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Climate Change

Logs like this one are being digitized in museums all over New England and used to help scientists understand climate change.

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Logbooks From 19th Century Whaling Ships Could Help Climate Change Scientists

A new crowdsourcing project lets amateur enthusiasts contribute, too

High in the sky, aerosols from airplane exhaust become encased in ice and form the bright contrails seen in a plane’s wake.

Age of Humans

Airplane Contrails May Be Creating Accidental Geoengineering

Dissipating haze from plane exhaust alters how sunlight reaches the Earth and may be unintentionally affecting our climate

New Research

Is Global Warming Changing How Fast the Earth Spins?

New research suggests that as glaciers melt, the planet’s axis is shifting

On the last day of the climate conference in Paris, thousands of people gathered to demonstrate for global climate justice and against climate change.

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Four Things to Know About the Paris Climate Deal

The strengths and limitations of the roadmap for fighting climate change

During the first two years of the team's studies, snow sealed the entrance to Snow Dragon cave. But in recent years, low snowpack has kept the entrance open year-round.

Cool Finds

Behold the Beauty of Disappearing Glacier Ice Caves on Mt. Hood

Catch them before they’re gone — these tunnels and caverns may soon melt away

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Age of Humans

Video: What Is the Anthropocene and Why Does It Matter?

This animation explains why scientists think we’ve entered a new chapter in Earth’s history

Trending Today

See the Vatican Light Up With Images Warning Against Climate Change

Animals prowled across St. Peter’s Basilica in a move to connect Earth’s beauty with the dangers of climate change

A cyclist braves Beijing's smog with a face mask last month.

Trending Today

Beijing Just Issued Its First “Red Alert” for Smog

Will the city’s latest smog crisis spur international action on climate change?

The ruins of an ancient Norse settlement still stand near Hvalsey Fjord in Greenland.

New Research

Did Climate Change Make the Norse Disappear From Greenland?

Evidence from glacial deposits adds a new twist to the tale of the mysterious lost settlements

Trending Today

Hundreds of Fake Ads Protest Paris Climate Summit’s Corporate Sponsors

Artists in Paris distributed 600 posters calling out companies’ hypocrisy

Trending Today

Mount Everest’s Glaciers are Turning Into Lakes

Thousands of Himalayan glaciers could melt by the end of the century

A map of human impacts around the globe where green areas show areas with the least amount of human influence and red and purple show the areas with the greatest.

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Explore the Complexities of Climate Change with These Interactive Maps

Understanding the ins and outs requires some strong visualizations

A crowd sends aloft a balloon representation of Earth at Piazza Venezia during a climate change rally in Rome a day before the COP21 conference in Paris.

Age of Humans

What Will Make the Paris Climate Talks a Success?

This episode of Generation Anthropocene explores the history of the UN climate summit and what’s different at this year’s event

Clouds of smoke pour from a smokestack

Age of Humans

Which Countries Are Most Open to Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

A new study shows large gaps between concern about climate change and the willingness to act

Cool Finds

This Visualization of the World’s Carbon Emissions Is Chillingly Beautiful

A NASA simulation shows how carbon dioxide moves

Youth gather near the White House as part of the "Our Generation, Our Choice" climate change march on November 9, 2015

Trending Today

Hundreds of Thousands March With Hope for Climate Action

Demonstrations around the world have already begun in the days leading up to the Paris climate summit

It's getting too hot in here

New Research

Could Climate Change Mean Less Sex and Fewer Babies?

Even if it does, perhaps that’s not a bad thing

A bird watcher walks through a dried-up riverbed in the Netherlands in 2007.

Age of Humans

A New “Drought Atlas” Tracks Europe’s Extreme Weather Through History

The data, based on tree rings, fills in details about past events and could help improve climate modeling for the future

Iceberg, Amundsen Sea, Antarctica

New Research

What is Happening to Antarctica’s Ice Sheets

While parts of Antarctica get icier, others are on the verge of collapse

In July, the Caribbean had about 12,300 square miles of sargassum floating around—enough to blanket Maryland.

Trending Today

Mexico’s Navy is Battling Seaweed Along the Caribbean Coast

Mountains of seaweed are blanketing beaches around the Caribbean Sea and the government is calling everyone to arms

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