Climate

Earth

Flooding Earth’s atmosphere with oxygen may not have needed a triggering event

Building an oxygen-rich world doesn’t require volcanism, supercontinent breakups or the rise of land plants — just nutrient cycling, a study finds.

Climate

How the Arctic’s poor health affects everyday life

A new NOAA report features testimony from indigenous communities in Alaska who are weathering the impacts of Arctic warming.

Earth

Fingerprints of climate change are increasingly appearing in extreme weather

A new report finds evidence that some of 2018’s extreme weather events were linked to human-caused climate change.

Climate

See how an Alaskan glacier has shrunk over time

Scientists have created a time-lapse series of images of the retreat of an Alaskan glacier using NASA and U.S. Geological Survey Landsat data.

Earth

Climate-warming CO₂ emissions will hit a record high in 2019

Despite countries adopting renewable power sources and coal use falling slightly, oil and gas use are pushing global carbon dioxide emissions to record heights.

Climate

Countries urgently need to ramp up emissions cuts to meet climate targets

A new U.N. report finds that pledged emissions cuts aren’t nearly enough to limit warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Climate

Most Americans now see signs of climate change where they live

In a Pew Research survey, most Americans said the U.S. government isn’t doing enough to counter climate change amid local weather extremes.

Climate

50 years ago, scientists puzzled over a slight global cooling

Five decades ago, scientists were puzzled over a slight dip in global temperatures. Today we know it was just a blip, and that Earth’s climate is warming thanks to industrial activity over the last century.

Climate

The loss of ‘eternal ice’ threatens Mongolian reindeer herders’ way of life

Mongolian reindeer herders help scientists piece together the loss of the region’s vital “eternal ice” patches.

Climate

5 things to know about fighting climate change by planting trees

One group’s idea of planting vast swaths of trees to curb climate change exaggerates the proposal’s power to trap carbon, some argue.

Climate

California landfills are belching high levels of climate-warming methane

Airborne remote sensing spots the Golden State’s biggest emitters of the potent greenhouse gas from the sky.

Earth

Geology, not CO₂, controlled monsoon intensity in Asia’s ancient past

For millions of years, shifting geologic plates — not carbon dioxide levels —held the most sway over the intensity of Asia’s seasonal winds and rains.