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Physical geography

canal

Archaeologists uncover ancient Moorish waterways to irrigate Granada 

Environment

The Moors, who ruled in Spain, had a network of canals 800 years ago that moved water from the Sierra Nevada down into cities and farms. Archaeologists today are trying to uncover those canals, and put the ancient wisdom about irrigation to use today.

Fossilized tree rings

The history of the world is written in tree rings

Climate Change
Underland cave light

A new book explores ‘Underland,’ the deep, dark areas below the Earth

Books
A woman moves her things onto a table in a flooded home.

How floating homes will help people in flood-prone countries

Environment
Snow is blown off of the calving front off of Thurston Island in western Antarctica in this photo, taken in November 2014. New findings show the western side of Antarctica to be more vulnerable to warming oceans — and increased ice loss — than first thoug

A scientist’s response to Antarctic ice loss: ‘We can act.’

Thwaites Glacier

Just how unstable is the massive Thwaites glacier? Scientists are about to find out.

Environment

A new five-year US and British research project hopes to give policy makers a better sense of how much west Antarctica will drive rising seas.

Tropical forest Indonesia

Tropical forests are becoming net carbon producers, instead of carbon sinks

Environment

Tropical forests have historically absorbed excess carbon dioxide, but new research indicates that these areas have become a net source of CO2.

Farming in PA

Wild swings in the weather mean that some farm crops will flourish, while others struggle

Environment

Farmers in Pennsylvania say the changing climate is changing the future of farming, in ways both good and bad.

Scientists setting up GPS sensors to measure "accelerated uplift" in Iceland.

Melting glaciers lift Iceland — literally

Environment

As ice sheets melt, Iceland is actually rising with them. Researchers have discovered that the earth is moving underneath the melting ice and pushing the rocky island up more than an inch a year.

California’s drought is big business for drillers

Environment

After three consecutive years of insufficient rainfall, California is facing its most severe drought since tracking began in 2000, according to the federal U.S. Drought Monitor. Residents of the state are inundated with daily reminders to conserve water and take steps to avoid risking wildfires. For most of the nation, however, the drought’s impact is […]