Earth

Following an active 2019 season, fires in 2020 have again been abundant, widespread, and have produced abnormally large carbon emissions. Read More… Source: Read More: Another Intense Summer of Fires in Siberia

Record-low sea ice in July 2020 could be further depleted by a low-pressure system that developed over the Arctic Ocean. Read More… Source: Read More: Arctic Lows

Walking around on the surface of the Earth every day, it’s easy to forget that a superhot pool of melted rock lies deep beneath our feet. Volcanoes are here to remind us. Volcanoes are channels where melted rock, ash and gas can rise to the surface. See all the entries from our Let’s Learn About … Read MoreRead more

Scientists are probing environmental data from reanalysis models in the hopes of finding answers. Read More… Source: Read More: Could COVID-19 Have Seasons?

Satellites can spot some blooms earlier, resulting in significant savings on health care, lost work hours, and other economic costs. Read More… Source: Read More: Early Detection of Algae Yields Savings

Plants that can survive in harsh environments like Canada’s Devon Island may be good candidates for eventually terraforming the Red Planet. Read More… Source: Read More: Cultivating Ideas for Mars

The combination of stable, ancient dunes and water channels displaying both braided and cross-connecting patterns make this region a planetary analogue for Mars. Read More… Source: Read More: Cooper Creek, Australia

Monsoon-related flooding, which has been ongoing since June 2020, has inundated a quarter of the country. Read More… Source: Read More: Intense Flooding in Bangladesh

The floating plant-like organisms are showing up in higher concentrations across the Arctic Ocean. Read More… Source: Read More: Phytoplankton Surge in Arctic Waters

What’s fuzzy, lives on a glacier and migrates but isn’t an animal? Answer: Oval balls of moss, nicknamed “glacier mice.” Such moss balls can be found scattered across a few of the world’s glaciers in places such as Iceland and Alaska. Now, in a surprise finding, scientists have discovered that the moss balls move across … Read MoreRead more

Though located a world away, Lake Salda, Turkey, shares similar mineralogy as Jezero Crater on Mars. Read More… Source: Read More: Jez like Mars

A drought around South America’s second longest river has grounded ships and contributed to a rash of fire in the delta and floodplain. Read More… Source: Read More: The Parched Paraná River

Researchers can predict potential outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus months in advance by using satellite data. Read More… Source: Read More: Checking on Chikungunya

Tree and plant cover has deteriorated considerably in some areas, while advancing in other areas that previously burned or used to be frozen. Read More… Source: Read More: Alaska’s Vegetation is Changing Dramatically

The area is known for its extreme dryness and dangerous heat records. However, traces on the land indicate that water sometimes flows here. Read More… Source: Read More: Death Valley Landscapes

Heavy rains and winds may result in flash flooding, landslides, and life-threatening surf conditions. Read More… Source: Read More: Hurricane Douglas Heads Toward Hawaii

As water levels rise from excessive monsoon rainfall, dam operators discharge water through spillway gates. Read More… Source: Read More: Yangtze Dams Spill Water

By mid-July 2020, rainfall had triggered flooding and landslides that affected millions of people across South and East Asia. Read More… Source: Read More: Excessive Monsoon Rains Flood Asia

The Salmon River in Idaho, one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the United States, rushes through a geologic wonderland of wooded ridges, eroded bluffs, and stone towers and crags. Read More… Source: Read More: The River of No Return

Nature’s fireworks can light the sky with electrifying drama. Now comes news of two extreme examples. These bolts of lightning set new world records. Satellite images caught both flashes over South America. The World Meteorological Organization reported the new records on June 25. Part of the United Nations, WMO is based in Switzerland. “These are extraordinary … Read MoreRead more

Ice that originated in the Arctic Ocean drifts hundreds of miles south, pulled along and shaped by the East Greenland Current. Read More… Source: Read More: Sea Ice in Denmark Strait

Abnormally warm ocean temperatures and a potential La Niña set the stage for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. Read More… Source: Read More: Gearing Up for an Active 2020 Hurricane Season

The wandering river is a boon to farming, but it has no interest in state borders. Read More… Source: Read More: Meandering Mississippi River

In July 2020, sky gazers on Earth and on the International Space Station had a front row seat to one of the brightest comets in decades. Read More… Source: Read More: Comet NEOWISE Brightens the Night