Earth Science
Dark Lightning Is Just One of the Crazy Types of Lightning You’ve Never Heard Of
Dark Lightning is not the only weird form of lightning you've probably never heard of
April 16, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Don’t Blame the Awful U.S. Drought on Climate Change
Scientists can attribute particular natural disasters to climate change--just not the 2012 Great Plains drought
April 12, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Highly Recommended: Teaching Climate Change And Evolution in Science Class
On Tuesday, United States educators unveiled a new science curriculum that includes new subjects like climate change and evolution
April 10, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
19th Century Shark Tooth Weapons Reveal A Reef’s Missing Shark Species
Lashed to swords and spears from the Pacific's Gilbert Islands are teeth from two shark species that were never known to have swam in the area
April 03, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Makes Rain Smell So Good?
A mixture of plant oils, bacterial spores and ozone is responsible for the powerful scent of fresh rain
April 02, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Greening of the Arctic is Underway
As the climate changes, trees and shrubs are poised to take over tundra and alter the Arctic's ecosystems
March 31, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Microbes Buried Deep in Ocean Crust May Form World’s Largest Ecosystem
Far below the ocean floor, scientists have discovered a microbial community away from undersea vents, beyond the reach of the sun
March 29, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
Greenland’s Glaciers Are Hemorrhaging Ice, Best Seen By Photos from Space
Satellites snap pictures of Greenland's glaciers, which a new study shows are vanishing at an accelerated pace, helping to spike global sea levels
March 29, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Landslide “Quakes” Give Clues to the Location and Size of Debris Flows
Scientists can now quickly assess characteristics of a landslide soon after slopes fail, based on its seismic signature
March 27, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
Oklahoma’s Biggest-Ever Earthquake Was Likely Man-Made
By injecting fluid deep underground, people may have caused Oklahoma's big 2011 earthquake
March 27, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
After 195 Years, Georgia Is Still Complaining About Its Border With Tennessee
Georgia, again, wants to move its border a mile to the north
March 26, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Brown Polar Bears, Beluga-Narwhals and Other Hybrids Brought to You by Climate Change
Animals with shrinking habitats are interbreeding, temporarily boosting populations but ultimately hurting species' survival
March 22, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Caleb Cain Marcus’ Photos of Glaciers on a Disappearing Horizon
With a surprisingly light touch, the New York City-based photographer instills feelings of solitude in his images of massive glaciers
March 21, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Untangling the Mysterious Genetic Tentacles of the Giant Squid
Contrary to prior speculation about the elusive creatures, all giant squid belong to a single species and they all share very similar genetics
March 20, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Earthquakes Are Basically Gold Factories
In the cracks between tectonic plates, veins of gold appear
March 19, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Nearly 8 Miles Down, Bacteria Thrive in the Oceans’ Deepest Trench
The Mariana Trench may serve as a seafloor nutrient trap, supporting remarkable numbers of microorganisms
March 17, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
14 Fun Facts about Marine Ribbon Worms
Ribbon worms swallow prey whole, grease themselves with their mucus to slide quickly through mud, split into thousands of new worms if repeatedly severed, and much more
March 15, 2013 |
By Emily Frost
Albania Has No Idea What to Do With All of These Leftover War Bunkers
Albania's 700,000 war bunkers aren't going anywhere soon, so locals are turning them into hostels, animal sheds and make-out spots
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A New Meaning to Green Urban Design: Dyeing the Chicago River
The story behind how the Windy City gets its yearly watery makeover
March 15, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Vanishing Marine Algae Can Be Monitored From a Boat With Your Smartphone
An app allows boat travelers to track declining levels of phytoplankton, a microscopic organism at the base of the marine food chain
March 15, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
