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an underwater photo of a barrel on the sea floor
Scientists are finally learning what's inside mysterious 'halo' barrels submerged off Los Angeles At first thought to hold the pesticide DDT, some mysterious barrels dumped in the deep sea near Los Angeles actually contain caustic alkaline waste that stops most life from living nearby.
A plant shoot tip in a petri dish.
'This needs to happen fast': Scientists race to cryopreserve a critically endangered tree before it goes extinct Less than 400 angle-stemmed myrtle specimens remain in the wild in Australia. Scientists are working on ways to preserve the species so that we can bring it back at any point if it dies out.
A view of the Himalayan mountains in the Mount Everest region. We see snow-covered peaks and Tibetan garlands.
The geology that holds up the Himalayas is not what we thought, scientists discover A 100-year-old theory explaining how Asia can carry the huge weight of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau needs to be rewritten, a new study suggests.

Latest about Planet Earth

Loughareema: The 'vanishing lake' in Northern Ireland that mysteriously drains and refills itself within hours

By Sascha Pare published

The Vanishing Lake in Northern Ireland's County Antrim can be full in the morning and empty a few hours later, thanks to an underground drainage system that scientists still don't fully grasp.

Geology

'Now is the time': Hurricane category 6 could be introduced under new storm severity scale

By Sascha Pare published

The current hurricane classification does not consider storm surge and rainfall risks, which cause almost 80% of hurricane-related deaths. A new scale could help people better prepare for storms.

Hurricanes
Pictures of luminescent succulents glowing red, green, blue, orange and multicolored.

Chinese scientists create multicolored glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge in sunlight

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers injected "afterglow" phosphor particles into succulents to create the world's first multicolored glow-in-the-dark plants, featuring blue, green, red and blue-violet luminescence.

Plants
An astronaut photo of a deep blue lake in Turkey with milky light blue swirls spinning in the water

Rare milky plumes paint stunning swirls in world's largest 'soda lake'

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2016 astronaut photo shows surprising plumes of milky material swirling in the waters of Turkey's Lake Van, the largest alkaline lake on Earth.

Earth from space

Forecasters predict La Niña conditions this fall: What to expect

By Patrick Pester published

NOAA forecasts suggest we could experience La Niña conditions in the fall and early winter. However, this potential La Niña spell is unlikely to break records.

Weather
Hurricane Erin and a James Webb Space Telescope photo of Uranus.

Science news this week: Storms rage on Earth and the sun, and a new moon is spotted around Uranus

By Ben Turner published

Science news this week Aug. 23, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Science news this week
On a rare clear day, snowy mountains are reflected in the placid waters of a tranquil cove in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Abrupt changes taking place in Antarctica 'will affect the world for generations to come'

By Felicity McCormack, Jan Strugnell, Nerilie Abram, Ariaan Purich, Matthew England published

From sea ice to ocean currents, Antarctica is now undergoing abrupt changes — and they are likely to significantly intensify in the future.

Antarctica
The view of Earth's atmosphere from inside the cockpit of NASA’s WB57 research aircraft.

Toxic chemicals that pollute groundwater are formed up in the stratosphere, surprise findings show

By Stephanie Pappas published

Perchlorates, a group of toxic chemicals that pollute groundwater, first form on rare particles in the stratosphere, scientists have discovered.

Planet Earth

'This technology is possible today': Nuclear waste could be future power source and increase access to a rare fuel

By Perri Thaler published

One physicist says his design to use nuclear waste as fuel for nuclear fusion could help the U.S. be a leader in the fusion economy.

Nuclear Energy
Douglas Fir covered in moss temperate rainforest Quinalt Forest Olympic National Park Washington USA.

One of the world’s tallest trees — the centuries-old 'Doerner Fir' — is on fire in Oregon.

By Mindy Weisberger published

Oregon's tallest fir tree is on fire, and firefighters are racing to save it.

Planet Earth
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