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An illustration of a melting Earth with its ocean currents outlined
Atlantic ocean currents are weakening — and it could make the climate in some regions unrecognizable A cold blob of water in the North Atlantic is an ominous sign that a system of currents that regulate the planet's climate could be weakening.
An active fumerole in Iceland spews hydrogen sulfide gas.
Scientists think a hidden source of clean energy could power Earth for 170,000 years — and they've figured out the 'recipe' to find it Researchers have compiled a list of "ingredients" that could help resource exploration companies locate huge reservoirs of clean hydrogen, a critical element in the transition away from fossil fuels.
a satellite image of a hurricane cloud
La Niña is dead — what that means for this year's hurricanes and weather Scientists thought La Niña was coming. It didn't — at least for now. What could that mean for this year's hurricane season, and how might long-term climate change affect El Niño and La Niña patterns?

Latest about Planet Earth

Climate change made April's catastrophic floods worse, report finds

By Patrick Pester published

A report into April's deadly flooding has found that climate change made the central Mississippi River valley's extreme weather event more likely and more intense.

Climate change
A pedestrial runs down a sidewalk in New York City during a bout of torrential rain.

What's an 'omega block,' and why is it messing with US weather right now?

By Sascha Pare published

A strange atmospheric pattern known as an "omega block" is preventing the usual eastward progression of weather across the U.S. — but what is this weird block, and when will it go away?

Weather
an apocalyptic cityscape with orange sky

Scientists find the best crops to grow during the apocalypse

By Jesse Steinmetz published

Sugar beets and spinach are the best vegetables to grow if you live in a temperate, midsize city during a nuclear winter, a new study suggests, while wheat and carrots are recommended for industrial production on the outskirts of town.

Plants
a firefighter wearing gear stands on a hill looking out at a large wildfire

Kids born today are going to grow up in a hellscape, grim climate study finds

By Ben Turner published

Exposure to extreme climate events will increase two to seven times more for those born in 2020 compared with those in 1960, a new study warns.

Climate change
Large swirls of green seen on the ocean's surface from space

Mysterious substance spotted swirling across the surface of the Baltic Sea

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space This 2018 satellite photo shows an unknown substance swirling across the Gulf of Gdańsk in Poland. Scientists were shocked to later discover what it really was.

Earth from space

La Niña is dead — what that means for this year's hurricanes and weather

By Evan Howell published

Scientists thought La Niña was coming. It didn't — at least for now. What could that mean for this year's hurricane season, and how might long-term climate change affect El Niño and La Niña patterns?

Hurricanes
Aerial view of Cerro El Cono in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. There are mountains in the background.

El Cono: The mysterious sacred 'pyramid' hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest

By Sascha Pare published

Cerro El Cono is a solitary, pyramidal hill in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest whose origins remain mysterious and that holds spiritual significance for Indigenous people.

Geology

'The Big One' could rock the Pacific Northwest and fuel sea-level rise and massive flooding

By Stephanie Pappas published

The geology of the Cascadia subduction zone has largely staved off climate-related sea-level rise in the Pacific Northwest, but that could reverse in an instant.

Climate change

In rare evolutionary event, weird platypus cousin evolved from living in water to living on land

By Chris Simms published

We may have gotten the evolutionary origins of the echidna backward, as new research suggests its ancestors probably lived in the water, not on land.

Evolution

Climate wars are approaching — and they will redefine global conflict

By Topher McDougal published

Opinion Climate change's profound reshaping of conflict dynamics is already underway. The question facing humanity now is not whether we will confront these pressures, but how we will choose to do so.

Opinion
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