Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Science / Our Planet

The waters around the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (yellow and blueback fusiliers) hold some of the world's most pristine coral reefs

Our Imperiled Oceans: Victory at Sea

The world’s largest protected area, established this year in the remote Pacific, points the way to restoring marine ecosystems

A group of boaters make their way down the peaceful Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

Preserving Silence in National Parks

A Battle Against Noise Aims to Save Our Natural Soundscapes

None

H. Tracy Hall, Diamond Pioneer

Hungarian water polo player Ervin Zador's eye is injured during the closing minutes of a game against the Soviets.

Blood in the Water at the 1956 Olympics

Political turmoil between Hungary and the Soviet Union spills over into an Olympic water polo match

None

Tainted Tomatoes

A food-poisoning scare spurs debate

Where did you think tomato paste came from? A harvester in California’s Sacramento Valley gathers tons of Roma-type tomatoes for Morning Star, the world’s largest tomato-processing company.

A Passion for Tomatoes

Whatever the variety—commercial hybrid or precious heirloom—the plump juicy “vegetable” has a place in our hearts

None

Arctic Dispatch: A Thaw in the Arctic Tundra

Researchers at the Toolik Field Station study thermokarst to understand the ecological effects of climate change

None

The Life-Saving Qualities of Expensive Gas

The aptly-named town of Coldfoot

Arctic Dispatch: A Toolik Farewell

After leaving Toolik, the team finds points of interest on the road back to Fairbanks

None

Arctic Dispatch: Looking at the Lakes

Alaska’s Arctic lakes are a source of methane experiments for a warming planet

Grand Canyons of Ice

The always-popular sauna in Toolik

Arctic Dispatch: The Toolik Way of Life

Gourmet fare, live music and 24-hour Arctic summer sun make life in Toolik hard to beat

On the drive from Toolik, a view of the ocean and sun in the early morning hours

Arctic Dispatch: A Polar Bear Plunge

A trip to the oil-rich Prudhoe Bay region ends in an Arctic swim

Marine Biological Laboratory research assistant Rich McHorney gets a sample core from the permafrost.

Arctic Dispatch: Thermokarst and Toolik

The team studies consequences of the Arctic’s warming temperatures

The team collects invertebrates from a heavily silted stream.

Arctic Dispatch: Exploring the Aufeis

Dell’Amore and her fellow researchers climb the aufeis and meet interesting insects

A view from the Jade Mountain summit

Arctic Dispatch: The Hike Up Jade Mountain

After a day of experiments and ongoing mosquito battles, Christine Dell’Amore enjoys the view from the top

The team hikes to the research sites above Toolik Lake.

Arctic Dispatch: Playing With Permafrost

The first field tests in the tundra look at the effects of nitrogen levels on permafrost

Toolik Field Station is located north of the Arctic Circle.

Arctic Dispatch: Reaching Toolik

Journalist Christine Dell’Amore travels to Alaska’s Toolik Field to observe the environmental changes occurring in the Arctic Circle

Keep Kangaroos at Bay the Dingo Way

None

Update: Quake-Hit Pandas; Mars Lander

Page 93 of 107