El Niño Then and Now
A 35-year satellite altimetry record lets scientists hold this year's El Niño up against its strongest predecessors.
Read the story →What’s changing.
What we’re learning.
Earth observations and new research, with dates, sources and the story behind each headline.
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Fires Char New Guinea
Emissions on both sides of the island are unusually high as human-set fires spread in a landscape parched by drought.
Read the story →Extratropical Cyclone Whips Past Iceland
The powerful low-pressure system formed over the North Atlantic out of the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.
Read the story →The Human Fingerprint on Earth’s Water Cycle
Human activities have become intertwined with how water is distributed across the continents. A new study brings their effects into sharper focus.
Read the story →Alaska’s monster tsunami sent water 1,580 feet up a mountain
A massive landslide in Alaska triggered the second-highest tsunami ever recorded, sending water and debris 1,580 feet up a mountainside just hours after tourists visited the area. Scientists discovered that the disaster was preceded by several warning signs, including rapid glacier retreat, heavy rainfall, and thousands of tiny seismic tremors. As glaciers retreat, similar disasters could become a growing danger in mountainous coastal regions.
Read at ScienceDaily ↗A simple touch can bring dying corals back to life in just 7 weeks
Scientists have discovered that severely bleached corals can make a remarkable comeback simply by touching healthy, genetically identical corals. In laboratory experiments, dying corals regained their color and fully recovered within seven weeks, with as little as five days of contact sometimes enough to start the healing process.
Read at ScienceDaily ↗Autumn Paints Poland’s Bieszczady Mountains
Fall color covers the forested slopes of Bieszczady National Park, while patches of polonina, a type of high-mountain meadow, have turned tan.
Read the story →NASA discovers hidden fires burning beneath the Amazon rainforest
El Niño is fueling a dangerous cascade of wildfires across the tropics, with the Amazon rainforest now experiencing widespread burning and scientists warning that the worst may still be ahead. NASA researchers are uncovering dozens of previously undetected fires, suggesting the destruction could be even more extensive than satellite records show.
Read at ScienceDaily ↗A 24-year study uncovers a surprising climate benefit beneath forests
Scientists have discovered that some forest soils are becoming surprisingly better at removing methane from the atmosphere as temperatures rise and rainfall declines. A study spanning up to 24 years found methane absorption increasing by an average of 3% annually, challenging previous predictions about climate change's effects on forests.
Read at ScienceDaily ↗NASA Earth Observatory stories open here with source credits. ScienceDaily’s headlines link directly to the full story at ScienceDaily. Older available items appear on the following pages. These articles provide context, not live hazard warnings.