Environmental Science

Mercedes-Benz hopes to have more than 400 high-speed EV charging hubs online in North America by 2027. That's great for global emissions. Is it great for the electrical grid?

By Talon Homer

This seismic boundary lies within Earth between the bottom of crust and the uppermost mantle. But nobody has ever dug down deep enough to confirm it exists. So does it?

By Allison Troutner

Disputes continue to tangle commercial fishermen and environmentalists in an ongoing and sometimes fraught debate over fishing gear and bycatch.

By Blake Earle

You might be surprised at how little of the world's oceans scientists have investigated.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

The ocean is so deep, it puts the height of Mount Everest to shame.

By Mark Mancini

The decision made at the 27th General Conference on Weights and Measures will scrap leap seconds for good by 2035.

By Laurie L. Dove

The SWOT satellite is a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency. Its mission is to measure how much water is on Earth and where the water is going.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Ash flows, deadly gases and vog are just a few of the other reasons why we all need to respect volcanoes.

By Brittany Brand

The unlikely symbiotic relationship of solar panels and agriculture is known as agrivoltaics. Is it coming to a farm near you?

By Allison Troutner

According to Guinness World Records, the waves in Nazaré, Portugal, are the biggest ever surfed. Scientists attribute the massive waves to an underwater canyon, but how does it work?

By Dylan Ris

The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, will begin in Montreal, Dec. 7, 2022. China will lead the conference of 196 nations, setting the agenda and tone, despite a less-than-stellar record on species protection.

By Vanessa Hull

Native Americans have quarried red pipestone from the land that is now Pipestone National Monument for centuries. What makes this particular stone so sacred?

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

As nations convene in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, climate scientists share insight on how to make policy most effective.

By Meghie Rodrigues

The world's population is expected to hit 8 billion Nov. 15 2022. Is that too many people or just right?

By Melanie Channon & Jasmine Fledderjohann

When it comes to rivers, longest doesn't necessarily mean biggest, and length can be difficult to determine, so the top spot will always be debated.

By Jesslyn Shields

Scientists are concerned that the Thwaites Glacier is melting at a rapid pace, though some don't love the name "Doomsday Glacier." What does the rapid melt of this huge glacier mean for the future of our planet?

By Mark Mancini

It was the world's largest diamond when mined and today it's cut into nine gems that are all part of the British Crown Jewels. But since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, questions have emerged about its imperialist history.

By Dave Roos

The amount of methane leaked from the Nord Stream pipelines poses a major climate risk. But scientists are still determining just how much damage was done.

By Karen McVeigh & Philip Oltermann

Radiocarbon dating is a cornerstone of climate and archaeological sciences. But it could be threated as fossil fuel emissions negate the useful signal from atomic tests.

By Caroline Hasler

Here are six surprises that were uncovered around the globe when the heat rose and the water receded.

By Cherise Threewitt

Arizona isn't all desert. Take Grand Falls, aka "Chocolate Falls." It is dry most of the year, but when it rains, this waterfall pours.

By Patty Rasmussen

Split as if by a laser, the Al Naslaa rock in Saudi Arabia's Tayma Oasis baffles scientists and amateur geologists alike. How did this perfect split happen?

By Laurie L. Dove

Rossby waves influence everything from high tides to extreme weather patterns, and not just on Earth. They also occur on the sun and on Venus and Jupiter as well. So, what are they exactly?

By Mark Mancini

An organization called Pull to Refresh hopes to use seaweed to remove and store atmospheric carbon to stave off climate change. Here's how this cool idea works.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The Poles of Inaccessibility are the locations on Earth that are the farthest away from either water or land and are the most remote spots in the world.

By Patrick J. Kiger