Climate

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.

Climate

Distant pollution may intensify U.S. twisters

A new study of one of the deadliest U.S. outbreaks of tornadoes sees a possible role for smoke. In this analysis, the smoke had come from fires burning in Central America.

Plants

Desert plants: The ultimate survivors

Creosote, mesquite and other desert plants rely on different adaptations to thrive, even when no rain falls for an entire year.

Climate

Fast sea level rise is a very recent change

Sea levels have been rising for more than a century. But that rise is now speeding up. That suggests that what is driving the rise — climate change — also has increased dramatically in recent years.

Earth

Tides may regularly swamp many U.S. cities

As sea levels rise, many cities will begin to experience frequent and extensive flooding at high tides. In some areas — even Washington, D.C. — such flooding could become a weekly headache.

Climate

Thunderstorms can generate powerful radiation

Thunderstorms don’t just hurl lightning bolts. Some churn out high-energy radiation that can be seen by spacecraft. This radiation offers scientists a glimpse of the inner workings of thunderclouds.