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A recent slowdown in the melting of Iceland’s glaciers is likely caused by a patch of unusually cold water in the North Atlantic Ocean, known as the "Blue Blob," "according to a new study.

Unusually cold 'Blue Blob' is slowing the rapid melting of Iceland's glaciers, but not for long

By Harry Baker published

A new study into a cold patch of the Arctic, known as the "Blue Blob," has shown that it is slowing the rate Iceland's glaciers are melting, but only for a few more decades.

UCLA's Laurence Smith deployed this autonomous drifter in a meltwater river on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet in July 2015 as part of an effort to understand the causes of sea level rise around the globe.

Historic sea-level rise predicted by NASA and government task force

By Chelsea Gohd published

In a new collaborative report, NASA and other U.S. government agencies have found that sea levels will rise up to a foot by 2050.

Gases are a state of matter with no fixed shape or volume.

Properties of Matter: Gases

By Mary Bagley published

Reference Gases are a state of matter with no fixed shape or volume. They have a lower density than solids and liquids.

Reference
Offshore oil rig in the twilight_think4photop via Getty Images

What is crude oil?

By Joe Phelan published

Here's the science behind how crude oil forms and how experts locate and extract it.

A simulation of the rogue wave based off movement from a monitoring buoy.

4-story rogue wave that randomly appeared in the Pacific Ocean is the 'most extreme' ever detected

By Harry Baker published

Scientists have confirmed that a 58-foot rogue wave detected by a monitoring buoy off the coast of Canada in 2020 is the 'most extreme' ever recorded.

Protists are one of the six kingdoms of life. This illustration depicts vorticella protozoa attached to an algae substrate.

What are protists?

By Aparna Vidyasagar published

Reference Protists are one of the six kingdoms of life. They are simple eukaryotic microorganisms that do not fall into the plant, animal, bacteria or fungus groups.

Reference
A multi-panel comic explains the Great Lego Spill of 1997.

5 million shipwrecked Legos still washing up 25 years after falling overboard

By Mindy Weisberger published

A once-in-a-century wave that struck a cargo ship 25 years ago caused the worst toy-related environmental disaster of all time, known as the Great Lego Spill.

The gold foil experiments gave physicists their first view of the structure of the atomic nucleus and the physics underlying the everyday world.

What is the 'Gold Foil Experiment'? The Geiger-Marsden experiments explained

By Robert Lea published

The Geiger-Marsden experiment, also called the gold foil experiment, gave physicists their first view of the structure of the atomic nucleus.

Seasons are periods of the year with distinct weather conditions and day lengths.

The four seasons: spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter

By Nola Taylor Redd published

Reference Seasons are periods of the year with distinct weather conditions and day lengths. Earth's four seasons are spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter.

Reference
From its origin point in the South Atlantic, the 2021 tsunami sent ripples all over the world.

'Invisible' earthquake caused mysterious 2021 tsunami, scientists find

By Ben Turner published

Scientists argue that we need to build better monitoring systems to spot earthquakes of this type.

A photo of a methane flare in Chicago.

Massive methane leaks mapped from space

By Patrick Pester published

Using satellite data, scientists have mapped massive methane plumes caused by human activities around the world.

This image from the Landsat 8 satellite taken Jan. 29 shows the artificial snow being used for Alpine skiing and sliding sports at the Yanqing Olympic Zone northwest of Beijing.

Artificial snow at Winter Olympics stands out in striking satellite image

By Harry Baker published

A new image from the Landsat 8 satellite shows the contrast of artificial snow against an otherwise snowless mountain at the Winter Olympics in China.

An old growth tree.

Ancient trees form bloodlines that bolster forests for thousands of years

By Stephanie Pappas published

Ancient trees, some close to 1,000 years old, may have a big impact on the forests where they grow.

Gas prices are soaring in the U.K. Here, an image of a closeup of someone pumping gas into their car.

How COVID-19 sent energy prices soaring in the UK

By Bruce Morley published

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the primary reasons for the recent upward trajectory of gas prices. Here's how.

Friction: starting a fire

What is friction?

By Tia Ghose, Ailsa Harvey published

Reference Friction plays an important part in many everyday processes, such as converting the energy of motion into heat.

Reference
Sunset is coming for South Col Glacier, the highest glacier on Mount Everest.

Mt. Everest's highest glacier lost 2,000 years worth of ice since the 1990s

By Brandon Specktor published

The highest glacier on Mount Everest is losing ice at an alarming rate, new research finds.

Sunrise over Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains.

What's the oldest mountain range in the world? (How about the youngest?)

By Brittney J. Miller published

Geologists have dated mountains all over the world, allowing them to discover some of the oldest and youngest ranges on the planet.

Gorgonians and black corals 6430 feet (1960 meters) deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

The deep seafloor is filled with entire branches of life yet to be discovered

By Patrick Pester published

The ocean floor is filled with undiscovered evolutionary lineages that help to regulate Earth's climate, a new global study of DNA in deep-ocean sediments finds.

The ancient range of supermountains was up to three times longer than the Himalayas (seen here from space).

Scientists discover lost range of 'supermountains' three times longer than the Himalayas

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists detected two ancient ranges of 'supermountains' that criss-crossed the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago — and may have jump-started animal evolution.

Facts about Earth

50 interesting facts about Earth

By Stephanie Pappas, Robert Roy Britt, Ailsa Harvey published

Reference We've collected some of the most interesting and amazing facts about Earth

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