EnvironmentDecember 21, 2011
For Peru's Rio Santa, Has "Peak Water" Already Passed?
Diminishing tropical glaciers are already affecting flow in this vital Peruvian river
Stories by Lauren Morello
Lauren Morello works for Nature magazine.
EnvironmentDecember 16, 2011
Changing Climate Will Make Massive Shifts in Earth's Vegetation
A NASA study finds that climate change will change the mix of plants on nearly half of the planet
EnvironmentDecember 10, 2011
Researcher Sees Biological Regime Change Under Way in Alaska
Is climate change pushing Alaska toward another major abrupt shift, similar to the transition from grassy steppe to peaty tundra that took place thousands of years ago?
EnvironmentDecember 8, 2011
NOAA Chief: 2011 Weather Was "Harbinger of Things to Come"
Pressure to reduce government spending is intensifying, whereas demand for services provided by agencies such as NOAA is at an all-time high
EnvironmentDecember 2, 2011
Warmer, Greener, Less Icy Arctic Becomes "New Normal"
The Arctic has transformed in recent years into a warmer region, a new government assessment concludes
EnvironmentDecember 1, 2011
Can Zoos Play a Role in Climate Change Education?
A new National Science Foundation effort will attempt to improve the global warming information provided by zoos and aquariums
November 23, 2011
Second Batch of Stolen "Climategate" Messages Emerges
The e-mails, part of the trove released in 2009, appears to be an attempt to undermine next week's climate talks
EnvironmentNovember 18, 2011
Climate Change Will Worsen Extreme Weather
Changes in extreme weather will require governments to change how they cope with natural disasters, a new report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns
October 21, 2011
Skeptical Research Effort Confirms Global Warming, Again
An independent effort to review temperature data finds strong evidence of climate change, consistent with other scientific results
EnvironmentSeptember 8, 2011
Pole-to-Pole Flights Yield New Climate Data
Findings include a discovery that surface waters in the open Arctic Ocean release heat-trapping methane gas into the atmosphere at a "significant" rate
EnvironmentSeptember 6, 2011
Geoengineering Too "Immature" to Combat Climate Change
The potential negative consequences of geoengineering the planetary climate remain too unclear to risk deployment at this point
EnvironmentAugust 5, 2011
When Greenland's Ice Melts, Where Does the Water Go?
A hydrologist is studying the runoff from one chunk of the country's ice sheet to trace it back to its source
EnvironmentAugust 4, 2011
Greenland Research Station Reveals Past and Future of Climate Change Impacts
Studying everything from aerosols to melt, scientists on the Greenland ice sheet's highest point hope to better understand climate change
EnvironmentAugust 3, 2011
Harnessing Robots to Study Inaccessible Arctic
New robots undergoing field tests could expand scientists' access to polar regions and improve understanding of climate change
The SciencesJuly 28, 2011
U.S. Polar Research May Slow for Lack of an Icebreaker
The U.S. has just one active icebreaker in its fleet at present
EnvironmentJuly 25, 2011
Climate Change Remobilizes Long Buried Pollution as Arctic Ice Melts
Trapped toxic chemicals are escaping from melting snow and ice in the Arctic, according to new research
EnvironmentJuly 22, 2011
Record-Setting Heat Wave in U.S. Settles in as "Silent Killer"
Most damaging are rising night temperatures, say federal forecasters, which allow no relief
Space & PhysicsJuly 8, 2011
Aging Satellites May Lose Focus on Oceans and Climate
The U.S. is on the verge of losing its ability to monitor plankton blooms from space
June 21, 2011
Warming Accelerates Sea Level Rise on U.S. East Coast
A new study finds that sea levels are creeping up faster along the coast of North Carolina thanks to climate change
EnvironmentJune 17, 2011
NOAA Makes It Official: 2011 Among Most Extreme Weather Years in History
Near the halfway point, 2011 has already seen eight weather-related disasters in the U.S. that caused more than $1 billion in damages
EnvironmentJune 10, 2011
Rapid Decline in Mountain Snowpack Bad News for Western U.S. Rivers
Snowpack in the northern Rocky Mountains has shrunk at an unprecedented rate over the past 30 years
EnvironmentMay 31, 2011
Arctic to Gain Ports, Lose Ice Roads New Study Finds
Ice-road truckers may join the list of endangered species as climate change worsens in the Arctic
EnvironmentMay 26, 2011
"Fastest Warming" Water Threatens Rare Fauna at South Georgia Island
Rich wildlife at this Southern Ocean island faces surface waters 1.8 degrees F warmer in winter and 4.1 degrees F warmer in summer than they were 80 years ago
The SciencesMay 24, 2011
How Tornadoes Gain Power
The recent series of devastatingly powerful tornadoes is linked to unusually warm surface water in the Gulf of Mexico