Environment Archives

Satellite Images Revealed Something Unusual About the Color of These Antarctic Islands—Here’s the Odd Reason Behind Their Appearance

Micah Hanks·July 28, 2026

Satellite imagery reveals why the Danger Islands have an odd pink-orange color, and what that means for this fragile ecosystem.

“Enough Heat to Sizzle Thin-Skinned Animals”: New Evidence Shows How a Dinosaur-Killing Meteor Set the World on Fire

Christopher Plain·July 28, 2026

A fine layer of dust encircling Earth after the Chicxulub asteroid impact may have set the world on fire and caused dinosaur extinction.

2000-Acre Wildfire Near Famous ‘Area 51’ Rages on as Officials Work to Stall its Spread

Micah Hanks·July 27, 2026

A massive wildfire that scorched the Nevada desert near the U.S. Air Force’s classified Area 51 facility over the weekend has now exceeded 2,000 acres.

An Unexpected Transmissible Cancer Is Appearing in North American Waterways—Where Did It Come From?

Ryan Whalen·July 26, 2026

An unexpected transmissible cancer has been detected in North American waterways, prompting new concerns about how the disease developed.

In One of Africa’s Deepest Lakes, Scientists Have Found a Species No One Expected Swimming at Incredible Depths

Micah Hanks·July 25, 2026

A remarkable discovery has been made in East Africa’s Lake Malawi, one of the deepest bodies of water on the African continent.

“Everywhere We Looked, We Found the Temperature Rising”: NASA Identifies a “Surprise” Heat Signature Below the Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Io

Christopher Plain·July 23, 2026

NASA and Southwest Research Institute scientists report the "surprising" detection of a heat signature below Jupiter's moon Io's surface.

Scientists Warn Something is Vanishing from Earth’s Oceans at an Alarming Rate, Driving the Planet Into an “Unsafe Space”

Micah Hanks·July 21, 2026

Scientists are sounding the alarm over the concerning loss of oxygen in Earth’s oceans and freshwater systems.

“It Was a Mix of Excitement and Disbelief”: When Scientists Sent Deep-Sea Rovers to Confirm a 1960s Theory, They Made a Surprising Discovery

Christopher Plain·July 20, 2026

Deep-sea images captured off the coast of Benin, where 1960s scientists suspected a dead coral reef existed, reveal a shocking discovery.

“Forever Chemical” Breakthrough Rapidly Degrades Synthetic Substances Linked to Cancer and Other Health Problems

Ryan Whalen·July 20, 2026

The problem of PFAS, a group of potentially cancer-causing “forever chemicals,” may finally have a solution from German scientists.

A New Solution to the Dinosaur-Killer Meteorite Mystery Creates Fresh Questions

Christopher Plain·July 20, 2026

A new analysis of debris from a 66-million-year-old meteorite that scientists call the dinosaur-killer has revealed another origin mystery.

Deep Beneath the Atlantic, an Eerie “Lost City” is Feeding Legions of Lifeforms That Thrive Where Sunlight Never Reaches

Ryan Whalen·July 17, 2026

Earth’s hidden plumbing system may be feeding one of its strangest ecosystems: the Lost City hydrothermal field in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Uncontacted: Living in Voluntary Isolation, These Are the People Governments Pretended Didn’t Exist

Kerry W. Bowman, PhD·July 14, 2026

Deep in the world’s remaining equatorial forests, the last uncontacted Indigenous peoples continue to live in near-total isolation, writes University of Toronto professor KW Bowman.

Surprised Scientists Witness the Ocean Floor Literally Splitting Apart at Its Seams

Christopher Plain·July 14, 2026

For the first time in history geophysicists have witnessed the ocean floor literally splitting part at its seams in real time.

How Did a Crab Become Trapped in a Bottle with an Opening Too Small to Enter? Once-Baffled Scientists Say They’ve Solved the Mystery

Micah Hanks·July 6, 2026

An oceanic mystery has unfolded with the discovery of a crab in a plastic bottle with an opening too small for the crustacean to fit through.

These Microbes Could Allow Plants to Grow in Impossibly Salty Soil

Ryan Whalen·July 4, 2026

Salty soil, one of the greatest threats to agriculture, may have a new cure in the form of soil bacteria that allows plants to thrive.

AI’s Growing Appetite for Energy and Water Sparks a New Cooling Solution Beneath the Earth

Chrissy Newton·July 1, 2026

Researchers propose using underground aquifers to cool AI data centers, lowering the environmental impact of growing AI infrastructure.

A Mysterious Circular Structure Buried Under the North Sea Has Revealed New Evidence of an Ancient Cataclysmic Event

Micah Hanks·July 1, 2026

Scientists have solved the mystery of an unusual circular structure beneath the North Sea that has been debated for more than two decades.

Yellowstone Supervolcano Eruptions Aren’t Caused by What Scientists Used to Think They Were

Ryan Whalen·June 30, 2026

Yellowstone and other volcanic supereruptions may work completely differently than previously assumed, according to researchers.

Something is Swarming in Swirls of Green in the Black Sea—and These NASA Images Captured the Phenomenon from Orbit

Micah Hanks·June 27, 2026

NASA orbital imagery of the Black Sea has revealed eerie-looking swirls of turquoise-green swarming in its waters.

CERN Provides Good News on Climate Change as Nature Proves Unexpectedly Resilient

Ryan Whalen·June 26, 2026

New climate change research conducted at CERN offers rare, hopeful news about the planet’s resilience to global warming.

“We Call It Weather Jiu-Jitsu”: Scientists Want to Fight Extreme Weather With Precision ‘Nudges’ Instead of Force

Christopher Plain·June 25, 2026

Scientists have unveiled a method for controlling the weather with existing technology to alter the path of extreme storms before they land.

