Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Climate
Splitting seawater offers a path to sustainable cement production
Cement manufacture is a huge carbon emitter. A by-product of splitting seawater might make the process more environmentally friendly.
- Earth
3 things to know about the deadly Myanmar earthquake
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake was powerful, shallow and in a heavily populated region with vulnerable buildings.
- Agriculture
How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines
Treated plants fight pests without the need for toxic pesticides, oozing a "larval toffee" that stunts tomato pinworms’ growth and attracts predators.
- Climate
Buying carbon credits to fight climate change? Here’s what to know
Carbon credits sold on the voluntary market are under scrutiny for not offsetting greenhouse gas emissions as claimed.
- Earth
Wildfires and farm fertilizer use are fueling ozone pollution
Fires and agricultural soils can rival cars and factories in emitting chemicals that lead to ozone, making it hard to meet air quality standards.
- Climate
Some trees are coping with extreme heat surprisingly well
Rising temperatures could reduce trees' ability to photosynthesize. Scientists are trying to figure out just how close we are to that point.
- Animals
Some sea turtles are laying eggs earlier in response to climate change
A 1-degree-Celsius change in water temperature prompts sea turtles in Northern Cyprus to lay eggs nearly a week earlier on average.
- Climate
Warming is chasing cloud forests steadily uphill
Cloud forests are biodiversity hot spots and crucial water sources. But climate change and deforestation are shrinking their range, new data show.
- Animals
How a puffin patrol in Iceland is saving the iconic seabirds
Light pollution disorients young puffins. The Puffling Patrol helps them find their way to the sea.
- Climate
Even desert cities could pull drinking water from the air
Water harvesting from foggy air provided up to 5 liters of water a day in a yearlong Chilean desert experiment.
- Earth
Even epic rainfall may not be enough to refill SoCal’s aquifers
More than a dozen atmospheric rivers dumped rainfall on California in 2023 but replenished only 25 percent of the water lost from aquifers since 2006.
- Plants
A bacteria-based Band-Aid helps plants heal their wounds
Recent research into bacterial cellulose patches may speed plants' recovery, improve grafting and help with preservation.
