EARTH
Slash CO2, Then Wait—and Wait—for Temperatures to Drop
Climate action today will take decades to manifest in global temperatures because of “climate inertia”
EARTH910 articles archived since 1845
Environment
Forests Getting Younger and Shorter
Old, big trees are dying faster than in the past, leaving younger, less biodiverse forests that store less carbon worldwide.
Climate
Animal Migrations Track Climate Change
Many species are known to have changed their migration routes in response to the changing climate. They now include mule deer and Bewick’s swans.
Chemistry
Science Briefs from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about a 70-million-year-old mollusk fossil that reveals years back then had a few more days than we have now...
EARTH
Declining Antarctic Sea Ice Could Disrupt a Major Carbon Sink
Ancient ice and sediment samples show that extensive sea ice in the past helped halt the rise of carbon dioxide
Environment
Air, Sea and Space: Ocean Health, Atmosphere Insights and Black Holes
Biological oceanography expert Miriam Goldstein talks about issues facing the oceans. Reporter Adam Levy discusses air pollution info available because of the pandemic. And astrophysicist Andrew Fabian chats about black holes...
Conservation
Unicorns of the Sea Reveal Sound Activities
Narwhals, recognizable by their large single tusk, make distinct sounds that are now being analyzed in depth by researchers.
Public Health
COVID-19 and Amazon Fires Choke the Lungs of Brazilians—and the Planet
Fine dust from the burning rain forest could exacerbate coronavirus infections amid signs that the blazes might be particularly severe in 2020
EARTH
A Screen of ‘Old Smoke’ Hangs Around in the Atmosphere
How this thin layer of aerosol particles might impact global climate remains to be seen
Rosetta Stones Rolls On
We say so long to the Scientific American blogs network. But this isn’t goodbye!
EARTH
High Temperatures Set Off Major Greenland Ice Melt—Again
An Arctic heat wave ushered in the start of the melt season two weeks earlier than average
EARTH
The Mariana Trench Is 7 Miles Deep: What’s Down There?
The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is so deep your bones would literally dissolve. What's down there in its black, crushing depths?
EARTH
Because of Rising CO2, Trees Might Be Warming the Arctic
Less water loss from plants causes the surrounding air to warm, and currents can transport that heat poleward
EARTH
Deltas Gain Ground—but the Trend Won’t Last
New analysis reveals river deltas’ surprising expansion
Environment
Soils Store Huge Amounts of Carbon, Warming May Unleash It
Higher temperatures and wetter weather may spur soil microbes to release more carbon into the atmosphere
EARTH
North Pole’s Largest-ever Ozone Hole Finally Closes
An unusually strong polar vortex kept the hole open for nearly a month—now, it’s finally shut again
EARTH
Warming Caused a Glacier in Alaska to Collapse
Pooling meltwater destabilized the glacier, sending an avalanche of ice down a mountainside
EARTH
Giant Volcano Rewrites the Story of Seafloor Formation
Tamu Massif and dozens of other seafloor volcanoes formed like sheet cakes, not layer cakes
Environment
Tapirs Help Reforestation via Defecation
The large herbivores appear to prefer disturbed areas over more intact ones and spread many more seeds in those places through their droppings.
EARTH
New Satellite Gives Clearest View Yet of Polar Ice Melt
Ice lost by Greenland and Antarctica outweighs any gains from accumulating snow, measurements from NASA’s ICESat-2 show
