Environment
- Earth
Many but not all of the world’s aquifers are losing water
Many aquifers are quickly disappearing due to climate change and overuse, but some are rising because of improved resource management.
- Environment
Landscape Explorer shows how much the American West has changed
The online tool stitches together historical images into a map that’s helping land managers make decisions about preservation and restoration.
- Animals
This bird hasn’t been seen in 38 years. Its song may help track it down
Using bioacoustics, South American scientists are eavesdropping on a forest in hopes of hearing the song of the long-missing purple-winged ground dove.
- Environment
Grassland and shrubland fires destroy more U.S. homes than forest fires
Grassland and shrubland fires destroyed nearly 11,000 homes in the contiguous United States from 1990 to 2020.
- Animals
Fake fog, ‘re-skinning’ and ‘sea-weeding’ could help coral reefs survive
Coral reefs are in global peril, but scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to help them survive the Anthropocene.
- Animals
Pumping cold water into rivers could act as ‘air conditioning’ for fish
Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in human-made shelters, suggesting a way to help fish adapt to river warming.
- Climate
Róisín Commane sleuths out greenhouse gas leaks to fight climate change
From New York City to the Arctic, atmospheric chemist Róisín Commane tries to account for the greenhouse gases in the air.
- Animals
In noisy environs, pied tamarins are using smell more often to communicate
Groups of the primate, native to Brazil, complement vocalizations with scent-marking behavior to alert other tamarins to dangers in their urban home.
- Climate
‘Our Fragile Moment’ finds modern lessons in Earth’s history of climate
Michael Mann’s latest book, Our Fragile Moment, looks through Earth’s history to understand the current climate crisis.
- Earth
When discussing flora and fauna, don’t forget ‘funga’
Conservation efforts often overlook fungi. That can change by using “mycologically inclusive language,” researchers say.
- Earth
How thunderstorms can spawn damaging ‘downbursts’
Powerful winds called downbursts are not the same as a tornado, but the damage they cause can be similar — and can hit with little warning.
- Chemistry
Chemists turned plastic waste into tiny bars of soap
Researchers developed a process to turn plastic waste into surfactants, the key ingredients in dozens of products, including soap.
