HS-ESS3-1
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
- Environment
Australian wildfires pumped smoke to record heights
Wildfires in Australia in late December and early January spurred an unusual smoke plume that still hasn’t fully dispersed.
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Deadly heat: Expected by century’s end, it’s here already
Instances of hot and humid conditions that threaten human lives are on the rise.
- Earth
Ancient Arctic ‘gas’ melt triggered enormous seafloor explosions
Methane explosions 12,000 years ago left huge craters in bedrock on the Arctic seafloor. Scientists worry more could be on the way today as Earth’s ice sheets melt.
- Archaeology
Silk Road’s origins may date back millennia
The mountain treks of ancient herders helped mold a cross-continent trade network known as the Silk Road.
- Environment
Fighting big farm pollution with a tiny plant
Fertilizer runoff can fuel the growth of toxic algae nearby lakes. A teen decided to harness a tiny plant to sop up that fertilizer.
- Oceans
Explainer: What is a tsunami?
Earthquakes and landslides can create huge waves that travel across oceans.
- Environment
Scientists Say: Fracking
Liquid fuel sources such as natural gas and petroleum form deep underground between layers of rock. To retrieve them, engineers often use a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
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Science stars are on display at the White House
One hundred students from 30 states participated in the fourth annual White House Science Fair in Washington, D.C.
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- Earth
Quake leaves destruction, fear
In Japan, an earthquake started a tsunami that caused a nuclear disaster.
- Humans
A diamond polish for ancient tools
People in Stone Age China may have used diamonds to polish their stone axes.
- Earth
Digging into a tsunami disaster
A powerful earthquake under the Indian Ocean changed Earth's surface and spin.
