Earth
Interpreting Dune Patterns: Insights from Earth and Mars
A recent study published in the journal Geology attempts to interpret the patterns of dunes, which are sand mounds frequently…
Light Pollution from Skyglow Changes Bird Behavior
In the astronomy community, we typically this of light pollution as an overall negative. Much research points out its negative…
Light Pollution is Out of Control
Concern over global light pollution is growing. Astronomers are noticing its growing effect on astronomical observations, just as predicted in…
The Earth’s Rotational Pole has Shifted from All the Groundwater We’ve Pumped Out
Earth is, in many ways, a water world. Around two-thirds of its surface is covered in water, and the oceans…
The Most Intense Lightning Ever Seen Came From Last Year's Tonga Volcano Eruption
The enormous undersea volcano that erupted in Tonga last year was record-breaking in many regards. It generated the highest-ever recorded…
Earth Might Have Formed in Just a Few Million Years
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago. That simplistic statement is common, and it's a good starting point for understanding…
Did Life Need Plate Tectonics to Emerge?
It's widely accepted that Earth's plate tectonics are a key factor in life's emergence. Plate tectonics allows heat to move…
Geoengineering is Shockingly Inexpensive
Despite decades of warnings and international climate agreements, global carbon emissions are still rising. Carbon emissions seem like an unstoppable…
Phew, California’s Largest Reservoir is Nearly Full
California residents will be glad to know their reservoirs are nearly full again after years of drought. New satellite photos…
Is it Time for a New Definition of “Habitable?”
Things tend to move from the simple to the complex when you're trying to understand something new. This is the…