Environment

A Giant Rockfall at Yosemite Decades Ago Caused a Supersonic Airblast—Here’s What Made the One-of-a-Kind Event So Deadly

Micah Hanks·August 19, 2025

In 1996, an large rockfall in the Yosemite Valley resulted in a devastating event that generated a sonic boom and a huge granite dust cloud.

Scientists Say This “Strange Physics Mechanism” Could Enable Objects to Levitate on Sunlight

Ryan Whalen·August 17, 2025

Scientists say a breakthrough nanofabricated device is capable of sunlight-driven propulsion in one of the most difficult-to-reach parts of Earth's atmosphere.

New Clues to the Mysterious Fall of the Mayan Civilization Have Been Unearthed Deep Within a Yucatán Cave

Ryan Whalen·August 14, 2025

New insights into factors believed to have contributed to the collapse of the Mayan civilization have been unearthed in a Mexican cave.

Scientists Use Lasers to Reveal Mysterious Hidden Phenomena Occurring Over Ocean Waves

Micah Hanks·August 11, 2025

Scientists using lasers have discovered a previously hidden environment that exists in the transitional zone between the air and the sea.

Scientists Uncover New Evidence Supporting Controversial Theory That a Comet Impacted Earth 12,800 Years Ago

Christopher Plain·August 7, 2025

Core samples collected near Greenland support the controversial theory a comet impact 12,800 years ago caused global temperatures to drop.

Medical Emergency Prompts Evacuation of U.S. Antarctic Base in Daring Midwinter Rescue Operation

Micah Hanks·August 7, 2025

An emergency medical situation prompted a demanding mid-winter evacuation from the United States' McMurdo Station in Antarctica this week.

A Damaging Aquatic Invader Was Discovered in the Colorado River—Officials Have Finally Solved the Mystery of Its Origins

Micah Hanks·August 5, 2025

Officials were baffled by the surprise discovery of a destructive invasive species in the Colorado River earlier this year.

“Rare Snapshot of a Vanished Arctic World”: 75,000-Year-Old Cave Reveals Complex Ice Age Community

Christopher Plain·August 5, 2025

An international team of explorers have revealed unexpected findings discovered in a 75,000-year-old ice age European Arctic cave.

The Deepest Ecosystem Ever Found Has Been Discovered in the Ocean’s Mysterious Hadal Trenches

Ryan Whalen·August 2, 2025

Chinese ocean explorers have discovered the deepest life on record, existing at extreme depths on the sea floor.

“We Call it Megaflash Lightning”: Scientists Use Satellites to Find New Record-Breaking Weather Extremes

Ryan Whalen·August 1, 2025

Scientists have now observed the largest megaflash lightning strike ever documented across 515 miles of the Great Plains.

Fossilized Space Dust is Helping Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Earth’s Ancient Atmosphere

Ryan Whalen·July 31, 2025

International researchers have devised a new technique for studying a sort of fossilized atmosphere left behind by micrometeorites.

Scientists Propose Origin Story for “Puzzling” Hot Zone Beneath America They’re Calling the North Atlantic Anomaly

Christopher Plain·July 31, 2025

Scientists studying a puzzling hot zone beneath America, called the North Atlantic Anomaly, have proposed a mantle wave origin hypothesis.

Eruption of Meltwater from Beneath Greenland Ice Sheet Reveals First Look at an Unexpected New Climate Concern

Ryan Whalen·July 30, 2025

A meltwater flood beneath the Greenland ice sheet created such pressure that it cracked the glacier, defying previous climate models.

Tsunami Waves Strike Pacific Nations After 8.8-Magnitude Russian Earthquake—Here’s What You Should Know

Micah Hanks·July 30, 2025

Several countries remain on tsunami alerts after a colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula late on Tuesday.

13,000 Years Ago, a Catastrophic Flood Scoured Oregon’s Ancient Landscape—New Satellite Images Reveal the Lasting Impact

Micah Hanks·July 28, 2025

Evidence of an ancient catastrophic flood that occurred 13,000 years ago has been revealed in new images obtained by the Landsat 8 satellite.

Scientists Decode “Perplexing Mystery” of How X-rays, Electric Fields, and Electron Avalanches Create Powerful Lightning Strikes

Christopher Plain·July 28, 2025

Penn State University scientists have demonstrated the complex series of events occurring inside thunderclouds that create lightning strikes.

