Planet Earth

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Men standing in a river lift barrels and do manual labor
Bear hair and fish weirs: Meet the Indigenous people combining modern science with ancestral principles to protect the land The Heiltsuk of British Columbia are using a mix of traditional principles and modern implementation to protect salmon and bears in their territory.
aerial view of mount everest and its surrounding peaks on a clear day with blue sku
Mount Everest is taller than it should be — and a weird river may be to blame Mount Everest may be "taller than it should be" because of a river "capture" event 89,000 years ago.
Mother polar bear and two cubs standing on melting ice.
32 weird ways to fight climate change that just might work From "MooLoos" to painting mountains, these silly scientific suggestions could actually help with climate change.

Latest about Planet Earth

aerial view of mount everest and its surrounding peaks on a clear day with blue sku

Mount Everest is taller than it should be — and a weird river may be to blame

By Hannah Osborne published

Mount Everest may be "taller than it should be" because of a river "capture" event 89,000 years ago.

Geology
Three men stand on the deck of a ship working with a large ball-shaped instrument suspended in the air

Scientists are 'gobsmacked' by strange reversals in deep-ocean currents

By Andrew Chapman, Eos.org published

The speed and direction of deep currents off Mozambique’s coast are more subject to change than scientists expected.

Rivers & Oceans
Mother polar bear and two cubs standing on melting ice.

32 weird ways to fight climate change that just might work

By Carys Matthews published

From "MooLoos" to painting mountains, these silly scientific suggestions could actually help with climate change.

Climate Change
A sonar image of the bottom of Lake Michigan. We see splodges on the lakebed that researchers recently identified as holes.

Scientists confirm there are 40 huge craters at the bottom of Lake Michigan

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers recently surveyed the bottom of Lake Michigan after spotting strange circles on the lakebed in 2022. New observations show the circles are craters, but how they formed remains unclear.

Geology
A big wave advances toward the promontory in Nazare, Portugal. There is a small red lighthouse and people watching the wave on the promontory.

Nazaré: The big-wave surfer's paradise born out of the largest underwater canyon in Europe

By Sascha Pare published

Every year, record-seeking surfers and spectators descend on the small Portuguese town of Nazaré for the "big wave" season, when water can surge up to 100 feet (30 meters) tall.

Rivers & Oceans
A satellite image of a very large hurricane moving toward Florida.

'People should not be there': 'Unsurvivable' 20-foot storm surge predicted as ferocious Hurricane Helene heads to Florida

By Ben Turner last updated

Hurricane Helene has been intensifying with the help of unprecedentedly warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and is now barreling toward Florida.

Hurricanes
hurricane approaching the American continent visible above the Earth, a view from the satellite.

Experts predicted way more hurricanes this year — here's the weird reason we're 'missing' storms

By Francesca Morris published

Here's one reason why the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has had such few storms.

Hurricanes
A dark image of plants growing underwater

Deep below the Arctic Ocean, some plants have adapted to photosynthesize in almost near darkness

By Sven Batke published

Plants found to photosynthesize 160 feet beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean offer tantalizing prospects for the future.

Plants
Visualization of the polar vortex over Antarctica. The vortex of winds is elongated and colored yellow-green against a blue map.

Bizarre polar vortex over Antarctica delayed ozone hole opening, scientists say

By Sascha Pare published

The Antarctic ozone hole usually starts forming in early August, but rare warming events and a strangely elongated polar vortex this year may have delayed its arrival.

Weather
A satellite photo of an arrowhead shaped piece of sea ice that looks like the Starfleet badge from Star Trek

Iconic 'Star Trek' symbol shines brightly in sea of muddy Arctic sea ice

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured a patch of snow-covered sea ice with an uncannily similar shape to badges pinned on the uniforms of Starfleet officers in the "Star Trek" franchise.

Earth from space
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