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Earth is 'missing' lighter elements. They may be hiding in its solid inner core.
By Rachel Brazil, Knowable Magazine published
These chemical oddities may explain why Earth seems to be deficient in certain elements — and could prove useful in catalysts and more.

Life may have rebounded 'ridiculously fast' after the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact
By Skyler Ware published
After the asteroid smashed into Earth around 66 million years ago, it didn't take life that long to rebound, a new study finds.

Thousands of dams in the US are old, damaged and unable to cope with extreme weather. How bad is it?
By Sascha Pare published
Dams in the U.S. are showing signs of damage that are worsening with age and climate change. Could satellites help prioritize repairs amid budget and inspection constraints?

Critical moment when El Niño started to erode Russia's Arctic sea ice discovered
By Skyler Ware published
Scientists discover a tipping point that took place in 2000, where El Niño’s effect on sea ice loss in Siberia was amplified.

'Doomsday Clock' ticks 4 seconds closer to midnight
By Stephanie Pappas published
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists now says humanity is a metaphorical 85 seconds to global disaster.

Ancient lake full of crop circles lurks in the shadow of Saudi Arabia's 'camel-hump' mountain
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows the oasis town of Jubbah lurking within a paleolake in the wind shadow of Saudi Arabia's "two camel-hump mountain."

A drying climate is making East Africa pull apart faster
By Stephanie Pappas published
A switch from a humid to a dry climate has led the Eastern African Rift Zone to pull apart more freely, new research finds.

Chocolate Hills: The color-changing mounds in the Philippines that inspired legends of mud-slinging giants
By Sascha Pare published
The Chocolate Hills are 1,776 mounds on Bohol Island in the Philippines where grassy cover turns brown during the dry season.

Arctic blast probably won't cause trees to explode in the cold — but here's what happens if and when they do go boom
By Patrick Pester published
An exploding tree claim has gone viral as the U.S. brace for an Arctic blast that will send temperatures plunging, triggering a massive and long-lasting winter storm.

Californians have been using far less water than suppliers estimated — what does this mean for the state?
By Chris Simms published
Flawed assumptions about water demand mean suppliers in California overestimated future demand by an average of 74% over 20 years — positive news for the drought-embattled state.
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