Baltic Sea Turns an Eerie Green as Ancient Organisms Invade Its Waters, New Satellite Images Reveal

Micah Hanks·July 28, 2025

Brilliant swirls of green are adding color to the waters of the Baltic Sea, as its summer waters are being overrun with microorganisms.

Scientists Reveal Most Detailed Map of Antarctica’s Seafloor Canyons Ever Made

Christopher Plain·July 23, 2025

Scientists have just published the most detailed map of Antartica's seafloor revealing ultra-deep canyons reaching up to 4,000 meters.

Seismologists Identify Rare Supershear Event During Devastating Myanmar Quake

Christopher Plain·July 22, 2025

Seismologists reveal that the March 28, 2025, Myanmar earthquake likely moved at 'supershear' velocity, which is analogous to supersonic.

Satellite Images Reveal Strange Circles, Smiley Faces, and Other Seasonal Curiosities on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Micah Hanks·July 20, 2025

With the arrival of summer, the Greenland Ice Sheet has adopted its ‘summer look,’ revealing a few odd shapes and other curiosities.

30,000-Acre ‘Gothic Fire’ Scorches Military Training Range Near Nevada’s Secretive Area 51

Micah Hanks·July 17, 2025

A massive wildfire raging near Area 51 continues to burn its way across the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to federal officials.

American Southwest Faces ‘New Reality’ as Scientists Warn Severe Megadrought May Endure for Centuries

Chrissy Newton·July 17, 2025

The worst megadrought in 1200 years is affecting the American southwest, and there's likely no relief coming anytime soon.

A Lake Vanished Without a Trace in Remote Quebec—Can Satellite Data Solve the Mystery?

Micah Hanks·July 14, 2025

In early May 2025, an entire lake vanished without a trace in remote Quebec. Now satellite imagery may offer clues to what happened.

Scientists Link Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruptions to Mysterious Continent-Sized ‘BLOBS’ Deep Within the Earth

Micah Hanks·July 14, 2025

New research traces the origins of Earth’s most powerful volcanic eruptions to mysterious continent-sized structures deep within our planet.

Scientists Discover Mysterious 80-Million-Year-Old Landscape Hidden Beneath Antarctica

Christopher Plain·July 12, 2025

An international team of scientists have discovered a mysterious, ancient landscape hidden beneath the ice sheet of Eastern Antarctica.

Into The Abyss: Scientists Capture First-Ever Images of Ultra-Deep Waters Near the Mariana Trench

Christopher Plain·July 10, 2025

Scientists used an autonomous underwater vehicle to image previously unexplored, ultra-deep waters near the abyss of the Mariana Trench.

Scientists Are Tracking an Undersea Phenomenon Off Japan’s Tsunami-Prone Coast Linked to “Silent” Earthquakes

Micah Hanks·July 7, 2025

In a scientific first, researchers have tracked the elusive motion of a rare variety of earthquake during a seismic event along a major fault zone on the ocean floor.

“There is a Warning Here”: Permian-Triassic Extinction Reveals the Devastation of a Climate Tipping Point

Ryan Whalen·July 3, 2025

An ancient climate tipping point is revealed in new fossils dating back to Earth’s most severe extinction event, called the “Great Dying.”

A Mysterious Eruption Caused an Extreme Climate Event in 1831. Now Scientists Have Traced It to a Former Secret Soviet Island Base

Ryan Whalen·July 1, 2025

In 1831, a mystery eruption occurred, causing a 1°C drop in global temperatures only recently identified in a paper by scientists.

4.16-Billion-Year-Old Rocks Offer Scientists a Rare Glimpse of Earth’s Earliest Years

Ryan Whalen·June 28, 2025

Rocks dating back to the Earth’s Hadean Eon have finally had their antiquity confirmed as stretching back at least 4.16 billion years. 

Certain Plants in the Galápagos May Be Devolving, New Research Reveals

MJ Banias·June 27, 2025

Wild tomatoes on the Galápagos Islands may be providing scientists with an unprecedented look at “devolution” according to a new study.

Is Earth Forming a New Ocean? Scientists Report Odd Pulses Coming From Deep Below the African Continent

Ryan Whalen·June 26, 2025

Tectonic pulses beneath Africa are splitting the continent apart to produce a new ocean, according to University of Southampton scientists.

NASA Study Links Earth’s Magnetic Field to Atmospheric Oxygen Over 540 Million Years

Ryan Whalen·June 24, 2025

New NASA research demonstrates that 540 million years of Earth’s magnetic field changes have corresponded to surface habitability.

