Earth

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

More Stories in Earth

  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. Earth

    Early Earth’s belly held onto its water

    When the early Earth’s magma ocean crystallized 4.4 billion years ago, the deep mantle trapped an ocean’s worth of water, scientists say.

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  9. Anthropology

    Drought may have doomed the ‘hobbits’ of Flores

    Stalagmite data suggest Homo floresiensis faced prolonged drought that stressed both them and their prey, contributing to their disappearance.

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