Earth

By the mid-2030s, global temperatures will likely top 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels

As the climate changes and glaciers melt, a lesser-known threat lurks in alpine areas: glacial lake outburst floods. These events happen rapidly, releasing huge amounts of water with little or no warning. Unsuspecting communities lying in the flood path can suffer serious losses.

Researchers seek better ways to predict these outburst floods and mitigate their danger. Take a hike through the Swiss Alps with glaciologist Fabian Walter to learn about this phenomenon and our ongoing efforts to understand it.

The seismic rumblings of the Philippines’ second most active volcano hold clues to what it might do

Rising temperatures and increased deforestation increase the risks for CO₂-emitting fires

Over the first leg of the trip, scientists say they are already learning how much humans have altered the polar region

Originally published in June 1869

The large, intense fires have threatened more than 800 million animals in the state of New South Wales alone, according to one estimate

The annual FEMA summary is at odds with government research showing that warming is exacerbating natural disasters

A few brief reports about international science and technology from Indonesia to Spain, including one from Brazil about the highest-voltage electric eel ever discovered.

What a difference a decade makes!

Alpine harvestmen live where, long ago, glaciers stretched south 

Research suggests people value gifts more when they have to unwrap them. But how do we avoid all the wasted paper? Christopher Intagliata reports.