Researchers brave perils and tumbling trash to probe glacial caves on Mount Rainier, improving their understanding of its extraordinary environment and helping to advance space exploration.
News
Exact Moonlight Measurements Could Aid Earth-Observing Missions
A new telescope’s unprecedented study of subtle variations in lunar light could finally give Earth-facing satellites a common reference point for their observations.
Deep-Seabed Mining May Come Soon, Says Head of Governing Group
New regulations could open the door for sustainable mining, says the head of the International Seabed Authority. However, he and others pointed to environmental, financial, and technical challenges.
Polar Satellite Launch Eases Concerns of Weather Data Gap
Joint Polar Satellite System-1 is the first in a series of planned polar-orbiting satellites to provide critical weather forecasting data. Two follow-on satellites, however, face uncertain funding.
Richard J. O’Connell (1941–2015)
This son of a Montana sheriff discovered the fundamental rules underlying complex geophysical phenomena, and he taught others to do the same.
Divergent Republican Tax Plans Blur Future for Grad Students
The U.S. House of Representatives aims to tax tuition waivers as income, whereas the Senate does not. This new tax would undermine graduate students across all fields, experts say.
Mystery Quakes May Be Among World’s Longest-Lived Aftershocks
New evidence about where a major earthquake struck central Washington State 145 years ago raises the possibility that today’s unusually frequent quakes in the area still echo that 1872 event.
U.S. Weather Alert Systems Must Modernize, Say New Reports
To reduce risks, including loss of life, national weather alert systems must incorporate social and behavioral sciences and new technology, according to two federally sponsored reports.
White Draws Fire as Nominee to Head Key Environmental Agency
Kathleen Hartnett White, nominated to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality, distanced herself from a new climate report and squabbled with Democrats at a Senate confirmation hearing.