
El Niño is here and could tip Earth to a new record hot year
Scientists have been expecting El Niño to set in for quite a while now—and it’s finally official

El Niño is here and could tip Earth to a new record hot year
Scientists have been expecting El Niño to set in for quite a while now—and it’s finally official

‘Odd’ Gulf of Mexico earthquake rattles Florida and Cuba
This earthquake may be among the biggest in the Gulf of Mexico’s history


The Philippines earthquake is massive, but it could’ve been bigger—here’s why
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the Philippines happened at a subduction zone. Such places are capable of producing the largest earthquakes possible

Why do hurricanes come in seasons?
Hurricane season is shaped by the ingredients needed to produce a tropical cyclone, and this year the Atlantic may be relatively quiet

What happens when galaxies collide?
Our galaxy and its nearest large companion, Andromeda, may be headed for a collision on a cosmic scale. What happens then?

A 1,500-foot tsunami took scientists by surprise. Now we know why it happened
By chance a tour boat avoided a deadly tsunami set off by the retreat of Alaska's coastal glaciers. Scientists are working to spot landslides like the one that caused the massive wave to warn people in harm's way

Wildfire ‘red flag’ warnings are in effect for large chunks of the U.S. Here’s what to know
These wildfire warnings are in place up and down the country, from Texas to North Dakota and Minnesota

Half of New York City’s population is at risk of ‘extreme’ flood damage
While New York City leads in terms of the absolute number of people threatened by flood, more than 98 percent of New Orleans’ population is at risk, according to a new study

Risk of ‘megaquake’ in Japan higher after powerful earthquake strikes
After a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan and set off tsunami warnings, there’s an elevated risk of a “megaquake” following in its wake

Can you survive inside a tornado? This scientist did by accident—he’s lucky to be alive
Atmospheric scientist Perry Samson was doing fieldwork when he was unexpectedly caught inside a tornado—making him one of the few such people who have lived to tell the tale

‘Conan the Bacterium’ could really conquer the solar system, new study suggests
New insights into a tiny, tough microbe have huge implications for the search for life beyond Earth

What caused the Lake Tahoe avalanche that killed 9 skiers?
Record warmth followed by a huge snowfall led to the recent avalanche that killed at least eight skiers