Earth has probably already entered the 20-year period in which global temperatures will be, on average, 1.5°C (2.7°F) higher than preindustrial conditions.
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Rice Paddies, Like Cows, Spew Methane. A New Variety Makes Them a Lot Less Gassy.
Rice plants are a big source of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Scientists just developed a strain that cuts those emissions by 70 percent.
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Megadroughts Have Grown in Size and Scope
A new study maps and ranks the largest, longest-lasting, and most severe multiyear droughts from 1980 to 2018.
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Arctic Ice Is Getting Smoother and Moving Faster
A decrease in pressure ridges over the past 3 decades is making the ice more uniform, with unclear consequences.
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Boreal Forests May Be on the Move
A new model shows a tendency for tree cover to decline in warmer areas and increase in colder ones.
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Magma Beneath Yellowstone Is Shifting Northeast
Though the volcano’s magma chambers could hold enough material for a caldera-forming event, none of them are likely to erupt soon.
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The Deleterious Dust of the Salton Sea
Coarse particulate matter deriving from California’s largest lake is linked to an increased risk of respiratory-related hospitalizations.
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Pluto Captured Charon with a Kiss
A newly understood collision mechanism could explain some peculiarities of Pluto and its moons.
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Wildfires Raise Concern About Remobilized Radioactive Contamination
Researchers collected soil and ash after the 2020 wildfires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Chemical tests suggested that the fires made it easier for contaminants to wash into nearby rivers.
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Life’s Building Blocks Found in Bennu Samples
The discovery of amino acids, abundant ammonia, and the bases of DNA and RNA on asteroid Bennu suggest that materials essential to life might be widespread throughout the solar system.