Posts on Climate

Have you ever stepped outside on a sunny day (it's 78 today where I live!) and felt the warmth of the Sun on your skin? That sunlight is energy—and it’s what keeps our planet livable. But here’s the problem: Earth is now taking in more energy than it sends back out to space. Scientists call this an energy imbalance, and …

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 …

Scientists found that part of the southern Indian Ocean, the water off the west coast of Australia, is losing a lot of salt much faster than expected. Normally this area is one of the saltiest parts of the ocean, but now it’s getting fresher (less salty) very quickly — and that seems to be connected to climate change. You might …

Did you know there are penguins in Africa? It surprises a lot of people—but it’s true! African penguins live along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. And right now, these tuxedo-wearing birds are fighting for their lives. African penguins are facing a serious food crisis. Scientists and wildlife experts say many of them are starving because they simply can’t …

By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer Did you know that every time you Google something or give ChatGPT a command, it creates greenhouse (heat-trapping) emissions and uses a lot of water? The internet uses a lot of energy globally. If you look at the rapid growth of artificial intelligence* (AI) in particular, its data centers ("servers") use about 1.5% of the …

When people talk about climate change, two gases usually steal the spotlight: carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). But there’s another greenhouse gas quietly heating up the planet—nitrous oxide (N₂O)—and most people hardly ever hear about it. I live in one of the most diverse and vibrant agricultural regions in the state. Here, winegrapes, olive trees, berries, and vegetables grow …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Earth's ice might seem far away—at the top of the world or high on a mountain—but it quietly helps keep Earth livable. Frozen oceans reflect sunlight, glaciers store freshwater, and icy ground holds ancient carbon in place. Together, these frozen parts of our planet are called the cryosphere, and they act like Earth’s natural air conditioner. As 2025 comes to …

As 2025 wraps up (even though it feels like it just started!), here’s a quick update on global greenhouse gas emissions. Sadly, the news isn’t great—our three biggest heat-trapping gases are still risi Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Image: CO2 in the air from the Mauna Loa Observatory. Credit: NASA using NOAA data CO₂ is one of the main greenhouse gases. …

Have you ever noticed how bright our planet looks from space? Earth usually reflects sunlight like a giant blue-and-white mirror. But scientists have discovered something surprising: Earth is losing it's shine and is actually getting dimmer. What “Getting Dimmer” Means Our planet has a property called albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight that gets bounced back into space. Earth …

Since about 2006, methane levels in Earth’s atmosphere have been climbing fast — mostly because of human activities. It is a super-powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat, but it doesn’t last as long in the air as carbon dioxide does. It's also the second-largest contributor to rising global temperatures after carbon dioxide (CO₂). It’s already added about half a degree …

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02768-2As our planet heats up, the Arctic is getting greener. I just read an interesting study about how all those new plants—especially shrubs—could be changing what’s going on underground in the frozen soils known as permafrost. For four years, scientists in northern Greenland ran an experiment to see what happens when frozen soil is exposed to air and mixed with …

Under the ocean’s surface, there’s an underwater symphony. Blue whales and other marine mammals fill the water with songs and calls, almost like an underwater orchestra. To eavesdrop on this symphony, scientists use special tools called hydrophones — microphones designed to work underwater. In this case, researchers used a hydrophone anchored 3,000 feet below the surface. What Did the Scientists …

Imagine this: you’re walking across the frozen tundra in Siberia and—whoa—there’s a giant hole in the ground, big enough to swallow a house. No, it’s not a scene from a sci-fi movie. These craters are real, and scientists have been finding more of them over the past decade. The big question: what’s going on? What’s Hiding Under the Ice? Siberia …