökull, Iceland [Video]
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Vatnajökull ice cap, in southeast Iceland, in this summery image captured on July 6, 2019. Covering an…
Geography
Our Early Ancestors May Have Boiled Their Food in Hot Springs Long Before Learning to Control Fire
Scientists have found evidence of hot springs near sites where ancient hominids settled, long before the control of fire. Some of the oldest remains of…
Preserving Outstanding Ecological Value: Assessment of the Protection State of Mostly “Untouched” Forests in Europe
Europe’s primary forests: What to protect? What to restore? Primary forests are forests without any signs of past human use and where ecological processes are…
Incredible View of the Majestic Amazon River From Space
This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, shows the Amazon River meandering through one of the most vital ecosystems in the world – the…
Global Analysis Reveals for the First Time: Trees Living Fast Die Young
A global analysis reveals for the first time that across almost all tree species, fast-growing trees have shorter lifespans. This international study further calls into…
First Daily Surveillance of Emerging COVID-19 Hotspots in the United States
Hotspots have trended towards smaller but more numerous clusters since the pandemic started. Over the course of the coronavirus epidemic, COVID-19 outbreaks have hit communities…
Climate Change Already Affecting More Than Half of World’s Oceans
First estimate of the point at which areas of the world’s oceans will show evidence of the impacts of climate change. More than 50% of…
Southeast Asia Megadrought: Previously Unknown Mid-Holocene Event Led to Major Changes in Human Settlement
Researchers link end of Green Sahara with Southeast Asia megadrought. Physical evidence found in caves in Laos helps tell a story about a connection between…
A Sandy Flower in the Pacific: Unusual Island Growing in Shallow Coastal Waters Near Hainan, China
In 2001, Dubai started construction on three large artificial islands in the Persian Gulf shaped like palm trees. A few years later, Doha began dredging…
New Zealand’s Southern Alps Glacier Melt Has Doubled – Up to 77% of Little Ice Age Glacier Volume Already Lost
Glaciers in the Southern Alps of New Zealand have lost more ice mass since pre-industrial times than remains today, according to a new study. Research…
Earth From Space: Flinders Ranges, South Australia [Video]
The many colorful curves and folds of the Flinders Ranges – the largest mountain range in South Australia – are featured in this false-color image…
Sea Ice in Denmark Strait – Drifted More Than 1,000 Km (600 Miles) From the Arctic Ocean
Arctic sea ice is subject to some serious travel restrictions. Penned in by major land masses, most ice that forms in the Arctic Ocean stays…
NASA Scientists Map Beirut Blast Damage – Devastating Explosion Rocked Port Area
On August 4, 2020, a devastating explosion rocked the port area around Beirut, Lebanon. After the event, scientists used satellite radar imagery to map the…
The IBCAO 4.0 Bathymetric Chart: New Depth Map of the Arctic Ocean
An international team of researchers has published the most detailed submarine map of the Artic Ocean. The study, which counts on the participation of the…
Dazzling Photo of Chinese Port Cities at Night Taken by an Astronaut on the International Space Station
This photograph, taken by an astronaut from the International Space Station (ISS), captures the bright urban lights of two Chinese port cities. Xiamen and Quanzhou…
NASA Advanced Rapid Imaging Satellite Maps Blast Damage: Beirut Explosion Aftermath
Scientists are using satellite data to map ground surface changes in the aftermath of the recent explosion. NASA’s Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team,…
NASA/NOAA Satellites Observe Surprisingly Rapid Increase in Scale and Intensity of Fires in Siberia
Abnormally warm temperatures have spawned an intense fire season in eastern Siberia this summer. Satellite data show that fires have been more abundant, more widespread,…
Discovered in Deep Ocean: New Current That Transports Water to One of World’s Largest “Waterfalls”
An international team discovered a previously unrecognized ocean current that transports water to one of the world’s largest “waterfalls” in the North Atlantic Ocean: the…