The fires are stoking worries about the vast island’s thawing permafrost.

JoAnna Wendel
JoAnna Wendel is a freelance science writer and cartoonist. She covers topics ranging from the geology of faraway moons to the behavior of animals in our oceans. She served as a staff writer for Eos from 2014 to 2018, then worked in communications in NASA’s Planetary Sciences Division. JoAnna is now freelancing full time as a writer and artist.
What Caused the Ongoing Flooding on Lake Ontario?
The floodwaters have also affected residents downstream along the Saint Lawrence River. Although politicians quickly blamed regulations, scientists say it was a perfect storm of natural factors.
A Wealth of Science to Come During Cassini’s Final Orbits
NASA’s spacecraft will continue to unlock Saturn’s mysteries up until the moment it burns up in Saturn’s atmosphere.
Could a Newfound Molecule on Titan Be a Building Block for Life?
The discovery of vinyl cyanide in the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan has huge implications for life—but not as we know it.
Volcano’s Toxic Plume Returns as Stealth Hazard
During a closely watched eruption, plumes of harmful sulfur dioxide gas morphed into “plumerangs” of sulfuric-acid-rich aerosols that descended on populated parts of Iceland.
Saturn Unveiled: Ten Notable Findings from Cassini-Huygens
The soon-to-end NASA mission to Saturn changed the way we think of habitability beyond Earth, opened our eyes to dynamics in the gas giant’s atmosphere, and more.
Six Points of Perspective on Larsen C’s Huge New Iceberg
A Delaware-sized slab of ice just broke off Antarctica. Now what?
Ten Earth-Sized Planets Found by Exoplanet-Hunting Telescope
A new analysis of exoplanet candidates also reveals a previously unrecognized tendency for smaller exoplanets to grow into two distinct sizes.
Meet KELT-9b, the Hottest Exoplanet Ever Discovered
The exoplanet’s host star blasts it with so much radiation that it will someday evaporate.
Planetary Science Up, Earth Science Down in Proposed NASA Budget
The agency’s acting administrator says that the fiscal year 2018 White House budget request tells NASA to stay the course.