Earth

An asteroid impact and volcanoes acting together could have done in the beasts, new rock dates indicate

When our planet’s magnetosphere nearly disappeared 565 million years ago, it may have almost taken all life with it

As northern landscapes warm, researchers are looking to understand the role of lakes in the carbon cycle

Scientists have discovered the culprit: how the sun squeezes Earth’s magnetic tail

Wild swings from pipe-bursting cold to spring-like warmth seem to be on the rise

Polar melt could have more complicated climate impacts than previously thought

The salt and chemicals in the brine left over from desalination can threaten local marine ecosystems

Humpback populations from the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet up south of Africa and trade song stylings.

Even if ambitious climate targets are met, Himalayan glaciers could lose a third of their volume

Rapid glacier retreat could put coastlines underwater sooner than anticipated

Scientific American collections editor Andrea Gawrylewski talks to managing editor Curtis Brainard about how warming in the Arctic affects us all. And glaciologist Elizabeth Case takes us out near Juneau to study and live on the shifting ice.

Ice in the hole disappeared in the last three years, worrying scientists about future ice loss