Climate Science
Latest climate science research, data, and scientific findings from leading institutions
New NSF policy would ban almost all collaborations with Chinese scientists
Agency drops attempt to mitigate risk in favor of outright prohibition on working with most Chinese research institutions
Ancient DNA solves Medici murder mystery
Malaria, not poisoning, killed a prominent 16th century duke
DNA could act like a famed gravity-defying pump
Shrunken version of Archimedes screw could allow researchers to move molecules around at tiny scales
NSF makes billion-dollar gamble on research with an economic payoff
New X-Labs initiative aims to develop breakthrough technologies—but academics aren’t sure they are welcome
Spain's largest research organization confronts its dark past
Spanish National Research Council, established under Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, has published the stories of some 500 researchers and support staff purged after civil war
Thin air. Frozen temps. Toxic food. How these mice survive extreme elevations
Scientists crack the secrets of Andean leaf-eared mice living near the top of the world
How much killing will it take to save the spotted owl?
In a massive experiment, biologists are shooting thousands of aggressive barred owls—hoping to create a spotted owl ‘safe zone’
Where Venezuela's Earthquakes Shifted the Ground
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryWhere Venezuela’s…EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next GenerationEO KidsMission:...
Study dampens hope that meningitis vaccine can also prevent gonorrhea
Observational studies suggested the vaccine could do double duty but a randomized trial shows no benefit
A molecular quirk unique to octopuses makes them better at building proteins
Certain shallow-water species carry a mutation that reduces translation errors and prevents toxic protein buildup
Trees keep absorbing carbon long after they stop growing
Oak trees keep absorbing carbon dioxide long after their annual growth has ended, revealing that photosynthesis and wood production are not as closely linked as scientists once believed. The finding...
Surprising claim of superstringy universe may be based on a mistake
Mix-up in distance scales may explain hints of anisotropy in distribution of galaxies
Super Typhoon Bavi
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatorySuper Typhoon BaviEarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next GenerationEO...
Springer Nature restores Max Planck's mysteriously retracted papers
Publisher denies a bot was to blame for withdrawing famed physicist’s work
Detection schemes could deter putting nuclear warheads in space
Three approaches—including one that exploits Earth’s radiation belts—could help enforce ban on orbital nuclear weapons
Ocean temperatures may be shielding Earth from a planet-wide drought
Ocean temperature patterns appear to act as a natural brake on the global spread of drought, preventing vast areas of the planet from drying out simultaneously. Researchers found that shifting...
Co-benefit premiums can enhance nature-based climate solutions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02690-1Carbon markets reward the climate mitigation benefits of nature-based solutions but rarely value their broader societal impacts. Creating markets for verified co-benefits,...
Uranus and Neptune may not be 'ice giants' after all
A growing number of theories propose Uranus and Neptune are rocky worlds
Chatbots can help perpetuate stigma around certain health conditions
Negative perceptions of mental illness and other health issues subtly shape outputs from large language models
As flu virus threatens its unique bird species, New Zealand pins hopes on a vaccine
Arrival of H5N1 in Australia triggers ambitious vaccination program
Cottonwood Fire Chars Utah
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryCottonwood Fire Chars UtahEarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next...
Responsible carbon accounting
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02707-9Carbon accounting shapes how climate responsibility is allocated, and expanding existing frameworks could provide a stronger basis for effective and equitable climate...
Nepal's swift embrace of electric vehicles
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02588-yThe rapid electrification of Nepal’s automobile sector in just five years shows how a robust mix of policies and incentives can catapult...
Seals in changing seas dive longer
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02703-zSeals in changing seas dive longer
Roots respond to phosphorus limitation
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02701-1Roots respond to phosphorus limitation
British 'First Fleet' brought smallpox to Australia—and may have killed millions
Two papers pin the deadly disease’s introduction on British colonists and suggest the continent held far more people than previously believed
People systematically under- and overestimate public engagement in climate action
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02668-zUnlike previous work showing that people underestimate others’ support for climate action, this study finds systematic pluralistic ignorance in both directions: frequent...
Future-proofing interpretations of the Paris Agreement's limit of well below 2 °C
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02685-yHere the authors show that a common interpretation of the Paris Agreement’s ‘well below 2° C’ target is changing with time, which...
Philosophers call for their journals to require conflict of interest disclosures
A new petition urges greater transparency amid growing ties to AI and other companies
The World Cup From 250 Miles Up
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryThe World Cup From 250 Miles…EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue...
British 'First Fleet' brought smallpox to Australia—and may have killed millions
Two papers pin the deadly disease’s introduction on British colonists and suggest the continent held far more people than previously believed
IPCC opens registration for experts to review First Order Draft of Working Group I contribution to the Seventh Assessment Report
GENEVA, 6 July – Registration is now open for experts to review the First Order Draft of the Working Group I contribution to the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). The...
Examining Algal Blooms in Blue Mesa
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryExamining Algal Blooms in Blue…EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble:...
A popular climate fix could accidentally trigger massive changes to global weather
A new study found that not all geoengineering ideas are created equal. Brightening marine clouds over the eastern Pacific could dramatically weaken the El Niño cycle, triggering major changes to...
Being a taller tree doesn't doom you to drought after all
New study challenges idea that tall trees’ hydraulics make them more vulnerable to dry conditions
Major Ukraine research center damaged in Russian strikes
Damage to century-old Palladin Institute marks ‘disaster for biological science in Ukraine’
First-ever treatment trial for Ebola Bundibugyo kicks off in the Congo
Scientists will test an antiviral drug and an antibody cocktail designed to tame the burgeoning outbreak
How an ancient continental breakup helped spawn the Antarctic Ice Sheet
Mantle waves and tectonic stretching lofted polar mountains into a deep freeze
A key Arctic science outpost finds itself tangled in a geopolitical web
Svalbard is warming faster than almost anywhere on Earth, but security concerns are tightening access to its glaciers, fjords, and sea floor
The Birthplace of the United States
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryThe Birthplace of the United…EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble:...
Publisher Correction: Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warming
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 01 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02719-5Publisher Correction: Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warming
Paleontologist Neil Shubin vows to keep National Academy of Sciences relevant
New NAS president discusses the future of the beleaguered institution and the precarious state of U.S. science under Trump
Climate scientist who 'proved' humanity is warming Earth says government report got it wrong
A pioneering climate scientist is challenging a U.S. government report that cited his research while reaching what he says is the exact opposite conclusion. Benjamin Santer and his colleagues say...
USDA accelerates plan to close its flagship scientific campus
Agency says closing the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center will improve efficiency, but skeptics argue it will undercut research critical to farmers
These flesh-eating 'superworms' can clean a skeleton in hours
Darkling beetle larvae could provide museum curators a new way to preserve animal skeletons for display
Colonial National Historical Park
Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryColonial National Historical ParkEarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next...
Lab-created 'SpudCell' marks 'stunning' step toward building life from scratch
A synthetic cell can now grow and divide—but it’s still far from alive
Proposed new satellite fleets could overwhelm the night sky
Orbiting datacenters and sunlight reflectors would scupper astronomy by leaving streaks on telescope images and brightening skies, study finds