Climate Science
Latest climate science research, data, and scientific findings from leading institutions
Another NIH institute loses its director
Health department declines to renew Lindsey Criswell, head of arthritis institute, to another 5-year term
These scientists saw a future in public serviceâuntil Trumpâs âmassacreâ hit
Last yearâs mass firings of âprobationaryâ federal workers sent researchersâ lives into turmoil
EPA sidesteps science in repeal of U.S. greenhouse gas rules
Agencyâs attempt to overturn 2009 âendangerment findingâ appears headed for U.S. Supreme Court
Growing cropland emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 13 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02571-7Planning for climate action in food systems requires disaggregated spatial information on greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Now, a study on the...
ENSO shapes salinity regimes and fish migration in the China Seas
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 13 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02559-3This study shows that the El NiĂąo/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drives sea surface salinity (SSS) variability in the China Seas through coupled freshwater...
Boosting origin of life theory, RNA comes close to copying itself
Some RNA molecules can create their own mirror images, suggesting similar molecules could have sparked life
A vanishing star births a black holeâwithout the fireworks
Failed supernova candidate points to a stealthy pathway of stellar collapse
NSFâs flagship fellowship program is rejecting applicants without peer review
Students seeking graduate research scholarships speculate that biology is being disfavored
Politics and war complicate global effort to study changes to Earth's poles
As preparations for the fifth International Polar Year kickoff, organizers grapple with U.S. climate skepticism and Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine
Can science build a better working dog?
New approaches could put talented canines into the hands of more people with disabilities
Europeâs âuntouchedâ wilderness was shaped by Neanderthals and hunter-gatherers
Long before agriculture, humans were transforming Europeâs wild landscapes. Advanced simulations show that hunting and fire use by Neanderthals and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers reshaped forests and grasslands in measurable ways. By...
The worst coral bleaching event ever recorded damaged over 50% of reefs
Coral reefs, worth an estimated $9.8 trillion a year to humanity, are in far worse shape than previously realized. A massive international study found that during the 2014â2017 global marine...
Snowball Earth was not completely frozen, new study reveals
Even when Earth was locked in its most extreme deep freeze, the planetâs climate may not have been as silent and still as once believed. New research from ancient Scottish...
Rare, dangerous side effects of some COVID-19 vaccines explained
âGroundbreakingâ study uncovers why adenovirus-based shots caused life-threatening blood clots and bleeding in some people
Pre-Incans collected seabird poop from remote islands to use as fertilizer
Guano-based agriculture became highly prized in the Inca empire
India has big plans to remove silt from riversâand scientists are alarmed
Dredging and mining sediments increases flood risks and threatens infrastructure, researchers say
Inconsistent national reports undercount wastewater emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02555-7National greenhouse gas inventories systematically undercount methane and nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater due to outdated methods and incomplete coverage. Addressing these...
Heat exposure disrupts brain development
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02564-6Early life stages are particularly critical for human brain development. A large-scale study in China shows that heat exposure in early life...
Snapping shrimp use headgear to protect their brains from shock waves
Unusual âhoodâ is the first known biological armor that protects against traumatic brain injury
How did ancient Vietnamese people get such black smiles?
Iron salt toothpaste darkened pearly whites
Japanâs election result could bring a research funding boost
Landslide win by Liberal Democratic Party clears path for targeted R&D spending plan
Scientists uncover the climate shock that reshaped Easter Island
Around 1550, life on Rapa Nui began changing in ways long misunderstood. New research reveals that a severe drought, lasting more than a century, dramatically reduced rainfall on the already...
Methane spiked after 2020 and the cause was unexpected
Methane levels in Earthâs atmosphere surged faster than ever in the early 2020s, and scientists say the reason was a surprising mix of chemistry and climate. A temporary slowdown in...
