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It has been a long-held belief that, as a result of hunting habits, early humans were partly or even primarily responsible for the decline and eventual extinction of most of the largest mammalian species that inhabited ancient Africa. These large…

All freshwater comes from precipitation over land, which is distributed on Earth as blue and green water. Blue water—that is, surface and groundwater—is stored as freshwater in lakes, streams, ice, and snow, as well as below ground. Green water is…

Earth’s surface temperature is warming, and the Arctic region is warming even faster. Yet winters in the mid-latitudes of Asia, Europe, and the United States have been colder than average, thanks to blasts of record-breaking frigid air caused by…

More apples are consumed worldwide than any other temperate-zone tree fruit. Apples are eaten fresh, processed into jellies and preserves, cooked in pies and pastries, and made into sauces. Therefore, the cultivation of the trees (genus Malus) that…

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty banning chemicals that deplete the ozone layer, was adopted. Thirty years later, NASA scientists reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters (January 2018) satellite measurements…

On August 5, 2018 at 6:46 p.m. local time, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck in Pulau Lombok, Indonesia. The earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting at a depth of 10.5 km (6.5 mi) in northern Lombok, according to the United States…

Crown-of-thorns starfish or sea stars (Acanthaster planci; order Valvatida) are predatory marine invertebrates that feed on phytoplankton found on coral. They are native inhabitants of coral reefs in both the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean and are…

Sand is mined for many applications, but the largest use by far is for fine aggregate in concrete. Smaller quantities of sand are used for fracking, water treatment (filtration), metal casting, and making glass, silicon chips, and ceramics. Concrete…

The Mississippi River has undergone extensive river engineering for flood control, with its 3500-mile Mississippi River and Tributaries levee (artificial-embankment) system. However, researchers reported in Nature (April 2018) that disconnecting the…

The warming temperatures attributed to global climate change are making it more difficult for sea turtle populations to survive. As a result of the unusual developmental processes found in many reptiles, including some species of turtles, the sex of…

Sunscreens are polluting the ocean, and increasing evidence points toward some ultraviolet-light–absorbing chemicals found in sunscreens as being harmful to marine life—particularly corals at popular tourist destinations. While working toward…

In the fall of 2014 and early winter of 2015, an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 seabirds known as Cassin's auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) died along the Pacific Coast from California to British Columbia, Canada. Researchers have now reported the…

Humans' contributions to global warming through burning fossil fuels and other actions (for example, detrimental land-use practices) have resulted in sharp increases in the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). These rising levels of CO2 also…

Limiting the effects of climate change to the greatest extent possible will require reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and removing GHGs from the atmosphere. In addition, the shared goal of the countries that have entered into the Paris Climate…

By July 6, 2018, beaches on the eastern coast of St. Vincent—an island located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea (Lesser Antilles)—were covered nearly one-meter deep with rotting brown algae (seaweed), known as Sargassum, posing multiple problems…

To better understand the nutritional effects (health benefits), chemical composition, growing conditions, and shelf life of microgreens, a team of researchers reviewed the science behind them in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry…

Destructive blooms of Karenia brevis, a dinoflagellate species of algae that imparts a red color to ocean waters when the microorganisms grow and accumulate to unusually high quantities, are causing unprecedented environmental and ecosystem damage…

For more than 10 years, natural-gas-fired power plants have been touted as “cleaner” electrical power generators, producing half the carbon dioxide (CO2), one-third of the nitrogen oxides (NOX), and negligible sulfur oxides (SOX) compared to…

As the global climate becomes hotter and drier, heat mitigation in urban areas through the use of cool roofs is becoming increasingly important. Cool roofs reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than conventional roofs, according to the U.S.…

There are 27 ways a heat wave can kill you, according to a report in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (November 2017). By 2100, at the current rate of greenhouse-gas emissions, three-quarters of…

Roman marine concrete, having lasted for nearly 2000 years, is a highly durable material. In contrast, modern marine concrete, which is made using Portland cement, may start to degrade in as few as 50 years. Researchers have now discovered why. As…

Recent excavations in Asia unearthed a pristine, three-dimensional fossil of a tiny dinosaur tail with preserved feathers and soft tissues (presumably skin). In 2016, investigators in northern Myanmar (Burma) recovered a piece of Cretaceous-era…

Bananas (Musa genus) are one of the world's most valuable and popular primary agricultural commodities. However, the most prevalent naturally occurring bananas, that is, those of the Cavendish variety, are being severely decimated by Panama disease…

Global climate change affects all areas of the Earth, with some regions experiencing greater impacts than others. In particular, the Arctic treeline—that is, the southern limit of the Arctic Bioclimate Zone—is being affected to various degrees by…

Hurricane Harvey made landfall near the middle of the Texas Gulf Coast on August 25, 2017 as a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and essentially hovered over the region for seven days, unleashing heavy rain and causing…