
2015 May Just Be Hottest Year on Record
2015 will very likely beat 2014 as the warmest year
Andrea Thompson is senior editor for Earth and environment at Scientific American, covering the environment, energy and Earth sciences. She has been covering these topics 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

2015 May Just Be Hottest Year on Record
2015 will very likely beat 2014 as the warmest year

Current El Nino Could Be Strongest on Record
The strengthening climate phenomenon could have a big impact on U.S. weather

Missing: 1 Year's Worth of California Rain
During the current drought, the Golden State has missed an entire year's worth of rain

What Global Warming Means for 4 of Summer's Worst Pests
Mosquito season is getting longer among other buzz kills

How This Year's El Niño Compares with the Past
The climate pattern both is and isn’t like its famous predecessor in 1997

Arctic Sea Ice Rebounds, but Not Recovering
Ice volume bounced back thanks to a cool 2013 summer but don't call it a comeback

Extreme Temperatures Linked to Changing Air Patterns
A study links extreme heat waves and cold snaps to changes in the way the atmosphere moves

El Niño Forecast Brings California Hope for Drought Relief
A strong El Niño might help ease California's drought

Rainy May Sets Record for Soggy U.S.
Total precipitation was the highest in more than 120 years of record-keeping

The Climate Context for India's Deadly Heat Wave
Will there be more of this kind of heat wave that left at least 2,000 people dead?

Drought Takes $2.7-Billion Toll on California Agriculture
Scientists say the current drought will cost big in lost crops

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

Slow Hurricane Season Expected
Thanks to El Niño, this hurricane season looks to be quiet

Global Warming May Mean More Downpours like in Oklahoma
The deluge that hit Oklahoma City may foreshadow heavy rains to come

State of Earth in 4 Climate Trends
On Earth Day, four climate trends reveal what's happening to our changing climate

Antarctica's Ice Shelves Thin, Threaten Significant Sea Level Rise
Giant doorstops of ice are melting away

Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low Winter Peak
Arctic sea ice is thinning and dwindling

Experimental Forecast Projects Tornado Season
A seasonal forecast of the devastating extreme weather event may be available as soon as 2016

Arctic Sea Ice Dwindles toward Record Winter Low
Arctic sea ice continues to thin and recede

El Nino Officially Declared for 2015
The climate pattern is here but weak

Arctic Sea Ice Is Getting Thinner, Faster
Scientists try to piece together exactly how fast Arctic sea ice is thinning

Global Warming May Alter Critical Atmospheric Rivers
How will climate change impact the source of much of California's water?

Peering Inside Greenland's Ice Sheet, in 3D
Here's what the inside of Greenland looks like

16 Images to Illustrate the Blizzard of 2015
A pictorial guide to the storm that just shut down the U.S. East Coast