Jet Altitude Changes Cut Climate-Changing Contrails
Increasing or decreasing the altitude of aircraft by a few thousand feet to avoid thin layers of humidity could make a major reduction to contrails’ contribution to climate change...
EARTH826 articles archived since 1845
Map of Antarctica’s Bedrock Reveals Vulnerabilities
A new view of the frozen continent could improve predictions for sea-level rise
How Deep Is the Deepest Hole in the World?
There’s a portal to the center of the earth in the wreckage of an abandoned project site in Murmansk, Russia. What’s it for? And why is the Internet Googling “Kola Superdeep Borehole screams?”...
Industrial Revolution Pollution Found in Himalayan Glacier
Ice cores from a Tibetan glacier reveal the first deposits of industrial revolution pollution, starting in layers dated to about 1780.
A Collection of Gems for Your Valentine’s Day Enjoyment
Even if the V-day leaves you meh, the geology of gemstones is still pretty great
Global CO2 Emissions Were Flat in 2019—But Don’t Cheer Yet
Developing economies continue to build coal power plants, and growth in oil and gas has been persistent
Ocean Currents Are Speeding Up, Driven by Faster Winds
Climate change may in part be spurring the acceleration, which could change how heat and nutrients are pushed around the oceans
Peru’s Peatlands Could Greatly Accelerate Global Warming
The vast region may stay wet—or dry up and burn—depending on whether indigenous people want to continue to work the land
Miami Is the “Most Vulnerable” Coastal City Worldwide
In the next two decades, sea-level rise, storm surge and winds will chew away at Florida’s $1-trillion economy, a new report warns
Volcano Awareness Video Mania
Oh, right, Volcano Awareness Month happened while all those exciting earthquakes had us distracted!
How to Make a Mass Extinction
Journalist and author Peter Brannen talks about his book The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions ...
Closing the Ozone Hole Helped Slow Arctic Warming
Ozone-eating chemicals are also potent greenhouse gases, accounting for up to half of the Arctic’s temperature rise
A Vision of Ephemeral Ice
Artist Shoshannah White views the endangered Arctic ice through a unique lens
Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Drastically Revised
Originally published in March 1965
The 2010s Were the Hottest Decade—the 2020s Will Top Them
By the mid-2030s, global temperatures will likely top 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods: A New Climate-Related Threat from Above
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...
Will Taal Volcano Explosively Erupt? Here’s What Scientists Are Watching
The seismic rumblings of the Philippines’ second most active volcano hold clues to what it might do
Wildfires Could Transform Amazon from Carbon Sink to Source
Rising temperatures and increased deforestation increase the risks for CO2-emitting fires
Frozen in Dwindling Ice, a Historic Expedition Finds a “New Arctic”
Over the first leg of the trip, scientists say they are already learning how much humans have altered the polar region
Magnetic Storms Power Telephone Wires
Originally published in June 1869
