Earth Science

Entire Microbe Communities Live Up in the Clouds

Thousands of feet above your head, microbes are living—and reproducing—in the tiny drops of water that make up clouds

December 18, 2012

Climate Change Tipping Point: Research Shows That Emission Reductions Must Occur by 2020

A new report indicates that we have roughly 8 years to cut fossil fuel use without risking catastrophic levels of warming

December 16, 2012

This Is Probably the World’s Most Beautiful Seismograph

Using different colors of paint and a map of Christchurch, this machine lays down beautiful portraits of New Zealand’s deadly earthquakes

December 11, 2012

British Scientists Will Drill Through Three Kilometers of Ice Into an Ancient Antarctic Lake

More than a decade of planning will come together this week for a five-day push through three kilometers of ice

December 10, 2012

Your Cell Phone Could Soon Become Part of a Massive Earthquake Detection System

In the future, your cell phone’s accelerometer could help detect earthquakes

December 5, 2012

World’s Greatest Extinction May Have Actually Been Two Extinctions in One

The Permian-Triassic extinction nearly wiped out life on Earth

December 4, 2012

Watch All of 2012′s Hurricanes in One Video

Today marks the end of hurricane season. Here’s the run down on the year, and every storm on one animation

November 30, 2012

Confirmed: Both Antarctica and Greenland Are Losing Ice

After decades of uncertainty, a new study confirms that both polar ice sheets are melting

November 29, 2012

A New Life for Old Breweries

In response to a changing economy and demographic shift toward urban areas, the deserted homes of Schlitz, PBR and other beers are being repurposed

November 28, 2012

Why Do We Hiccup? And Other Scientific Mysteries—Seen Through the Eyes of Artists

In a new book, 75 artists illustrate questions scientists haven’t fully answered yet

November 28, 2012

How Weather Models and Google Could Help Forecast Flu Season

Principles from the weather models that predicted Sandy a week ahead of time might be used to warn about the flu before it arrives

November 27, 2012

The Arctic Is Running Out of Snow Even Faster Than It’s Running Out of Ice

The Arctic is losing snow cover twice as fast as it is losing sea ice

November 23, 2012

Video: This 750-Leg Millipede is the Leggiest Creature in the World

Illacme plenipes, an extremely rare species endemic to just a few wooded areas in Northern California, is fully described for the first time

November 15, 2012

Researchers Find Fracking Might Cause Earthquakes After All

New research makes the previously-tangential relationship between fracking and earthquakes much more firm

November 7, 2012

Here’s Why We’re Not Living in an Ice Age (And Why That Matters for the Future)

The same feedback systems that took us from ice age to modern warmth are still around

November 5, 2012

Why We May Not See the Next Sandy Coming

Failing weather satellites will reduce our ability to forecast and track future storms

October 30, 2012

While the East Coast Focused on Sandy, Typhoon Son-tinh Battered East Asia

Sandy was not the only tropical cyclone this week

October 30, 2012

Can We Link Hurricane Sandy to Climate Change?

Models indicate that climate change will cause more frequent and intense hurricanes, but the overall trend can’t be linked with any particular storm

October 29, 2012

A Massive Field of Frozen Greenhouse Gas Is Thawing Out

Vast stores of methane hydrates off the US east coast are thawing out, but what this means is still up in the air

October 25, 2012

Tropical Storm Sandy Could Bring Extreme Weather to the East Coast for Halloween

A nascent hurricane in the Caribbean could bring flooding and high winds to the East Coast—or could take a turn and head out to sea

October 24, 2012