Climate

Environment

The heat that keeps on giving

Burning fossil fuels generates heat and carbon dioxide. That pulse of heat is quickly exceeded by the warmth that carbon dioxide traps in Earth’s atmosphere.

Climate

Pacific hurricanes to strengthen as Earth warms

Global warming is heating up the oceans. That is causing waters to warm. As a result, Pacific storms — called typhoons — will become more destructive.

Oceans

Carbon dioxide levels rise fast and high

The buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising faster than at any time since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The burning of fossil fuels is largely to blame.

Physics

Scientists ‘see’ thunder for first time

Scientists have captured the first image of thunder. The map shows the relative strengths of the sound waves emanating from the loud clap.

Climate

Warming’s role in extreme weather

Extremes in temperature and precipitation will be more common as global temperatures rise. Human-led climate change is largely to blame, a new study finds.

Climate

Cosmic rays offer clues about lightning

Space particles called cosmic rays pelt Earth. Scientists are using the rain of these particles to probe how lightning forms.

Brain

Twisters: Can warning people too early backfire?

If people think they have enough time to flee a tornado, they may try to drive away, information shows. This could leave them stuck in traffic — with no protection — when the storm does show up.

Earth

Mornings become electric

Lightning packs a wallop in the morning. The most powerful lightning strikes in the continental United States usually peak before noon.

Environment

Arctic warming bolsters summer heat

Rapid warming in the Arctic is sapping summer storms of their power to cool. That worsens heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere.

Animals

Finding out why birds are out of range

Sometimes people see large numbers of birds outside of their normal range. A student examined how to predict these excursions.

Climate

Buildings may be chasing L.A.’s fog away

Roads and buildings that have mushroomed up around Los Angeles in the past half-century. Now, a study finds they may have created conditions that limit fog. And that could further dry out this very arid part of America’s West Coast.

Climate

Scientists confirm ‘greenhouse’ effect of human’s CO2

Government scientists link directly, for the first time, a boost in warming at Earth’s surface to increasing levels of carbon dioxide. Much of that gas has been released by human activities, such as coal burning and gas-burning vehicles.