Climate Change

The Big Apple's 1,084,954 buildings weigh an estimated 1.68 trillion pounds.

New York City Is Sinking Under the Weight of Its Skyscrapers, Study Finds

As the city, and others like it, slowly subsides, it becomes more vulnerable to flooding driven by climate change

Protesters hold signs during the demonstration in Rome's Trevi Fountain.

Climate Activists Turn Water in Rome's Trevi Fountain Black

The action was a protest against public subsidies for fossil fuels and called attention to the deadly floods occurring in northern Italy

A massive ice island breaks free of the Petermann Glacier in northwestern Greenland in July 2012.

Satellites Show Warming Tides Melting a Massive Greenland Glacier

The finding could mean that past predictions of sea-level rise from glaciers should double

This is the first documented rainbow sea slug in a rock pool in the United Kingdom.

Rare 'Technicolor' Rainbow Sea Slug Found in England

It's only the fourth record of the species in the U.K., and experts say it's a sign of warming waters due to climate change

Did lions once live in ancient Greece?

Did Lions Live in Ancient Greece? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Wildfire during Greece's 2021 heatwave, which experts have linked to climate change

The Next Five Years Will Almost Certainly Be the Warmest on Record, U.N. Says

Earth is likely to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming over pre-industrial levels, a key climate threshold, by 2027, according to a new report

Ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains received record-setting snowfall this year, which likely inspired more people to go skiing and snowboarding.

Ski Areas Reported More Visits Than Ever This Past Winter

Heavy snowfall—particularly in the Rocky Mountains—attracted record numbers of American skiers and snowboarders

An offshore well in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana

14,000 Inactive Oil and Gas Wells Are Unplugged in the Gulf of Mexico

Capping these potential sources of methane could cost $30 billion. But targeting wells in shallow waters would have the highest impact, a new study finds

A burnt landscape caused by wildfires near Entrance, Wild Hay area, Alberta, Canada on May 10, 2023.

Wildfires in Canada Burn Close to One Million Acres

The current fire season has been unusually devastating for this early in the year—and more hot, dry weather is on the way

A view of Philadelphia's historic Chinatown

These Are America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual list spotlights cultural sites facing a range of threats

Saurona triangula, one of the newly described butterfly species named for the evil Lord Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy

Butterfly Group With Fiery 'Eyes' Is Named After 'Lord of the Rings' Villain Sauron

Beyond their eye-like wing pattern, the two new species don't seem to show any signs of evil that would link them to Mordor

A diver takes a rubbing of John Greer’s gravestone underwater at Dry Tortugas National Park.

Quarantine Hospital and Cemetery Found Underwater Off the Coast of Florida

Before it was submerged, a small island was home to 19th-century yellow fever patients

A vineyard in the Mudgee wine region of Australia.

Climate Change Is Threatening Vineyards in Australia

Winemakers are looking for ways to adapt and grow fruit that's more resistant to heat and drought

Climate activists with the group Declare Emergency spread paint on the plexiglass case of Edgar Degas' Little Dancer, a sculpture on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Climate Activists Smear Paint on Degas Sculpture's Glass Case

Sitting beside "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen," the protesters urged Biden to declare a climate emergency

The submersible Alvin collects samples from rocky outcrop in the newly discovered coral reef.

See the Pristine Coral Reefs Found off the Galápagos Islands

These ancient deep-sea reefs have barely been affected by humans and can provide a way to measure the impact of climate change on corals

Electric cars from Tesla, photographed in 2018

EPA Proposes Tightest-Ever Emissions Limits for Cars

If approved, the rules could lead to electric vehicles comprising 67 percent of new car sales by 2032

Despite making up roughly 14 percent of Cape Town's population, the wealthiest residents used 51 percent of the city's water—often for non-essential uses like swimming pools, gardens and car-washing.

Wealthy Residents' Pools and Gardens Are Driving Water Crises

Urban elites use a disproportionate share of water compared to their lower-income peers, according to a new study

Records of lunar eclipses that appeared unusually dark are telling scientists when volcanic eruptions might have occurred in the past.

Medieval Eclipse Records Help Scientists Understand Volcanic Eruptions

Descriptions of lunar eclipses from monks and poets can shed light on how volcanoes affect Earth's climate in a new study

Lake Mead in July 2021—the lighter colored rocks indicate how high water levels used to be. Last summer, the lake was filled to just 27 percent of capacity, its lowest water levels since 1937.

U.S. Proposes Cuts to Colorado River Water Usage

Negotiations between states have not produced an agreement on how to allocate the dwindling water, so the federal government has offered tentative plans

The Smithsonian's podcast Sidedoor uncovers the climate change insights hidden in old paintings (above: Shivalal, Maharana Fateh Singh Crossing a River During the Monsoon (detail), c. 1893).

What Centuries-Old Indian Court Paintings Tell Us About Climate Change

This month’s Smithsonian podcasts include a deep dive into India’s monsoon weather patterns and discussion of animals in flight

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