Our Planet

Typical entombment poses of some of the Jehol Biota’s animals (a Psittacosaurus (a) and primitive crow-like birds (b and c))—the same poses displayed by other victims of erupting volcanoes throughout history.

New Research

The “Pompeii of Animals” Shows Dinosaurs, Mammals and Early Birds in Their Death Throes

A lethal volcanic explosion is identified as the culprit behind a mysterious mass death of creatures that took place around 125 million years ago

Tar sands are mined in Western Canada's Athabasca fields.

Mining Tar Sands Produces Much More Air Pollution Than We Thought

Research shows that emissions of a class of air pollutants are two to three orders of magnitude higher than previously calculated

Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney.

Antarctica's Blood Red Waterfall

On the southern edge of the world, a waterfall runs red as blood

Super Bowl

14 Fun Facts About Broncos

Number six: Horses once had three toes

An osprey, commonly called a sea hawk.

Super Bowl

14 Fun Facts About Sea Hawks

Number one: There's no such thing as a "seahawk"

Narcotics operators are responsible for this stretch of deforestation, locating in a protected areas in Honduras.

New Research

As Drug Traffickers Move In, Tropical Forests Fall

Deforestation in Central America goes hand-in-hand with narcotics operations, which replace forests with airstrips, roads and money-laundering farms

Super Bowl

The Science of the First Cold Weather Super Bowl

Science shows that the cold weather will make it harder for players to grip the ball, avoid slipping and hear each other over the roar of the crowd

Australia has a long record of devastating tropical cyclones, such as Yasi, which made landfall in Queensland in February 2011. But a new study finds such storms to be on the decline.

Australian Cyclone Activity Hits Record Low Levels

Climate change may explain the recent drop, scientists say

The New Madrid seismic zone, in the center of the United States, is highlighted bright pink in this earthquake hazard map created by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2008, reflecting the increased likelihood that a strong earthquake could strike that region.

Large Earthquakes Still Possible in the Central United States

The region shook in 1811 and 1812, and scientists say it could happen again

A three-toed sloth.

New Research

What Drives a Sloth's Ritualistic Trek to Poop?

Scientists trace the odd bathroom behavior to relationships with bacteria and moths that inhabit their fur

The deadly conflict between the advocates and ranchers was over virgin forestland near Nova Ipixuna, Brazil.

Why Do Environmentalists Keep Getting Killed Around the World?

The brutal 2011 slayings of two local rainforest defenders in the Amazon underscore the risks of activism in Brazil and the rest of the world

Clouds of haze rise above China, largely the result of the country's massive manufacturing industry.

Air Pollution in China Is Spreading Across the Pacific to the U.S.

China is sending detectable levels of pollution to the U.S., but a significant fraction of it results from manufacturing products for American customers

Please look but don't take.

Beach Tourists Who Collect Shells May Be Harming the Environment

At one beach in Spain, increasing numbers of tourists have caused a 60 percent decline in shell abundance, potentially disrupting the aquatic ecosystem

California redwoods can live for more than a thousand years.

Save the Big Trees!

A large tree grows more quickly and sucks up a lot more carbon than a smaller one, scientists find

Northern bald ibises in a classic flying "V" formation.

Scientists Solve Mystery of Birds' Flying V

Migrating birds flap in and out of rhythm depending on where they are in formation

A dingo walks along a road in southern Australia.

Maybe Dingoes Don’t Deserve Their Bad Rap

Studies show that Australia's "favorite scapegoat" most likely didn't kill the Tasmanian tiger

A grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park.

Top Carnivores Help Shape Nearly Every Aspect of Their Environment

From controlling other animals' numbers to affecting carbon storage, the predators' vital roles in ecosystems justify their conservation, scientists say

This Orb-Shaped Solar Power Device Works On The Cloudiest Days

The use of a clear "ball lens" to concentrate light into a beam of energy may improve solar power efficiency by up to 50 percent

Nuclear tests, such as Operation Redwing in 1956, deposited radioactive plutonium and cesium in the atmosphere.

Plutonium From Nuclear Tests Lingers in the Atmosphere

Don’t worry, scientists say that it’s not a threat to human health but instead could be a marker of how air circulates

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Happens to All the Salt We Dump On the Roads?

In the U.S., road crews scatter about 137 pounds of salt per person annually to melt ice. Where does it go after that?

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