Earth

  1. Health & Medicine

    A new U.S. tool maps where heat will be dangerous for your health

    The daily updated HeatRisk map uses color coding to show where the health threat from heat is highest and offers tips on how to stay safe.

    By
  2. Earth

    Polar forests may have just solved a solar storm mystery

    Spikes of carbon-14 in tree rings may be linked to solar flares, but evidence of the havoc-wreaking 1859 Carrington event has proven elusive until now.

    By
  3. Space

    ​​During the awe of totality, scientists studied our planet’s reactions

    Earth’s atmosphere was a big area of focus for scientists studying the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

    By
  4. Environment

    Heat waves cause more illness and death in U.S. cities with fewer trees

    There are usually fewer trees in neighborhoods with higher populations of people of color. Planting trees could save hundreds of lives every year.

    By
  5. Climate

    ‘On the Move’ examines how climate change will alter where people live

    Journalist Abrahm Lustgarten explores which parts of the United States are most vulnerable to the effects of global warming and how people's lives might change.

    By
  6. Animals

    Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds

    Scientists are on a quest to log all the sounds of fish communication. The result could lead to better monitoring of ecosystems and fish behavior.

    By
  7. Earth

    Earth’s oldest known earthquake was probably triggered by plate tectonics

    Billion-year-old rocks in South Africa hold evidence for the onset of plate tectonics early in Earth’s history.

    By
  8. Earth

    Climate change is changing how we keep time

    Polar ice sheets are melting faster, slowing Earth’s spin. That is changing how we synchronize our clocks to tell time.

    By
  9. Environment

    How air pollution may make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

    Certain air pollutants that build up at night can break down the same fragrance molecules that attract pollinators like hawk moths to primroses.

    By
  10. Climate

    Waterlogged soils can give hurricanes new life after they arrive on land

    New studies show that the long-hypothesized “brown ocean effect” is real, helping to refuel 2018’s Hurricane Florence and other storms after landfall.

    By
  11. Plants

    Ancient trees’ gnarled, twisted shapes provide irreplaceable habitats

    Traits that help trees live for hundreds of years also foster forest life, one reason why old growth forest conservation is crucial.

    By
  12. Agriculture

    Mixing up root microbes can boost tea’s flavor

    Inoculating tea plant roots with nitrogen-metabolizing bacteria enhances synthesis of theanine, an amino acid that gives tea its savoriness.

    By