Earth's Systems

Earth

Many natural underground stores of freshwater are shrinking

A lot of these aquifers are quickly disappearing due to climate change and overuse. Fortunately, there is growth in some of the world’s major aquifers.

Earth

Explainer: Sprites, jets, ELVES and other storm-powered lights

Fleeting glows collectively known as “transient luminous events” flash in the skies above powerful lightning storms.

Climate

Warmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers

Destabilized by waves and vanishing sea ice, one of the glaciers lost 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of worse to come.

Physics

Scientists Say: Coriolis Effect

Because Earth spins, airborne objects traveling far and fast — such as airplanes — experience deflections in their motion.

Physics

Before the ancient Egyptians, nature may have carved sphinxes

Steady ‘winds’ can carve clay blobs into lion-shaped landforms called yardangs, a new study suggests. One such yardang may have inspired the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Archaeology

Analyze This: Stonehenge’s ‘Altar Stone’ has mysterious origins

After a century of searching for the source of the Altar Stone, scientists have yet to figure out where ancient people got the rock.

Climate

Some tree leaves are finding it too hot for photosynthesis

Earth’s ongoing fever threatens to push entire forests toward this heat limit — and possible death.

Oceans

Explainer: Why are so many hurricanes strengthening really fast?

This dangerous trend appears relatively new — and growing. Studies also have begun linking it to our warming world.

Earth

To get diamonds perfect for Barbie, make and break a supercontinent

Most pink diamonds may have formed billions of years ago during the tectonics that led to formation and breakup of Nuna, Earth’s first supercontinent.

Climate

Let’s learn about why summer 2023 was so hot

Human-caused climate change has played a big role in this summer’s historic heat.

Tech

Gravity ‘batteries’ might help a weighty renewable-energy problem

To store the energy generated by wind and solar power, researchers are looking at mammoth systems that raise and lower weights.

Earth

Canada’s Crawford Lake seems to mark when the Anthropocene began

Mud at the bottom of this lake holds a record showing how humanity has been changing our planet. But the Anthropocene isn’t an official new epoch yet.