All Stories by Carolyn Gramling
- Paleontology
Nanotyrannus was not a teenaged T. rex
A new Nanotyrannus fossil suggests the diminutive dino lived alongside T. rex in the late Cretaceous Period.
- Climate
Hurricane Melissa spins into a monster storm as it bears down on Jamaica
The story of Atlantic hurricanes is treading a familiar — and frightening — path: Climate change is fueling huge, slow-moving, rain-drenching storms.
- Climate
Australia’s tropical forests now emit CO₂, clouding the COP30 talks
These tropical forest CO₂ emissions may warn of similar shifts in other regions, a key topic for COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
- Chemistry
Coffee beans pooped out by civets really are tastier. Here’s why
Pricey civet coffee gets its cred from its journey through the mammal’s gut, which changes the content of fat, protein, fatty acids — and even caffeine.
- Climate
Coral collapse signals Earth’s first climate tipping point
The global die-off of coral reefs signals a critical shift in Earth’s climate system with global environmental consequences along with economic ones.
- Climate
Antarctic krill eject more food when it’s contaminated with plastic
Antarctic krill don’t just sequester carbon in their poop; they also make carbon-rich pellets out of leftovers. But microplastics may throw a wrench in the works.
- Earth
Two of Greece’s most dangerous volcanoes share an underground link
Seismic and land deformation data show that Santorini and Kolumbo draw from the same magma source, complicating eruption forecasts.
- Paleontology
Crystallized dino eggs provide a peek into the tumultuous Late Cretaceous
Definitively dating the age of a clutch of fossil dinosaur eggs at a famous site in China may let scientists link eggshell features to environmental shifts at the time.
- Paleontology
Young pterosaurs probably died in violent Jurassic storms
Two hatchling pterosaurs with fractured arm bones point to ancient storms as the cause of mass casualties preserved in Germany’s Solnhofen Limestone.
- Earth
20 years after Hurricane Katrina, is the U.S. better prepared?
Hurricane forecasts have improved since Katrina, but risks from climate change and budget cuts loom.
- Climate
A Midwest ‘megaflash’ is the longest lightning on record
A reanalysis of satellite data shows that a 2017 Texas-to-Missouri lightning megaflash stretched 829 kilometers and lasted 7.39 seconds.
- Climate
What to know about the extreme U.S. flooding — and ways to stay safe
An oceanographer explains how climate change, warming oceans and a souped-up atmosphere are creating conditions for deadly floods.
