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Global Warming

Geologist Molly Patterson holds part of the sediment core

Researchers Retrieve the Deepest-Ever Rock Core From Beneath Antarctica’s Ice. It Holds Clues About the Earth’s Past—and Future

The 748-foot-long sediment core contains a record of roughly the past 23 million years, including periods when the planet’s surface temperature was hotter than it is today

Wetlands like South Sudan's Sudd swamp saw more rainfall in 2020 due to the La Niña climate event, which caused more methane to enter the atmosphere.

When Human Activity Dropped During Covid-19, Methane Levels Surprisingly Spiked. Now, a Study Points to Two Reasons Why

In a paradox of air pollution, a decrease in man-made pollutants led to more methane in our atmosphere. And natural wetlands released more of the planet-warming gas at the same time

The new map revealed tens of thousands of previously undiscovered landforms.

What’s Buried Beneath Antarctica’s Ice? A New Map Unveils the Continent’s Hidden Landscape Like Never Before

A better understanding of the bedrock can help researchers calculate how quickly the continent’s melting glaciers might affect sea-level rise

A gentoo penguin peers up from its colony’s nesting grounds on Booth Island, in the Antarctic Peninsula. The species, an adaptable forager that can switch prey when krill are scarce, has expanded into parts of the Antarctic Peninsula that were once too icy to inhabit.

The Penguins That Thrive—and the Ones Left Behind—as Antarctica Warms

A new decade-long study tracked 37 penguin colonies and found that the birds are breeding earlier. The shift marks one way among many that climate change is transforming life at the bottom of the world

More than 1.8 billion people lived under drought conditions in 2022 and 2023, according to a report from the United Nations.

United Nations Declares That the World Has Entered an Era of ‘Global Water Bankruptcy’

We’re living beyond our hydrological means and need to focus on long-term recovery, according to a new report

Many people in Britain and Ireland started the year off with an annual flower-hunting event.

Hundreds of Flowering Species Bloomed Across Britain and Ireland Last Winter. That’s Not a Good Thing

Citizen scientists in the British Isles documented more than 300 native plant species blooming in early 2025, a phenomenon likely caused by climate change

Morteratsch Glacier in Switzerland

How Many Glaciers Will Survive Until the End of the Century? These Four Scenarios Show It’s Not Looking Good

Researchers calculated every glacier’s lifespan and found that even at the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal, the planet would lose around half of its 200,000 glaciers by 2100

T. oblongifolia thrives in Death Valley's high temperatures.

This Shrub Thrives in Death Valley’s Scorching Temperatures. Where Do Its Heat-Tolerant Superpowers Come From?

Tidestromia oblongifolia thrives in high heat—and scientists think it may hold the key to making food crops more resilient amid global warming

More than 200 river dolphins died in Brazil's Lake Tefé in the fall of 2023, with water temperatures soaring as high as 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a new study.

Water Temperatures in Amazon Lakes Reached Hot Tub Levels in 2023, Killing Fish and Dolphins

Brazil’s Lake Tefé reached 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit during the severe drought and heat wave

Researchers studied space dust in ocean sediment cores from the Arctic.

Researchers Used Space Dust to Build a Timeline of 30,000 Years of Arctic Sea Ice

Understanding the extent of past Arctic ice could help predict how the planet will respond to global warming

A new study suggests the Hektoria Glacier, seen here in 2024, shrank by 16 miles between January 2022 and March 2023—and five miles in November and December 2022 alone.

One Glacier’s ‘Out of This World’ Retreat Might Have Set a Modern Record. Now, Scientists Pieced Together What Happened

New research finds that Hektoria, a grounded glacier in Antarctica, shrank with astounding speed in 2022 and 2023

Culiseta annulata, the mosquito species discovered in Iceland this month.

Iceland Is No Longer Mosquito Free. Is Climate Change to Blame?

It was previously thought to be one of the last places on Earth without the insects

Researchers studied rainforests in northeastern Australia. These wet rainforests are very dense, and their canopies help cool down their ecosystems and store large amounts of carbon.

Australian Rainforests Become the First to Emit More Carbon Than They Absorb

A new analysis finds tropical forests in Australia are not taking in enough carbon dioxide to keep up with the emissions from their decaying trunks, holding possible implications for global ecosystems

A male blue jay on the left, a female green jay on the right and a hybrid offspring of the two species in the center.

Strange Bird Spotted in a Texas Backyard Is the First Known Hybrid Between a Blue Jay and a Green Jay

The ranges of the two parent bird species have expanded due to climate change and now overlap around San Antonio, researchers say

Gouldian finches, endemic to northern Australia, are among the tropical birds that may be vulnerable to extreme heat.

Tropical Birds Are Struggling to Cope With Extreme Heat, Research Suggests

A first-of-its-kind data analysis links high temperatures caused by climate change to tropical bird population declines

A glacier in Greenland, pictured in June 2025.

24 Billion Gallons of Water Burst Through Greenland’s Ice Sheet From a Hidden Lake in 2014. Scientists Just Pieced Together What Happened

A new study suggests ice sheet meltwater doesn’t always move downward—sometimes, it can erupt

A juvenile blacktip reef shark swims in shallow waters by the mangroves in Palau. This image was highly commended in the underwater category.

See 11 Stunning Images of Mangrove Forests and Their Wildlife, Showcasing the Trees’ Beauty and Fragility

The winners of the Mangrove Photography Awards shed light on the ecologically valuable but highly threatened coastal ecosystems

Chile's Mocho-Choshuenco volcano, as seen from the air in June 2019

Melting Glaciers Will Lead to More Volcanic Eruptions, Study Suggests. Now, All Eyes Are On Antarctica

New research from the Chilean Patagonia has identified a link between glacial retreat and underground volcanic activity

The "blob" south of Greenland has cooled over the last century, despite warming surface temperatures across the rest of the planet.

Scientists Shed Light on the Mysterious ‘Cold Blob’ in the North Atlantic Amid a Search for Its Cause

In two recent studies, researchers suggest a weakening ocean current system is to blame for a persistent cold spot in the Atlantic Ocean, though other factors may also be at play

A view of one of Tuvalu's islands captured in June 2023. The nation is highly threatened by climate change.

More Than One-Third of Tuvalu’s Population Has Applied for a ‘Climate Visa’ to Relocate to Australia

The world-first climate visa agreement will grant permanent residency status to 280 Tuvaluans per year as the island nation grapples with sea-level rise

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