Earth

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.

Climate

Scientists Say: Weather

The state of the atmosphere in a specific place and time is weather. Over a long time, the weather conditions in an area will reveal its climate.

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.

Agriculture

Soil (and its inhabitants) by the numbers

Teeming with life, soils have more going on than most of us realize.

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

2020 was warmest year on record for Earth’s oceans

2020 continued the trend of record-breaking heat for the world’s oceans. The three previous warmest years on record were 2019, 2017 and 2018.

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.

Animals

Choked by bacteria, some starfish are turning to goo

For years, researchers thought gooey, dying starfish were infected. Instead, these sea stars are suffocating. And bacteria may be behind it all.