Earth's Systems

Climate

COVID-19 cut pollution in 2020, warming the atmosphere

Pandemic-related lockdowns briefly warmed the planet. The reason: The cleaner air carried fewer planet-cooling aerosols.

Animals

Fin whales could help scientists map what lies below the seafloor

Fin-whale calls are loud enough to penetrate into Earth’s crust, offering scientists a new way to study the properties of the ocean floor.

Earth

Rock rising from below the Atlantic may drive continents apart

Molten rock rising from the deep mantle at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge may drive plate tectonics there more than had been expected.

Ecosystems

What you can do to improve soils

Soils are the life-sustaining structures under our feet. Here are some tips for keeping soils healthy. First rule of thumb: Give more than you take.

Agriculture

Healthy soils are life-giving black gold

Scientists explain why everyone needs to value the soils beneath our feet — and why we should not view them as dirt.

Chemistry

Extreme pressure? Diamonds can take it

Diamond retains its structure even at extreme pressures, which could reveal how carbon behaves in the cores of some exoplanets.

Earth

Explainer: What are aerosols?

We may not see them, but tiny particles and droplets cloud the air, affecting its properties. Some may be pollutants, others all-natural products.

Climate

Can wildfires cool the climate?

Severe wildfires are becoming more common. Science is showing that the tiny particles they release into the air can alter Earth’s temperature — sometimes cooling it.

Climate

Let’s learn about snow

Snow is more than just frozen water vapor. Scientists are studying everything from its shape to other planets where snowflakes fall.

Climate

Analyze This: 2020 ties with 2016 for hottest year on record

Last year capped the warmest decade on record. It coincided with a growing increase of warming greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere.

Earth

Space station sensors saw how weird ‘blue jet’ lightning forms

A mysterious type of lightning in the upper atmosphere has been traced to a brief, bright flash of light at the top of a storm cloud.

Agriculture

Dew collector brings water to thirsty plants

This invention grabs water from the air at night. All it needs is the sun’s warmth the next day to release that moisture to growing plants.