Climate
2026’s El Niño is record-breaking — and it’s not done yet
Within the ocean region where El Niños form, daily sea-surface temperatures are already more extreme than at any point in recorded history.
By Nikk Ogasa
Climate
More Stories in Climate
- Oceans
Are major ocean currents moving to turn Earth into a snowball?
A key ocean current that warms Europe is weakening, which could lead to a big chill. Scientists are now discussing how we might avoid that.
- Climate
A modern ‘snowball’ Earth? What the movies get wrong
Earth has experienced several ice ages. These can emerge almost overnight in films. Although dramatic, that timeline is truly Hollywood fiction.
- Animals
How to lessen your pet’s impacts on the planet
Climate-friendly food choices, new poop solutions and avoiding animals collected from the wild can all help make pet ownership more sustainable.
- 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.”
- Microbes
Fuzzy microbes may fuel cows’ methane burps
Production of this potent greenhouse gas is triggered by a newfound feature of these microbes — one with a funny name: hydrogenobody.
- Agriculture
Scientists Say: Corn Sweat
Cornfields release moisture into the air — or “sweat” — a couple of ways. One is evaporation. The other is transpiration.
- Climate
Hundreds of sea level studies have underestimated ocean rise
One widely used “geoid” technique may have missed up to a century of sea level rise — so risks could hit millions of people far sooner than expected.
- Earth
How hot can our planet get? Earth’s climate history holds clues
Learning from the Earth's past climate swings — what happened to life and when — can help us understand where we might be headed.
- Animals
Emperor penguins are on the march — toward extinction
Along with Antarctic fur seals, these iconic birds, the largest of all penguins, are now endangered by their continent’s warming.
