Earth

  1. Animals

    Finding out why birds are out of range

    Sometimes people see large numbers of birds outside of their normal range. A student examined how to predict these excursions.

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  2. Environment

    Corals dine on microplastics

    Plastic in the ocean is a growing problem. New research finds that corals may eat tiny bits of plastic, prompting new concerns about the health of living reefs.

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  3. Earth

    Ancient ocean linked to supercontinent’s breakup

    The supercontinent Pangaea started breaking apart 200 million years ago. This may have been triggered by the shrinking of the Tethys Ocean, a new study finds.

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  4. Earth

    News Brief: Volcanic spark zaps ash to glass

    The lightning associated with some erupting volcanoes can be quite crafty — turning ash into lots of microscopic glass beads.

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  5. Climate

    Buildings may be chasing L.A.’s fog away

    Roads and buildings that have mushroomed up around Los Angeles in the past half-century. Now, a study finds they may have created conditions that limit fog. And that could further dry out this very arid part of America’s West Coast.

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  6. Climate

    Scientists confirm ‘greenhouse’ effect of human’s CO2

    Government scientists link directly, for the first time, a boost in warming at Earth’s surface to increasing levels of carbon dioxide. Much of that gas has been released by human activities, such as coal burning and gas-burning vehicles.

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  7. Animals

    Cats and foxes are eating up Australia’s mammals

    Since the arrival of Europeans in Australia, a startling number of mammal species have disappeared. A new study puts much of the blame on cats and foxes introduced by the early settlers.

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  8. Animals

    Orangutans take the low road

    Cameras spotted orangutans walking down logging roads to get around. That may be a good sign that they can adapt to changes in their woodsy environment.

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  9. Animals

    Hellbenders need help!

    Hellbenders already face threats such as habitat loss, pollution and disease. But climate change could make matters worse. And the problems facing hellbenders could spell trouble for more than just these giant amphibians.

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  10. Climate

    Distant pollution may intensify U.S. twisters

    A new study of one of the deadliest U.S. outbreaks of tornadoes sees a possible role for smoke. In this analysis, the smoke had come from fires burning in Central America.

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  11. Plants

    Desert plants: The ultimate survivors

    Creosote, mesquite and other desert plants rely on different adaptations to thrive, even when no rain falls for an entire year.

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  12. Climate

    Fast sea level rise is a very recent change

    Sea levels have been rising for more than a century. But that rise is now speeding up. That suggests that what is driving the rise — climate change — also has increased dramatically in recent years.

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