The increase may be due to climate change, researchers suggest, but the trend hasn’t been observed in other lightning data sets.

Katherine Kornei
Katherine Kornei is a freelance science journalist covering Earth and space science. Her bylines frequently appear in Eos, Science, and The New York Times. Katherine holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles.
A Dip in Atmospheric Carbon May Have Facilitated Dinosaur Dispersal
Herbivorous dinosaurs migrated north across Pangea beginning about 214 million years ago, coincident with a downturn in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Vicuña Poop Nourishes “Dung Gardens” High in the Andes
The excrement delivers nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, kick-starting islands of vegetation at the edge of the cryosphere.
El Monte Everest a veces puede sentirse más bajo que el K2
Las variaciones de la presión atmosférica en la cima del Everest afectan a la disponibilidad de oxígeno, modificando la percepción de la elevación de la cumbre unos cientos de metros.
Auroral “Dunes” Light Up Earth’s Atmosphere
The auroral feature, first spotted by amateur astronomers in 2015, likely traces high-altitude atmospheric waves.
Sooty Layers in Stalagmites Record Human Activity in Caves
Scientists analyzing cave formations in Turkey find layers of soot and charcoal in stalagmites, revealing that humans—and their fires—occupied caves thousands of years ago.
An Asteroid “Double Disaster” Struck Germany in the Miocene
By analyzing sediments jostled by ground shaking, researchers have shown that two impact craters near Stuttgart were created by independent asteroid impacts rather than a binary asteroid strike.
Tree Rings Reveal How Ancient Forests Were Managed
By analyzing thousands of oak timbers dating from the 4th to 21st centuries, scientists have pinpointed the advent of a forest management practice.
A Culinary Silver Lining of Climate Change: More Truffles
The cultivation potential of a popular truffle species will increase in central Europe by 2050, global climate models predict.
Experimentos Revelan Cómo el Carbono del Permafrost se Convierte en Dióxido de Carbono
Muestras de campo provenientes de Alaska muestran cómo la luz solar y el hierro convierten el carbono del permafrost en dióxido de carbono. Los modelos climáticos ignoran este proceso.