Climate

Animals

Current coral bleaching event is the longest known

Heat stress has led to the longest coral bleaching event on record. Scientists now worry that global warming may make such prolonged crises more frequent.

Climate

Last year’s strong El Niño is gone. Next up: La Niña

The 2015 to 2016 El Niño was one of the three strongest on record. It’s now over. Climate experts now predict a La Niña is on its way.

Climate

Volcanic rocks can quickly turn pollution into stone

A test program in Iceland injected carbon dioxide into lava rocks. More than 95 percent of the gas turned to stone within two years.

Climate

Jupiter’s stormy weather runs deep

Jupiter is covered in swirling storms. A new 3-D map of the planet’s atmosphere shows those storms start far, far below the clouds.

Climate

Zapping clouds with lasers could alter Earth’s climate

Scientists zapped ice crystals in a lab. They were exploring whether this approach might be used to break those crystals in clouds — potentially as a way to cool Earth’s fever.

Climate

This planet’s lightning storms are like nothing on Earth

Radio waves from a faraway exoplanet could signal intense lightning storms there.

Health & Medicine

Heat sickness

Scientists worry that increasing temperatures could combine with air pollution to up rates of illness and premature death — perhaps dramatically.

Animals

Pollen can become bee ‘junk food’ as CO₂ rises

Increasing levels of the greenhouse gas are changing diminishing the food value of pollen, bees’ only source of protein.

Chemistry

Particles in air help fatten clouds’ water droplets

Making their own clouds has shown scientists how the fattest water droplets form. Understanding this could lead to better forecasts of climate change.

Climate

Enormous natural-gas leak polluted L.A. air

A massive methane release from a single leaky underground well spewed as much of the greenhouse gas into the air as a mid-sized European country does in an entire year.

Climate

Cool Jobs: The power of wind

Science and engineering careers explore all aspects of wind, from terrible tornadoes to aeronautics and clean energy.

Climate

Sea level rising fastest in 2,800 years

The oceans rose faster during the 20th century than any time in the past 2,800 years. More than half of the rise came from global warming.