Scientists Are Trying to Explain a Mysterious ‘Cold Spot’ South of Greenland in the Atlantic Ocean

Christopher Plain·June 23, 2025

Scientists studying a mysterious cold spot south of Greenland in the Atlantic ocean have made a startling discovery.

“Ancient Carbon” is Leaking into Our Atmosphere, Upending Our Thinking on Climate Change Models

MJ Banias·June 15, 2025

Rivers are major escape routes for ancient carbon that has been locked away for millennia, forcing us to change future climate change models.

NASA’s Powerful New EMIT Instrument Can Detect Wastewater Leaks from Space

Ryan Whalen·June 15, 2025

NASA’s EMIT instrument successfully performed analysis detecting wastewater leaks on Earth from aboard the International Space Station.

This “Stealthy” Ancient Volcano in Alaska Erupts Without Warning. Scientists Think They Now Know Why.

MJ Banias·June 10, 2025

A new study explains why some volcanoes erupt “stealthily” and offers a roadmap to improve eruption forecasting.

A Puzzling Seismic Pulse Has Been Traced to Secret Tsunamis in the Arctic Fjord

Ryan Whalen·June 9, 2025

In September 2023, a seismic mystery began when an unusual seismic signal repeated every 90 seconds, creating a perplexing riddle until now.

7,000 Years Ago, a 1,200-Ton Boulder Was Dropped on a Pacific Island—Now Scientists Know How It Got There

Micah Hanks·June 4, 2025

Researchers have discovered a massive 1,200-ton out-of-place boulder that mysteriously made its way onto the island of Tonga long ago.

“It Seems Like Science Fiction”: Researchers Unleash Breakthrough Tracking Technology Using Environmental DNA

Micah Hanks·June 3, 2025

Scientists have revealed a novel means of tracking everything from wildlife to the presence of illicit substances using DNA that is readily detectable in the environment.

Satellite Scanning the World’s Oceans Detects Elusive Phenomena Scientists Say Had “Been Hiding in Plain Sight”

Christopher Plain·June 2, 2025

Scientists using satellite data to analyze the behavior of the world's oceans have spotted unusual forces operating on and below the surface.

Scientists Reveal New Clues About Ancient Lost World Hidden Beneath the Ice of Antarctica

Christopher Plain·June 2, 2025

A chemical analysis of rocks from an ancient lost world hidden beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica has yielded several new insights.

Scientists Have Made a Dark Discovery About Earth’s Oceans—Experts Call It a “Genuine Cause for Concern”

Micah Hanks·May 27, 2025

Scientists say Earth’s oceans are slowly getting darker, according to new findings that reveal a concerning trend affecting our planet.

Antarctica’s Ancient Secrets Are Being Unveiled by Novel Krypton-81 Ice-Dating Tech

Ryan Whalen·May 26, 2025

Antarctic research has received a new boost thanks to a novel new technique providing new insights into how the paleoclimate changed.

An Underwater Volcano Off the Pacific Coast Could Soon Erupt—Here’s What You Need to Know

Ryan Whalen·May 14, 2025

The underwater volcano, Axial Seamount, off the coast of the Pacific Northwest is heading to eruption for the first time in a decade.

Hidden Beneath Antarctic Ice for Eons, a “Deeply Puzzling” Soviet-era Discovery Finally Reveals Its Secrets

Micah Hanks·May 12, 2025

Scientists reveal new discoveries about a mystery that has remained hidden beneath Antarctic ice for half a billion years.

This Edible Robot Becomes Fish Food After Completing Remote Sensing Missions

Ryan Whalen·May 9, 2025

An edible robot designed by Swiss researchers is taking cues from nature, offering remote sensing with fewer environmental concerns.

“Anomalous” Discovery in Antarctica Has Left Climate Scientists Scratching Their Heads

Micah Hanks·May 8, 2025

A discovery in Antarctica has revealed something few scientists would have expected: a reversal of its decades-long ice loss.

Controversial Plan to Block Sunlight with Geoengineering Advanced by Shadowy UK Government Agency

Ryan Whalen·May 7, 2025

Controversial geoengineering research, including a plan to block sunlight, could be just as dangerous as the climate crisis scientists warn.

Satellite Data is Revealing the Return of an Elusive Predator to Finland’s Remote Wilderness

Micah Hanks·April 28, 2025

Satellite imagery is helping unveil the return of a predator to Finland’s remote forests, in an innovative new approach to wildlife research.