Sunscreen Misinformation Attracts High Engagement on TikTok, Study Finds

Chrissy Newton·June 25, 2026

TikTok videos promoting sunscreen misinformation receive significantly more engagement than pro-sunscreen content, according to new research.

Earthquake That Shifted the Entire Japanese Archipelago Reveals “Previously Unrecognized Source of Seismic Hazard”

Ryan Whalen·June 19, 2026

An earthquake shockwave bouncing around inside the Earth moved the entire Japanese archipelago by 5 to 6 millimeters.

A Hidden Subterranean Fungal Network is Revealing the Secrets of Earth’s ‘Circulatory System’

Ryan Whalen·June 15, 2026

Ancient mycorrhizal fungal networks, consisting of a billion astronomical units' worth of roots, have finally been mapped by scientists.

Scientists Have Just Uncovered a Thriving Ecosystem Hiding in Fog

Ryan Whalen·June 11, 2026

Fog is a living ecosystem for bacteria, rather than just a sterile cloud of mist, according to Arizona State University researchers.

Earthquake Experts Modeled 1,000 Years of Activity in California—What They Found Now Has Scientists Concerned

Micah Hanks·June 10, 2026

California could be due for a major earthquake in the near future, according to concerning new models based on a millennium of data.

You Shall Not Pass: Scientists Identify New “Balrog” Cricket Species in Greek Island Tunnel

Austin Burgess·June 9, 2026

A small Greek island on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean has revealed a new species inside a man-made tunnel carved into a hillside.

Decades of NASA Satellite Data Reveals the Elusive, Enigmatic ‘Urban Pulse” of Six Major Cities

Christopher Plain·June 9, 2026

Decades of satellite data have revealed the Urban Pulse of six cities worldwide, including the "health" of each city and its neighborhoods.

In Antarctica, Scientists Just Discovered a Massive Hidden Structure Deep Below the Frozen Surface

Micah Hanks·June 4, 2026

A massive, semi-continent-sized subsurface structure has been discovered by scientists beneath Antarctica’s frozen surface.

Look What NASA Captured in Satellite Images as This Bizarre Phenomenon Erupted from the Heart of a Super Typhoon

Micah Hanks·June 4, 2026

A violent typhoon that tore across the North Pacific Ocean in April offered a rare look at an unusual spectacle of the natural world, captured in nighttime imagery by a U.S. satellite.

One of America’s Rarest Species Just Narrowly Survived a Historic Wildfire—NASA Satellite Images Reveal the Stunning Damage

Micah Hanks·June 3, 2026

NASA satellite images reveal recent damage on Santa Rosa Island from what officials say was the largest Channel Islands wildfire on record.

“How in the World Can These Things Happen?”: After a Series of ‘Mystery’ Quakes Shook Utah, Scientists Finally Think They Know Why

Christopher Plain·June 1, 2026

Nearly five decades after the first in a series of mystery quakes rocked the Utah-Wyoming region, scientists think they've figured it out.

In the High Himalayas, a Mysterious Animal That Has Intrigued Scientists for 160 Years Has Revealed an Astonishing Secret

Micah Hanks·May 28, 2026

A major biological surprise has emerged from the heart of the mysterious Himalayas, according to scientists who made the unexpected discovery.

Scientists Thought This Species Was Extinct for Decades—A Chance Photograph in Remote Australia Just Proved Otherwise

Micah Hanks·May 27, 2026

A discovery in remote northern Australia has revealed the survival of a species thought to have been driven to extinction more than half a century ago.

Over 1,100 Newly Identified Marine Species Include Ghost Shark Chimera and a Worm in a “Living Glass” House

Christopher Plain·May 25, 2026

Scientists have announced the discovery of over 1,100 new marine species, including the Ghost Shark Chimera and 'Glass House' worm.

New Study Shows Chimpanzees Learn Everyday Survival Skills Through Rich Social Culture

Chrissy Newton·May 25, 2026

What sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to create culture; however, a new study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior focusing on chimpanzees is challenging how researchers define culture in the animal kingdom. Digging deeper into...

Satellites May Be Driving a Concerning New Form of Atmospheric Pollution, Experts Warn

Ryan Whalen·May 15, 2026

Experts say satellites are driving climate concerns by producing atmospheric carbon with an impact 500 times that of ground-based emissions.

NASA Says Something is “Brewing” in Ocean Waters Off the East Coast—And Recent Satellite Images Prove It

Micah Hanks·May 11, 2026

Something is invading the ocean waters off the northeastern U.S. coast, as revealed in recent satellite imagery.

These ‘Three Horsemen’ of Antarctic Instability Could Transform the Oceans into a Driver of Climate Change by 2030

Ryan Whalen·May 9, 2026

Antarctica has been affected by a "perfect storm" of major events that could finally trigger widespread melting on the icy continent.

This Violent Volcanic Eruption May Have Revealed a Hidden “Emergency Brake” for Climate Change

Ryan Whalen·May 8, 2026

A massive underwater volcanic eruption in the South Pacific is offering new hope for an “emergency brake” on climate change.

Something Deep in the Ocean is Causing Global Sea Levels to Rise—Now Scientists Reveal What’s Driving the Anomaly

Micah Hanks·May 2, 2026

Scientists tracking factors driving a global rise in sea levels in recent years say a key missing piece in the puzzle may have finally been revealed.

2000-Year-Old Amazonian “Dark Earth” Causes Mysterious Plant Growth at Accelerated Levels, Baffling Researchers

Ryan Whalen·May 1, 2026

Unusual patches of black Amazonian soil rich in nutrients known as "dark earth," which rapidly accelerates plant growth, remain one of the region's greatest mysteries.