Planet Earth

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Men standing in a river lift barrels and do manual labor
Bear hair and fish weirs: Meet the Indigenous people combining modern science with ancestral principles to protect the land The Heiltsuk of British Columbia are using a mix of traditional principles and modern implementation to protect salmon and bears in their territory.
aerial view of mount everest and its surrounding peaks on a clear day with blue sku
Mount Everest is taller than it should be — and a weird river may be to blame Mount Everest may be "taller than it should be" because of a river "capture" event 89,000 years ago.
Mother polar bear and two cubs standing on melting ice.
32 weird ways to fight climate change that just might work From "MooLoos" to painting mountains, these silly scientific suggestions could actually help with climate change.

Latest about Planet Earth

Professor Ning Zeng pauses in a tangled pile of dead trees at Camp Small, a Baltimore municipal collection point for waste wood.

Ancient piece of driftwood hidden for thousands of years could hold secrets for combating climate change

By Richard Pallardy published

A 3,775-year-old log found in Canada had barely lost any of its carbon content since being buried, indicating "wood vaulting" is a viable means of carbon storage.

Climate Change
A snow-topped volcano in the desert

Mystery iron-rich magma entombed in dead volcanoes could be rich source of rare earth elements

By Kimberly M. S. Cartier, Eos.org published

Experiments show how concentrations of rare earth elements, critical to the green energy transition, might be hiding in plain sight in iron-rich deposits around the world.

Geology
Toward the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, the International Space Station orbits about 259 miles (417 kilometers) above Trinidad and Tobago as Hurricane Sam churns in the Atlantic Ocean in the fall of 2021.

Hurricane season 2024: How long it lasts and what to expect

By Tia Ghose last updated

This guide to the Atlantic hurricane season of 2024, includes predictions, tropical storm science, naming conventions and storm safety tips.

Hurricanes
hurricane milton from space

Hurricane Milton: Jaw-dropping images taken from space show the storm rapidly intensifying as it approaches Florida

By Ben Turner published

An image of Hurricane Milton moving towards Florida taken with the GOES satellite at 22:30 UTC on 10/07/24.

Hurricanes
A satellite photo of giant lake of smoky haze filling a large valley surrounded by mountians

Beautiful 'lake of haze' in Himalayan valley has a darker, more sinister source

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space This 2014 satellite photo shows a cloud of haze sitting in the Kashmir Valley in the Himalayas. The ethereal "lake" consists mainly of smog and other pollutants from nearby factories.

Earth from space
A sattelite photo of Hurricane Milton taken above the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday (Oct. 6).

'This is the most impactful storm we have faced': 'Major' storm Hurricane Milton to make landfall as Florida reels from Helene

By Ben Turner published

State officials have warned Florida residents to prepare for "largest evacuation that we have seen" since 2017's Hurricane Irma.

Hurricanes
Aerial view of Easter Island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. We see three separate islands and the horizon.

'Many more ancient structures waiting to be discovered': Lost chunk of seafloor hidden in Earth's mantle found off Easter Island

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers created a seismic map of Earth's interior beneath the southeastern Pacific Ocean and discovered an ancient slab of oceanic crust that appears to be stuck midway through the mantle.

Geology
View of the Hranice Abyss from the edge of the cave at the surface. We see a pool of green water at the bottom and greenery around the edge.

Hranice Abyss: The deepest freshwater cave on Earth and a conduit to a 'fossil' sinkhole

By Sascha Pare published

Scientists first described the flooded cave in 2016 but determined its extraordinary extent years later.

Geology
view of mount adams with trees framing the ice covered volcano

Record spike in earthquakes at Washington's 'high threat' volcano sends researchers scrambling for answers

By Hannah Osborne published

Six earthquakes were recorded at Mount Adams in September — the highest number in a single month since records began in 1982.

Volcanos
A person stands on the edge of the Yamal crater. The crater is covered in snow. There are arrows on the picture showing the width of the crater.

We're one step closer to finding out why Siberia is riddled with exploding craters

By Sascha Pare published

A new physical model suggests meltwater from thawing permafrost on Russia's Yamal Peninsula can unlock methane sources at depth, triggering explosions that open enormous craters at the surface.

Geology
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