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A series of trees stand in the middle of a drowned swampland, with still water reflecting the purple and orange dusky sky and a few patches of grass poking above the water here and there
Planting trees in the sea could act as a huge carbon sink and save millions of dollars in storm damage every year. What is stopping us from doing it? A new study reveals restoring mangroves could save $800 million in storm damage, protect 140,000 people from flooding, and remove almost triple the amount of CO2 produced by cars in the U.S. every year.
4 Comments
Aerial picture of blackwater near forested peatlands in the central Congo Basin.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
4 Comments
A color-enhanced image of surface water temperatures shows the Gulf Stream crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Florida Straits.
Early warning indicator hidden within the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of key Atlantic currents, study finds Shifts in the Gulf Stream could help researchers predict the human-driven failure of a huge system of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
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Latest about Planet Earth

Permafrost thaw and 'shrubification' have tipped Alaska's North Slope into a wildfire regime not seen for 3,000 years

By Sascha Pare published

An analysis of peatland soil samples and satellite images has found that wildfires on Alaska's North Slope are more frequent and severe now than they were at any point over the past 3,000 years.

Arctic

China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this 'biological void' into a carbon sink

By Sascha Pare published

Huge-scale ecological engineering around the edges of one of the world's largest and driest deserts has turned it into a carbon sink that absorbs more CO2 than it emits, research suggests.

45 Comments
Plants

The largest reservoir of hydrogen on Earth may be hiding in its core

By Sascha Pare published

Earth's core contains nine to 45 times more hydrogen than the planet's oceans do, according to a new study that could settle a debate about when and how hydrogen was delivered to Earth.

2 Comments
Geology
Satellite photo of a pink salt lake in the shape of a heart

Astronaut snaps salty, pink Valentine's Day 'heart' shining in Argentina

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2024 astronaut photo shows a striking pink, heart-shaped salt lake in the middle of the Argentine lowlands. The endearing photo was originally released to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Earth from space
Geothermal activity in Hveragerði, Iceland.

Microbes in Iceland are hoarding nitrogen, and that's mucking up the nutrient cycle

By Javier Barbuzano, Eos.org published

A study in Iceland found that microbes are hoarding more nitrogen for themselves, altering nutrient cycling and leaving less for plants.

Planet Earth
A fracture in the earth's crust in the rift valley between the American and Eurasian continental plates in Iceland.

'Maybe they're waiting for something that only happens thousands of years later': The hidden life 'sleeping' deep beneath Earth for millions of years

By Karen G. Lloyd published

Deep inside Earth lies a hidden world of "intraterrestrials" that have been dormant for hundreds of thousands of years — what are they waiting to "wake up" for?

5 Comments
Evolution

Clean energy is surging — with or without Trump

By Yale Climate Connections, Barbara Grady published

In 2025, solar and wind surpassed coal as a global energy source.

Renewable Energy
On the left Artemis's SLS rocket, on the right Kanzi the bonobo

Discoveries inside Earth, Artemis II scrub, and an ape that can play pretend

By Ben Turner published

Science news this week Feb. 7, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Science news this week
Road to Atlas mountains, Morocco.

Scientist accidentally stumbles across bizarre ancient ‘wrinkle structures’ in Morocco that shouldn't be there

By Stephanie Pappas published

Ancient fossil structures imprinted on rocks that were once deep beneath the ocean suggest the search for the first life on Earth needs to be broadened.

3 Comments
Geology

Bandera Volcano Ice Cave: The weird lava tube in New Mexico whose temperature is always below freezing

By Sascha Pare published

Due to a weird quirk of geology, New Mexico's Bandera Volcano Ice Cave never warms above 31 degrees Fahrenheit, even when temperatures outside exceed 100 F in summer.

2 Comments
Geology
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