Latest articles by Stephanie Pappas
An Iranian volcano appears to have woken up — 700,000 years after its last eruption
Taftan volcano near the border of Pakistan has shown signs of unrest in recent years.
Link between Cascadia and San Andreas Fault earthquakes discovered 30 years after lost vessel stumbled across key data
Geological records hint that earthquakes at the Cascadia subduction zone might trigger the San Andreas Fault.
An 'ice tsunami' in 2024 ripped through the Yukon with such force it tore up trees and the riverbed
Chunks of river ice tore down trees after a landslide caused a tsunami in the Yukon in December.
The Red Sea experienced 'one of the most extreme environmental events on Earth' 6 million years ago
The Red Sea became a desert about 6.2 million years ago, before a massive flood from the Indian Ocean turned it into a waterway again.
AI can now be used to design brand-new viruses. Can we stop it from making the next devastating bioweapon?
Scientists have used AI to design bacteriophages, or viruses that infect only bacteria. Does the prospect of designing viruses with AI pose threats to biosecurity?
Plate tectonics may be why Earth has life — and the key to finding life elsewhere in the universe
Feature Emerging evidence suggests that plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth's crust, may have begun much earlier than previously thought — and may be a big reason that our planet harbors life.
Yosemite's glaciers have survived 20,000 years — but we could be the first people to see Sierra Nevada ice-free
New research finds the disappearance of glaciers in the Sierra Nevada will be unprecedented in the human history of North America.
Perplexing diamonds from South Africa mine contain 'almost impossible' chemistry
Seemingly contradictory materials are trapped together in two glittering diamonds from South Africa, shedding light on how diamonds form.
RFK's handpicked advisers are coming for the childhood vaccine schedule. Here's what to know.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices may vote to disrupt the childhood vaccine schedule, despite what experts say is a lack of evidence to do so.
Canada's 2023 wildfires contributed to 87,000 early deaths worldwide, study estimates
The health impacts from Canada's worst wildfire stretched into Europe, Asia and Africa, a new study reveals.
'We know what to do; we just have to implement it.': Pregnancy is deadlier in the US than in other wealthy countries. But we could fix that.
Cuts to Medicaid and legal confusion around patient care post-Roe v. Wade may prevent improvements in the maternal mortality rate.
Toxic chemicals that pollute groundwater are formed up in the stratosphere, surprise findings show
Perchlorates, a group of toxic chemicals that pollute groundwater, first form on rare particles in the stratosphere, scientists have discovered.
Mystery quake that rocked Northern California in 1954 came from 'eerily quiet' Cascadia Subduction Zone
Scientists link a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that shook Humboldt Bay, California, 71 years ago to the "locked" Cascadia Subduction Zone.
'Sleeping giant' fault beneath Canada could unleash a major earthquake, research suggests
A new assessment of the enormous Tintina fault suggests it has been slowly accumulating strain over thousands of years.
First video of an earthquake fault cracking has revealed another surprise
A stunning video of the ground cracking during a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar is revealing new surprises.
Scientists discover changes to the polar vortex that are plunging parts of US into deep freeze
When the polar vortex stretches, North America feels the chill. New research reveals some of the stratospheric patterns controlling these cold snaps.
The San Andreas Fault: Facts about the crack in California's crust that could unleash the 'Big One'
California's San Andreas Fault is capable of triggering a massive earthquake. Here's what to know about this famous location often associated with earthquakes.
Almost half of California's faults — including San Andreas — are overdue for earthquakes
California's earthquakes are far more likely to be "overdue" compared with earthquakes in the rest of the world.
Alan Turing's seminal papers, almost destroyed by a shredder, head to auction
The trove of papers from pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing was discovered in a loft.
Hidden layer beneath Italy's Campi Flegrei caldera may explain why it's so restless
According to new research, the active volcano that sits west of Naples has a "tuff" layer about two miles beneath the surface that traps volcanic gases deep below the caldera's floor.
The history of cat domestication
Discover the history of our feline friends, and learn about the debate over whether cats are really "domesticated" at all.
Aliens: Facts about extraterrestrial life and how scientists are looking for it
Discover interesting facts about where alien life forms are likely to exist, and what they look like.
See the best Milky Way photos of the year
Mind-boggling beauty abounds in photographs from around the globe submitted to this year's Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest.
