Eco Nana

Scientists like Daniel Swain are studying something called megafloods, which are really, really big floods that can last for weeks and cover large parts of a region with water. These aren’t normal floods from a thunderstorm — they’re massive events caused by long periods of extreme rain and storms. I decided to write about this after three powerful storms recently slammed parts of California. Some neighborhoods in Los Angeles even flooded. I went to college in LA and lived there from 2002 to 2022. In all those years, I never saw fires and floods like the ones we’re seeing now. The weather feels different — more intense, more extreme. It…

If Earth had a detective story, carbon dioxide would be one of the biggest clues. Scientists know the amount of CO₂ in the air is rising—but the big question is why. Is it volcanoes? The ocean? Natural changes? Or is it us? It turns out carbon leaves behind a kind of fingerprint. By studying tiny differences inside carbon atoms, scientists can tell where that carbon came from. When they looked closely at the CO₂ building up in the atmosphere, the evidence pointed clearly in one direction: human activities, especially burning coal, oil, and gas. This carbon clue is called the Suess Effect, and it helps explain how scientists know the…

2025 was the third-warmest year ever recorded on Earth, according to Berkeley Earth. Only 2024 and 2023 were hotter. We’re emitting more CO2 every year, so why wasn’t last year this year even warmer? Even though Earth is warming over the long run, not every single year will be warmer than the one before it. That’s because natural climate patterns, like El Niño and La Niña, can give the planet little “boosts” or “breaks” from heat for a year or two. Right now, we’re experiencing La Niña conditions. Here’s an easy way to think about it: El Niño = temporary warming boost During an El Niño, the trade winds relax,…

Part Three In Part One, we explored how scientists measure climate change right here on Earth’s surface.In Part Two, we looked at how satellites in space track changes across the whole planet. Now comes Part Three—one of the coolest parts of climate science: How scientists learn about Earth’s climate long before thermometers and satellites existed. So how do we know what Earth’s climate was like hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years ago? The answer: Earth keeps records of its own past. Scientists call this paleoclimate data—natural clues that reveal what the climate used to be like. Ice Cores: Climate Time Capsules One of the most powerful climate records comes…

In Part One of this series, we learned how scientists measure climate change right here on Earth’s surface—using weather stations, ocean tools, and field surveys. In Part Two, we zoom out to space. Satellites help scientists see the whole planet. Together with ground measurements, they let scientists spot small changes up close and big patterns around the world. Think of satellites and aircraft as super-smart Earth cameras, orbiting the planet 24/7 and checking Earth’s vital signs. Here’s how they do it. They Measure Earth’s Temperature Satellites also measure temperature—but not with thermometers. Instead, they measure the energy (brightness) coming from Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Scientists use computer models to turn…

Part One Many people wonder how scientists can be so sure Earth’s climate is changing. After all, our planet is huge, and the weather changes every day. A cold day or a big storm can make climate change feel confusing. The answer is simple: scientists don’t rely on just one piece of evidence or a single tool. Instead, they look at the big picture. They use many different kinds of measurements, collected in different ways, over long periods of time. All of these clues point to the same conclusion. Scientists know Earth’s climate is changing in three main ways. They measure temperatures, rainfall, and sea level right here on Earth’s…