Earth's Systems
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ClimateLightning strikes will surge with climate change
Warming temperatures will lead to 50 percent more lightning strikes across the 48 U.S. states in the next century, researchers report. That increase could lead to more warming, more fires and even more deaths.
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EarthWhen life exploded
Life exploded in diversity during the Cambrian Period. Experts are exploring what could account for this sudden change 540 million years ago.
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EarthHow people have been shaping the Earth
We are the dominant force of change on Earth. Some experts propose naming our current time period the ‘Anthropocene’ to reflect our impact.
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EarthExplainer: The volcano basics
Here’s an overview of what they are, where they form and the many ways they pose dangers.
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ClimateWhere will lightning strike?
When lightning strikes, the results can be deadly. But nature’s dazzling light show also can provide scientists with insights into when and where the next thunderbolt might strike.
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PhysicsBracing sand sculptures with gravity
Natural sculptures of sandstone withstand strong winds and rains. The reason, a new study concludes: Gravity holds the sand grains together.
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FossilsFossil hunting can start as child’s play
Paleontology isn’t just for professionals. You don’t even need to be a teen to sometimes make startling — and scientifically important — contributions.
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FossilsExplainer: How a fossil forms
Minerals can replace any bone, shell or once-living tissue and also fill in the spaces between these hard parts, birthing a fossil.
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ClimateThis umbrella ‘listens’ to rain — for science
Scientists have developed an umbrella that ‘listens’ to falling raindrops. One day, a fleet of such simple rain gauges may help scientists better map weather patterns and changes in Earth’s water supplies.
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EarthThirst for water moves and shakes California
Here’s a scary cost to pumping up groundwater to slake the thirst of crops in California’s Central Valley: It may uplift nearby mountains and trigger tiny earthquakes, experts find.
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MathTeen puts calculus on ice
Jacob Nichols wondered if he could use calculus to find the volume of the icicles building up outside his house. His study earned him a spot at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
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OceansDigging a trench to stop a tsunami
Boyd Kane built his own wave tank to study tsunamis and how he might change the seafloor to stop their advance.