Stories by Katherine Kornei

A microbial discovery could help guide the search for life beyond Earth

A fresh analysis of tree-ring data suggests barrages of cosmic radiation that washed over Earth centuries ago may have come from sources besides our sun

A ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1942 can today help track large pulses of mud from the Mississippi River

Newly created vocalizations can convey concepts remarkably well

Scientists probe an exceptionally explosive phenomenon

A Caribbean island’s giant rocks were thought to be deposited by enormous waves

Laser light reveals the structure of the planet’s tallest trees

One third of volcanoes may have molten reserves kilometers away

In a cave in northern Spain, stalagmites rich in organic matter are environmental record keepers

Satellite measurements of sulfur dioxide from volcanic eruptions could help keep aircraft safe from hazardous ash 

GPS measurements reveal the flexing movement of one of the ice shelves that act as key backstops to sea level rise

Whales in southeastern Alaska produce “shrieks,” “moans” and “squeegies” that persist over generations 

The specimens, which went unstudied for nearly seven decades, show adaptations to high elevation

Unexplained patterns in the colors of certain space rocks suggest scientists still have much to learn about the solar system’s origins and early evolution

Submerged rock features near Pine Island Glacier—a major contributor to global sea-level rise—play a critical role in the ice’s movement

New findings give some weight to the idea that life was blasted here from another planet 

Technology developed for urban crimes can help localize blasts that destroy coral reefs

Researchers try to figure out why every 20 years a Pakistan glacier moves roughly 1,500 times faster.

Every two decades the Khurdopin glacier moves more than 1,000 times faster than usual 

Buried sediments near Sicily suggest water rushed into the sea’s partially dried-out eastern basin at speeds reaching 100 miles per hour