EnvironmentMay 28, 2015
El Nino Can Raise Sea Levels along U.S. West Coast
The climate event can raise sea level from Washington to California by up to eight inches
Stories by Andrea Thompson
Andrea Thompson is senior desk editor for life science at Scientific American, covering the environment, energy and earth sciences. She has been covering these issues for nearly two decades. Prior to joining Scientific American, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered earth science and the environment. She has moderated panels, including as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Media Zone, and appeared in radio and television interviews on major networks. She holds a graduate degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a B.S. and an M.S. in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Follow Thompson on Bluesky @andreatweather.bsky.social
EnvironmentMay 27, 2015
Slow Hurricane Season Expected
Thanks to El Niño, this hurricane season looks to be quiet
EnvironmentMay 7, 2015
Global Warming May Mean More Downpours like in Oklahoma
The deluge that hit Oklahoma City may foreshadow heavy rains to come
EnvironmentApril 22, 2015
State of Earth in 4 Climate Trends
On Earth Day, four climate trends reveal what's happening to our changing climate
EnvironmentMarch 26, 2015
Antarctica's Ice Shelves Thin, Threaten Significant Sea Level Rise
Giant doorstops of ice are melting away
EnvironmentMarch 19, 2015
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low Winter Peak
Arctic sea ice is thinning and dwindling
EnvironmentMarch 16, 2015
Experimental Forecast Projects Tornado Season
A seasonal forecast of the devastating extreme weather event may be available as soon as 2016
EnvironmentMarch 11, 2015
Arctic Sea Ice Dwindles toward Record Winter Low
Arctic sea ice continues to thin and recede
EnvironmentMarch 5, 2015
El Nino Officially Declared for 2015
The climate pattern is here but weak
EnvironmentMarch 5, 2015
Arctic Sea Ice Is Getting Thinner, Faster
Scientists try to piece together exactly how fast Arctic sea ice is thinning
EnvironmentFebruary 6, 2015
Global Warming May Alter Critical Atmospheric Rivers
How will climate change impact the source of much of California's water?
EnvironmentFebruary 3, 2015
Peering Inside Greenland's Ice Sheet, in 3D
Here's what the inside of Greenland looks like
The SciencesJanuary 27, 2015
16 Images to Illustrate the Blizzard of 2015
A pictorial guide to the storm that just shut down the U.S. East Coast
EnvironmentJanuary 26, 2015
What a Warming World Means for Snowstorms
A warmer world could mean fewer storms but bigger snowfalls
EnvironmentJanuary 23, 2015
Surprise Lake Sheds Light on Underbelly of Greenland's Ice
Scientists have been surprised to find water pooling beneath the ice
EnvironmentJanuary 16, 2015
Broken Record: 2014 Proves Hottest Year
It's official, 2014 is the hottest year in the modern record per U.S. government agencies
EnvironmentJanuary 12, 2015
2015 Begins with CO2 above 400 PPM Mark
The leading greenhouse gas continues to accumulate in the atmosphere
EnvironmentDecember 10, 2014
Hotter Ocean Waters Give Typhoons a Boost
The Pacific Ocean has experienced warm water all year, strengthening tropical cyclones
EnvironmentNovember 13, 2014
Lightning May Increase with Global Warming
New findings suggest lightning strikes may increase by 12 percent for every degree of warming
EnvironmentNovember 12, 2014
Seven Images That Tell the Story of Frigid Weather in the U.S.
Unseasonably cold temperatures can be traced back to a typhoon that eventually struck Alaska
EnvironmentOctober 29, 2014
Hurricane Sandy Spawns Storm of Climate Research
Two years later scientists are still learning from the superstorm that struck New York and New Jersey
EnvironmentOctober 16, 2014
U.S. Tornadoes Form in Swarms
The total number of days in the U.S. with a tornado is decreasing but the number per day is rising
EnvironmentOctober 16, 2014
Frigid Polar Vortex Unlikely to Repeat This Winter
NOAA's winter climate outlook suggests this winter will not be as unusual as last one
EnvironmentOctober 15, 2014
What's Behind Recent Flurry of Hurricane Activity?
So many storms in October is rare but not unprecedented