Credit: PixabayFirefighters tackling the devastating wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 faced challenges due to limited freshwater supplies.When conditions allow, experienced pilots operating aircraft known as Super Scoopers collect 1,500 gallons of seawater at a time, delivering it with pinpoint accuracy to combat the flames.Using seawater to fight fires...
Credit: DepositphotosWaves rippling from Earth's core provide valuable clues about its composition and the distribution of its materials.Researchers from ETH Zurich and Caltech have used seismic waves to uncover unexpected chunks of Earth's plates in surprising locations. For over a century, geologists have mapped Earth's interior by analyzing how seismic signals travel at different...
Credit: DepositphotosThe wildfires in the Los Angeles area have destroyed thousands of structures, many of which were homes, and firefighters are still working to control the infernos. Parts of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena, and other California communities are now left unrecognizable.As evacuation orders are lifted, residents returning to their homes should prioritize ensuring access...
Flames and smoke from the Palisades Fire on 9 January 2025. Credit: PixabayThe year 2024 set a new global record as the warmest on record, marking the first calendar year where global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.The announcement was made on Friday by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's Earth observation...
Credit: PixabayHurricane-force Santa Ana winds roared down the mountains near Los Angeles on January 7, 2025, driving wildfires into multiple neighborhoods and creating a harrowing spectacle.By January 9, thousands of homes and buildings, including multiple schools, had been destroyed, and at least five lives were lost. Authorities called for the evacuation of over 180,000...
Firefighters battle fires razing beachfront homes along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in the Palisades Fire. Credit: PixabayBy the next morning, flames had consumed 2,925 acres of the Pacific Palisades in what is being called Southern California's worst wildfire since 2011.Three additional fires have erupted in the region, including the Eaton Fire, which has...
Credit: PixabayMicroscopic bubbles preserved in ancient Antarctic ice have uncovered periods of increased global wildfires that align with abrupt climate changes.Although climate shifts are typically marked by temperature fluctuations, alterations in tropical rainfall, and methane spikes, the role of wildfires had remained unrecognized until now."We weren’t specifically searching for evidence of wildfires," explained lead...
Dense snow fall and wind reduce visibility on January 5, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas. Credit: DepositphotosA powerful winter storm struck the United States on Sunday, with meteorologists alerting millions in the East to blizzard conditions and forecasting the heaviest snowfall in a decade for some areas.Over 60 million people are in the path of...
NASA visualization of global temperature anomalies. (NASA Earth Observatory)The world has been steadily warming for decades, but a sudden, extraordinary surge in global heat has pushed the climate into uncharted territory, leaving scientists grappling for answers.Over the past two years, temperature records have been shattered repeatedly, defying even the most advanced climate models. While it’s...
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (merged image) of the photosynthetic surface of a microbial mat. (Smedile et al., Communications Earth & Environment, 2024)Beneath Antarctica's Lake Enigma, a hidden freshwater ecosystem has been sealed under 30 feet (9 meters) of ice for up to 14 million years. Led by Italian scientists, researchers used radar and advanced, contamination-free...
