Climate Change

Africa could lose rare glaciers like Mount Kilimanjaro's Southern Ice Field within 20 years.

Africa's Last Rare Glaciers May Soon Disappear

The continent is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite its population contributing little to the problem

Smithsonian scientist Genevieve Noyce conducts a plant census in a wetland at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland.  

How the Smithsonian Grapples With Climate Change

As a hub for research and education, the Institution is poised to help the world find solutions to the global challenge

Melting sea ice because of climate change forces walruses to congregate on land instead of ice.

Researchers Need Volunteer 'Walrus Detectives' to Help Count the Animals in Satellite Images

The project aims to quantify the impact of climate change on the species

This year's overall winner Laurent Ballesta spent more than 3,000 hours trying to capture his stunning undersea image of mating groupers.

Ten Breathtaking Images From the 2021 Nature Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards

The annual awards tell the story of our planet's creatures and the threats they face

NOAA and Saildrone deployed the fleet of five hurricane-class vessels in the Atlantic’s “hurricane belt” in the summer months leading up to this year’s tropical storm season.   

'Saildrone' Captures First-Ever Video From Inside a Category 4 Hurricane

This uncrewed, remote-controlled vessel gathered valuable scientific data that could help researchers better understand and predict these violent storms

American bumblebees are a vital pollinator for wildflowers and crops, and their decline could have severe consequences for the environment.  

The American Bumblebee Has Nearly Vanished From Eight States

In two decades, the insect's population has declined by nearly 90 percent due to a combination of threats, including habitat loss, pesticides and diseases

The second ski was better preserved than the first, perhaps because it was buried more deeply in the ice.

Archaeologists Extract 1,300-Year-Old Wooden Ski From Norwegian Ice

Seven years after finding the first half of the pair, researchers have finally reunited the ski with its mate

The Nobel Committee in Physics was awarded to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi earlier today.

Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Scientists Who Warned the World of Climate Change

Their groundbreaking research answered fundamental questions about our universe and Earth’s complex climate

Some conservationists have held out hope for species like the ivory-billed woodpecker, which was last spotted in 1944.

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker and 22 Other Species Declared Extinct

Many organisms included in the latest declaration were feared to be lost long before the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was first passed

A green turtle surrounded by glassfish in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Green sea turtles, which are classified as endangered, migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched.

See Stunning Undersea Images That Showcase Our Blue Planet

From reef sharks to bioluminescent squid, the Ocean Photography Award highlights the wonders and perils of life in the sea

A cluster of western monarch butterflies clings to a branch as it overwinters in California.

The Best Place to Watch Monarch Butterflies Migrate Might Be This Little California Beach Town

Thousands of western monarchs migrate to Pismo Beach each fall to escape winter cold, but climate change threatens the species' survival

Severe drought has contributed to the state’s historic wildfire season and threatened some of its most famous trees.

California Firefighters Race to Protect Giant Sequoia Trees

Officials say the historically significant trees were thankfully unscathed by recent blazes

Coffee leaves cultured in laboratory conditions produced a brewed batch that smelled and tasted like the real deal.

Lab-Grown Coffee Passes Taste Test

Finnish researchers brew batch using a bioreactor for a more sustainable, climate-conserving java crop

A diver swims over a bleached section of the Great Barrier Reef near Heron Island.

The Planet Has Lost Half of Its Coral Reefs Since 1950

A new study finds dramatic declines in coral reef cover, biodiversity and fish abundance

New research suggests that clouds affected by wildfire smoke hold more water droplets but are tiny and less likely drop as rain.

Smoky Clouds That Form Over Wildfires Produce Less Rain

Particles from the smoke create tiny droplets too small to fall to Earth

Some prehistoric stone spheres found in Scotland feature carved ridges and spirals. This one's surface is polished smooth.

Polished, 5,500-Year-Old Stone Balls Found in Neolithic Scottish Tomb

The rare artifacts were probably used as both weapons and symbols of power

Orca will be able to capture the equivalent of the annual emissions made by 790 cars.

World's Largest Carbon Capture Plant Opens in Iceland

'Orca' will use geothermal energy to pull thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and pump it underground

A thermal image shows a parrot releasing heat through its beak and talons. Researchers have found that since 1871 some parrots have increased their beak area up to 10 percent.

Animals Are Changing Shape to Cope With Rising Temperatures

Birds, bats, rabbits, mice and other creatures are growing bigger body parts to cool themselves off

Fossil fuel-free steel was made for the first time in Sweden using "green" hydrogen technology.

Fossil Fuel–Free 'Green' Steel Produced for the First Time

A Swedish consortium delivered the first batch of the metal—made using 'green' hydrogen—to an automobile manufacturer for truck production

The interactive map will be updated with the latest predictions in mid-September.

See When Fall Foliage Will Peak With This Interactive Map

County-by-county predictions reveal when to catch the most brilliant autumnal colors

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