From Sri Lanka’s central highlands to Indonesia’s flood-swollen river basins, a wave of climate-fuelled cyclones and monsoon rains has unleashed one of the deadliest weather patterns south and southeast Asia has seen in years, killing more than 1,600 people, displacing hundreds of thousands and affecting millions.Continue Reading
Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Scoria Cones on Earth and Mars Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World ofContinue Reading
Despite sanctions, Iran is one of the world’s major oil producers, with much of its crude exported to China. (Image credit: SAM/Middle East Images)Continue Reading
For the first time ever, scientists have uncovered a vast field of tektites in Brazil — mysterious glassy fragments forged when a powerful extraterrestrial object slammed into Earth about 6.3 million years ago. Named “geraisites” after Minas Gerais, where they were first found, these dark, aerodynamic droplets of natural glassContinue Reading
Growing energy demand means the U.S. will almost certainly have to expand its electricity grid in coming years. What’s the best way to do this? A new study by MIT researchers examines legislation introduced in Congress and identifies relative tradeoffs involving reliability, cost, and emissions, depending on the proposed approach.Continue Reading
Linn County has adopted some of the nation’s strictest data center zoning rules. Residents say the protections aren’t enough. By Anika Jane Beamer PALO, Iowa—There are two restaurants in Palo, not counting the chicken wings and pizza sold at the only gas station in town.Continue Reading
Arborists and land managers are trying “assisted migration” as global warming threatens livability in communities and the health of urban and rural forests. By James Bruggers LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Nearly a foot of snow has melted. The deep freeze that sent temperatures across the region plummeting to below zero has warmed toContinue Reading
Jupiter’s icy moons may have been seeded with the chemical ingredients for life from the very beginning. An international team of scientists modeled how complex organic molecules—essential building blocks for biology—could have formed in the swirling disk of gas and dust around the young Sun and later been carried intoContinue Reading
A group of residents is demanding answers from Orange County officials about herbicide spraying in waterways.Continue Reading
The case shows that climate change is a fundamental human rights violation—and the victory of Bonaire, a Dutch territory, could open the door for similar lawsuits globally. Interview by Paloma Beltran, Living on Earth From our collaborating partner Living on Earth, public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by PalomaContinue Reading
The modern world runs on chemicals and fuels that require a huge amount of energy to produce: Industrial chemical separation accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the world’s total energy consumption. That’s because most separations today rely on heat to boil off unwanted materials and isolate compounds. The MITContinue Reading
Across southeast Asia, record-breaking rains and flooding caused by back-to-back tropical storms have claimed hundreds of lives and brought devastation and displacement upon entire communities, UN agencies said on Tuesday. Continue Reading
Scientists have built a massive cellular atlas showing how aging reshapes the body across 21 organs. Studying nearly 7 million cells, they found that aging starts earlier than expected and unfolds in a coordinated way throughout the body. About a quarter of cell types change in number over time, andContinue Reading