In unprecedented move, giant monkey research center may become a primate sanctuary
University votes to consider ending all studies at Oregon National Primate Research Center. But cost and feasibility are still in doubt
NASA greenlights two earth science missions, to researchersâ relief
Orbiting satellites will monitor changes in the stratosphere and on the planetâs surface
Fire at German particle accelerator could delay multibillion-dollar project
Damage to beamâs power supply marks latest setback for troubled Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research
Cascading downstream impacts of water cycle changes in mountain regions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02552-2Mountains are hotspots of climate change, with melting glaciers, changing water flows and moving ecosystems. Here the authors discuss how these different...
Preserving mountains
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02572-6Disappearing glaciers and missing snow in mountain regions are some of the most immediate signs of global change today. In this issue,...
Mountains magnify mechanisms in climate change biology
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02549-xMountains, with their sharp climatic contrasts, are emblematic of climate-driven species movement and, ultimately, loss. Here, we argue that these same contrasts...
Leaderâs departure marks latest setback for ambitious Japanese science university
Thirteen-year-old Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology hopes to become a global science leader
IPCC holds two co-located workshops on Engaging Diverse Knowledge Systems, and Methods of Assessment
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will hold two scientific workshops at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom from 10 to 12 February 2026. Organized in collaboration with the Department for...
Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned
Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly...
Why this rust-like mineral is one of Earthâs best carbon vaults
A common iron mineral hiding in soil turns out to be far better at trapping carbon than scientists realized. Its surface isnât uniform â itâs a nanoscale patchwork of positive...
Scientists warn climate models are missing a key ocean player
Tiny marine plankton that build calcium carbonate shells play an outsized role in regulating Earthâs climate, quietly pulling carbon from the atmosphere and helping lock it away in the deep...
New forecasts offer early warning of Arctic sea ice loss
Arctic sea ice helps cool the planet and influences weather patterns around the world, but it is disappearing faster than ever as the climate warms. Scientists have now developed a...
Remote Greek culture has been a genetic âislandâ for 4500 years
New DNA analysis links Deep Maniots to Greeceâs premedieval past
Historic U.S. marine lab parts ways with the University of Chicago
After a 12-year affiliation intended to address financial woes, the Marine Biological Laboratory returns to independence
Expert agreement on key elements of transformational adaptation to climate risks
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 06 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02548-yDespite the growing literature and widespread interest in transformational adaptation, its definition remains contested. The results of a global expert survey reveal...
An invisible chemical rain is falling across the planet
A new study reveals that chemicals used to replace ozone-damaging CFCs are now driving a surge in a persistent âforever chemicalâ worldwide. The pollutant, called trifluoroacetic acid, is falling out...
Controversial Danish vaccine research group faces new allegations
Researchers say they couldnât find complete data for 10 trials that together enrolled tens of thousands of children in Guinea-Bissau
These beetles wear chemical âinvisibility cloaksââand will die if theyâre removed
Coatings used by symbiotic residents of ant colonies may represent an evolutionary dead end
A hack-proof internet? Quantum encryption could be the key
Team in China sends data with entangled atoms, neutralizing backdoor hardware threats
Imagination isnât just for humans, this famous ape shows
Kanzi, a bonobo studied for his language skills, understood make-believe objects
FDA-approved drug may address a major cause of infertility
Finerenone boosts ovary function in mice and appears to help people with primary ovarian insufficiency produce mature eggs
Sharp cutbacks in field tests could threaten quality of 2030 U.S. census
Efforts to correct historic undercount of poor, immigrant, rural, and minority populations are at risk, critics say
Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet
New energy absorbing designs and materials have revolutionized the iconic safety device
Careful land allocation for carbon dioxide removal is critical for safeguarding biodiversity
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 05 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02567-3A spatial assessment of global decarbonization scenarios reveals that land allocated for carbon dioxide removal substantially overlaps with areas of high biodiversity...
Scientists discover hidden deep-Earth structures shaping the magnetic field
Deep inside Earth, two massive hot rock structures have been quietly shaping the planetâs magnetic field for millions of years. Using ancient magnetic records and advanced simulations, scientists discovered that...