Planet Earth

Quick factsWhere is it? Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands [-0.3738657, -91.5395414].What's in the photo? The erupting La Cumbre volcano.Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 8.When was it taken? March 7, 2024.This striking image captures the initial lava flow from the ongoing eruption at La Cumbre volcano. The active fissure is located on Fernandina Island — the…

A rich microbial "biosphere" lies buried 13 feet (4 meters) beneath the scorched surface of Chile's Atacama Desert, new research has found. The hidden world of bacteria is one of the deepest found in Atacama soils and could inform the search for life on Mars.Microbial life has previously been recorded down to depths of 2.6…

Clouds of dust have engulfed Athens and other Greek cities, turning the sky an apocalyptic orange.The dust originated from the Sahara desert and blew across the Mediterranean Sea on strong northwesterly winds, reaching Greece Tuesday (April 23). Skies over the Acropolis and other Greek landmarks turned a dramatic, fiery hue, prompting Greek authorities to issue…

In an unexpected discovery, scientists find climate change is yet to alter the ice cover on Yellowstone Lake. However, a tipping point may be coming for North America's largest high-altitude lake, researchers suggest in a new study.Located roughly 7,733 feet (2,357 meters) above sea level in the heart of Yellowstone National Park and spanning 132…

Earth's magnetic field may have been similarly as strong 3.7 billion years ago as it is today, pushing the earliest date for this planetary protective bubble back 200 million years. The timing puts the magnetic field in play around the same time life was first emerging on Earth. The oldest fossils on the planet — bacterial…

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists uncovered the first known structure in complex cells that's capable of drawing nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into a form that the cell can use.They've dubbed the newfound cell part the "nitroplast." And according to two recent studies, the researchers think it likely evolved 100 million years ago.The…

A heat wave fueled by climate change helped create deadly, record-breaking hail in Spain, a new study finds. The baseball-sized hail hit northeastern Spain in August 2022, injuring 67 people and killing a 20 month old girl. Videos of the storm show balls of ice up to 4.7 inches (12 centimeters) wide dropping from the sky,…

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists uncovered the first known structure in complex cells that's capable of drawing nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into a form that the cell can use.They've dubbed the newfound cell part the "nitroplast." And according to two recent studies, the researchers think it likely evolved 100 million years ago.The…

Look out over Antarctica in the summer, and time seems frozen. The South Pole's midnight sun appears to hover in place, never dropping below the horizon for weeks between November and January.But the Antarctic’s timelessness is an illusion. Only a decade ago, on summer nights across the coast, the sun would glide ever so slightly…

Emperor penguin chicks have been recorded hurling themselves from a 50-foot (15 meters) cliff in Antarctica for the first time.The "unprecedented" footage, captured at Atka Bay in Northern Antarctica, shows roughly 700 fledglings braving a sheer drop to embark on their first swim in the ocean below. "I had no idea that the chicks would be…