It was another shattering year. Climate change amped up weather extremes around the globe, smashing temperature records, sinking river levels to historic lows and raising rainfall to devastating highs. Droughts…
Category: Earth
2022’s biggest climate change bill pushes clean energy
The world needed bold climate action this year, and we got it. California and other states announced plans to phase out gas-powered cars after 2035. The United States ratified an…
Tiger sharks helped discover the world’s largest seagrass prairie
Scientists have teamed up with tiger sharks to uncover the largest expanse of seagrasses on Earth. A massive survey of the Bahamas Banks — a cluster of underwater plateaus…
Sharks face rising odds of extinction even as other big fish populations recover
After decades of population declines, the future is looking brighter for several tuna and billfish species, such as southern bluefin tuna, black marlins and swordfish, thanks to years of successful…
Here’s what happened to the Delaware-sized iceberg that broke off Antarctica
It was the rift watched ‘round the world. In July 2017, after weeks of anticipation, a massive iceberg about the size of Delaware split from the Antarctic Peninsula (SN: 7/12/17).…
A coral pollution study unexpectedly helped explain Hurricane Maria’s fury
Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico early on September 20, 2017, with 250-kilometer-per-hour winds, torrential rains and a storm surge up to three meters high. In its wake:…
Greenland’s frozen hinterlands are bleeding worse than we thought
Sea level rise may proceed faster than expected in the coming decades, as a gargantuan flow of ice slithering out of Greenland’s remote interior both picks up speed and shrinks.…
‘Fen, Bog & Swamp’ reminds readers why peatlands matter
Fen, Bog & Swamp Annie Proulx Simon & Schuster, $26.99 A recent TV ad features three guys lost in the woods, debating whether they should’ve taken a turn at a…
A Caribbean island gets everyone involved in protecting beloved species
The coral reef, once bustling with more than 5,000 long-spined sea urchins, became a ghost town in a matter of days. White skeletons with dangling spines dotted the reef near…
Mangrove forests expand and contract with a lunar cycle
The glossy leaves and branching roots of mangroves are downright eye-catching, and now a study finds that the moon plays a special role in the vigor of these trees. Long-term…
