Earth

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

More Stories in Earth

  1. Earth

    Earth’s core may hide dozens of oceans of hydrogen

    Hydrogen reserves in Earth’s core large enough to supply at least nine oceans may influence processes on the surface today.

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  2. Animals

    Some dung beetles dig deep to keep their eggs cool

    A temperate tunneling species of dung beetle seems capable of adapting to climate change, but their tropical cousins may be less resilient.

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  3. Climate

    Polar bears in the Barents Sea are staying fat despite rapid sea ice loss

    Polar bears can struggle to adapt to climate change. Bears on Svalbard may be surviving on land prey and seals — but scientists warn it may not last.

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  4. Earth

    A long-lost tectonic fragment may be shaking Northern California

    Seismic tremors reveal a shallow fragment of an ancient tectonic plate beneath Northern California, helping explain damaging earthquakes near the surface.

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  5. Climate

    Earth’s last 3 years were its hottest on record

    An analysis of global climate data shows sustained warming even as El Niño faded.

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  6. Climate

    Hidden tree bark microbes munch on important climate gases

    Trees are known for absorbing CO2. But microbes in their bark also absorb other climate-active gases, methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.

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  7. Earth

    Some of 2025’s scientific discoveries broke records

    Longest lightning, the first AI-generated genomes and biggest black hole smashup were among this year’s top science superlatives.

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  8. Animals

    In a first, orcas and dolphins seen possibly hunting together

    New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.

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  9. Earth

    An underwater volcano off Oregon didn’t erupt in 2025 after all. Why not?

    Data from Axial, the most-monitored underwater volcano, are helping geophysicists hone eruption predictions. For Axial, 2026 is their next bet.

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