Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Climate
Readers question climate’s freshwater effects
Warming lakes, windmills for the Arctic, mosquito control and more in reader feedback.
- Climate
Climate change might help pests resist corn’s genetic weapon
Rising temperatures may allow pests to eat corn that is genetically modified to produce an insect-killing toxin.
- Earth
Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf is within days of completely cracking
The crack in Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf grew another 17 kilometers between May 25 and May 31, 2017 and is at risk of breaking off a massive iceberg.
- Climate
U.S. will withdraw from climate pact, Trump announces
President Trump announced June 1 that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
- Particle Physics
Readers puzzled by proton’s properties
Readers sent feedback on under-ice greenhouses in the Arctic, the Martian atmosphere and more.
- Earth
Deep heat may have spawned one of the world’s deadliest tsunamis
The 2004 Indonesian quake was surprisingly strong because of dried-out, brittle minerals far below.
- Environment
When it’s hot, plants become a surprisingly large source of air pollution
During a heat wave, trees and shrubs can sharply raise ozone levels, a new study shows.
- Climate
Higher temperatures could trigger an uptick in damselfly cannibalism
Experiments in the lab suggest that increases in temperature could indirectly lead to an increase in cannibalistic damselfly nymphs.
- Earth
Stunning images reveal glacial landscapes under the oceans
The most detailed atlas of the seafloor ever compiled offers colorful imagery and ghostly glimpses of Earth’s glacial past.
- Earth
Ice particles shaped like lollipops fall from clouds
Small ice particles called ice-lollies, because of their lollipop-like appearance, can form in clouds.
- Environment
Peace and quiet is becoming more elusive in U.S. wild areas
Human noise stretches into the wilderness.
- Animals
Sea creatures’ sticky ‘mucus houses’ catch ocean carbon really fast
A new deepwater laser tool measures the carbon-filtering power of snot nets created by little-known sea animals called giant larvaceans.
