Climate
A ‘super’ El Niño appears to be emerging. What’s the big deal?
The climate pattern could bring “shockingly high” temps this winter, plus extreme weather. Some scientists are looking into an engineering “fix.”
Earth's Systems
More Stories in Earth's Systems
- Earth
Could a storm last forever?
Thunderstorms help fix imbalances found in our atmosphere. For constant storms, those imbalances would have to persist.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Snow line
On Earth, this line marks the edge of snow-covered ground. In space, it marks a spot where a certain molecule might freeze.
- Earth
Clouds come in all shapes and sizes
Here’s a basic breakdown of the different cloud types, as well as how clouds form and why they float.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Cave Popcorn
This type of cave formation can occur as glossy, soaplike bubbles or as a bristly, cauliflower-like clusters.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Haboob
Thunderstorms in the desert create downdrafts that lift desert sand into a moving, wall-like cloud.
- Space
Analyze This: What are the chances of an asteroid hitting Earth?
The odds of a big space rock striking the planet are higher than you might think. But don’t worry — asteroid strikes may be preventable.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Van Allen belts
Astronomers have detected these radiation belts around Earth and beyond. Jupiter’s belt is thousands of times as intense as Earth’s.
- Humans
Scientists Say: Artifact
Take note: This term might describe ancient pottery shards in the field of archeology. But in statistics, it’s a misleading pattern in data.
- Space
Analyze This: Ice around baby stars may hint at origins of Earth’s water
Scientists have now gotten a good look at the ice around a baby star. It might help them unravel the origins of the water needed for life on Earth.
