Environment

Scientists are claiming to have solved a longstanding mystery around why lightning takes on a zigzag shape as it flashes across the sky, pinning it on high-energy molecules responsible for redistributing electrical fields.

In addition to rising air temperatures and warming waters, Arctic’s sea ice also has hostile weather conditions to contend with, and new analysis of an extreme event earlier this year suggests it may be more vulnerable to these than we thought.

The way animals disperse seeds throughout landscapes is known to be an important element in promoting growth of forested areas, and a new study over an extended timeframe has shed valuable new light on this process.

While the purification of wastewater once just involved the removal of traditional pollutants, it now also entails the removal of microplastics. A new powder reportedly does the job much quicker and more thoroughly than has previously been possible.

Denmark is moving forward with Project Greensands, an initiative that will take huge quantities of captured carbon out to an oil rig in the North Sea, and pump it down to sequester it in the sandstone formations that once held oil and gas.

It's a sad fact that threatened species of sharks are routinely caught on fishing lines intended for other types of fish. A new device could help change that, by harmlessly scaring sharks away from baited hooks via pulses of electricity.

Antarctica isn’t exactly the type of place you’d expect to be teeming with life, but a newly published study suggests the frigid environment at the end of the world may be a little more hospitable than it seems.

Among other things, mushrooms have been put forth as eco-friendly alternatives to leather and expanded foam packaging. According to a new study, they might also find use in biodegradable electronic devices.

Scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology studying tiger sharks have leveraged their far-roaming tendencies to map out the largest seagrass system in the world, by using cameras attached to their backs.

The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957. Fast forward to 2022, and we are now launching more than a thousand satellites each year, propelling the field of Earth science into unprecedented terrain.

Studies have shown that synthetic chemicals can harm the bees that are vital to the pollination of plants. New research now indicates that fertilizers disrupt bees' ability to identify flowers, reducing the likelihood of the insects landing on them.

Scientists tracking climate change have found Europe is seeing temperatures increase at more than twice the global average, and is experiencing a rate of warming higher than any continent on the planet.

If you've ever been turning over your compost heap and found months-old "compostable" plastic items that were still mostly intact – well, you're not alone. New research states that 60% of such plastics don't fully degrade in home composting systems.

New analysis of a volcanic eruption off the coast of Tonga earlier this year has revealed the true extent of the massive explosion, and established its plume as the highest on record and the first recorded entering the mesosphere.

Along with their use in foods, soybeans have also been utilized as a source of graphene, a greener alternative to mulch, and an ingredient in longer-lasting tires. Now, they're additionally being used to extend the life of asphalt roads.