New Scientist - Earth

Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:00:23 +0100 A weakening of Earth’s magnetic field known as the Laschamps event would have increased the threat of solar radiation, perhaps requiring ancient humans to invent protective measures

Inside the hunt for unknown minerals in super-deep diamonds Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:00:45 +0100 Diamonds formed in Earth’s lower mantle contain tiny flecks of minerals that are helping us understand the inner workings of our planet

Arabia has been green for long spells in the past 8 million years Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:00:30 +0100 Ancient rocks reveal there were several humid spells in Arabia’s past, which might have given early hominins a route out of Africa long before our genus migrated

Earth's upper mantle is revealing the deepest effect of human activity Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:00:29 +0100 As the Aral Sea has been drained by irrigation and dried up, the mass loss on the surface has caused Earth’s upper mantle to rise up, lifting the emptied sea bed an average of 7 millimetres per year

We now know how much emissions have delayed the next glacial period Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:00:04 +0000 Changes in Earth’s orbit drive long-term glacial cycles, but a new forecast suggests this ancient pattern is being disrupted for tens of thousands of years due to human-induced global warming

Do world record snowflakes observed in 1887 stand up to science? Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:49 +0000 According to Guinness World Records, the largest snowflake we know of was 38 centimetres across and 20 centimetres thick. This whopper was spotted in Montana in January 1887, when ranch owner Matt Coleman reported seeing snowflakes “larger than milk pans” during a severe storm. Admittedly, some experts are sceptical. “If this was falling from the …

Volcano in Ethiopia is releasing unusually large plumes of methane Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:00:32 +0000 Satellites have detected large volumes of methane spewing from Mount Fentale’s crater following months of earthquakes that have shaken the region

In millions of years, what could a future civilisation learn about us? Wed, 19 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Millions of years after humans vanish, fossil clues showing how we lived and dominated the planet may confuse future civilisations, says a new book by Sarah Gabbott and Jan Zalasiewicz

Clever chemistry can make rocks absorb CO2 much more quickly Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:00:21 +0000 Spreading crushed rocks on fields can absorb CO2 from the air – now chemists have devised a way to turbocharge this process by creating more reactive minerals

We are finally getting to grips with how plate tectonics started Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Today, the upheavals of plate tectonics continually reshape Earth. When this began is much disputed - and we can’t fully understand how life began to thrive on our planet until we figure it out

Earth’s oceans may have been green for billions of years Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:39:16 +0000 Some cyanobacteria have pigments that specialise in harvesting green light to power photosynthesis, which may be because they evolved at a time when the oceans were iron-rich and green-tinged

Earth wouldn’t have ice caps without eroding rocks and quiet volcanoes Fri, 14 Feb 2025 19:00:28 +0000 Throughout Earth's history, ice caps have been very rare, but a model of the past 420 million years suggests an explanation for why they sometimes form

California’s groundwater drought continues despite torrential rain Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:00:51 +0000 Seismic measurement of Los Angeles’s depleted aquifers show a year of heavy precipitation hasn’t been enough to refill them

Forces deep underground seem to be deforming Earth's inner core Mon, 10 Feb 2025 16:00:17 +0000 Seismic waves suggest the planet's solid inner core is being pulled out of shape – and it has undergone these changes over just a few decades

Gorgeous images capture coral breeding breakthrough Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:52:48 +0000 Cryopreserved coral sperm could be used for future breeding programmes to restore damaged reefs

Dark oxygen: New deep sea expedition to explore mysterious discovery Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:11:13 +0000 The shock discovery that metallic nodules could be producing oxygen in the deep sea made headlines last year – now the team behind it is launching a new project to confirm and explain the findings

Towering structures in Earth’s depths may be billions of years old Wed, 22 Jan 2025 16:00:09 +0000 New measurements suggest mysterious continent-sized masses in our planet’s lower mantle may be extremely stable features

Incredible images tell the tale of the world’s most prized marble Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 In Land of Marble, photographer Alessandro Gandolfi explores the past and future of Italy's striking marble quarries

Oil extraction may have triggered over 100 earthquakes in the UK Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:01:34 +0000 Earthquakes that occurred near an oil extraction site in Surrey, UK, in 2018 and 2019 had been put down to coincidence, but a new analysis with an updated look at the geology of the area suggests the seismic events may indeed have been linked to drilling

La Niña is finally here but it won't stay for long Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:45:37 +0000 After months of delay, the cool La Niña climate pattern has emerged in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which increases the risk of drought in parts of the Americas

California wildfires fuelled by months of unusual extreme weather Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:31:04 +0000 Fast-moving wildfires are burning long after the regular fire season is over due to an unlikely sequence of extreme weather events that may have been exacerbated by climate change

Electric fields could mine rare earth metals with less harm Mon, 06 Jan 2025 10:00:57 +0000 Smartphones, electric vehicles and wind turbines rely on environmentally destructive rare earth mining operations. Harnessing electric fields could make this mining more sustainable

Zooplankton research highlights key role in marine carbon storage Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:00:17 +0000 Zooplankton are one of the most diverse and abundant groups of organisms on Earth and they play an essential role in the marine food chain. Unable to photosynthesise, as phytoplankton do, zooplankton instead consume phytoplankton, forming a link in the food chain between primary producers and larger animals such as fish. Zooplankton also store carbon …

Kenneth Libbrecht: How to grow a perfect snow crystal Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:00:52 +0000 The largest snow crystal ever measured was 10 millimetres across, discovered by Kenneth Libbrecht, who photographed the record-breaker in Ontario, Canada, in December 2003. Libbrecht is a professor at the California Institute of Technology where he specialises in the dynamics of ice crystal formation. In our interview, he explains the complex physics at play when …

Remarkable images capture the diversity of Earth's ice formations Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 In the new photographic collection Our Frozen Planet, Michael Hambrey and Jürg Alean set out to celebrate the world's ice in all its forms

The most powerful images of the natural world from 2024 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:00:27 +0000 A large number of damaging and deadly hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, floods and droughts this year were photographed from land, air and space

The Anthropocene was officially spurned in 2024, but the idea lives on Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Geologists surprisingly declined to formally declare a new epoch, but proponents of the Anthropocene will continue to highlight humanity’s impact on the planet

Supersized snowflakes: A scientific quest to make enormous snow Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:00:56 +0000 The Guinness world record for the largest snowflake stands at 38 centimetres across and 20 cm thick, a whopper reported in Montana in January 1887. While some scientists are sceptical, it got us thinking. With all the scientific knowledge and facilities for studying snow and its climatic effects, could New Scientist embark on a quest …

Monitoring ocean chlorophyll could reduce impact of warming seas Sun, 08 Dec 2024 17:09:41 +0000 The oceans are vast, covering much of Earth's surface. They play huge roles in our economy, are a massive food source, provide habitat for many species and heavily influence the climate. Studying these waters to better understand such complex functions is a huge challenge for scientists. To help in this task, Heather Bouman, a biogeochemist …

What ancient stalagmites can tell us about life on a hotter Earth Wed, 04 Dec 2024 14:31:07 +0000 Wildfires are already changing as a result of climate change but we don’t know what will happen as our planet gets even warmer. The answer could be hidden underground

Why scientists scanned giant hailstones in a dentist's office Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:00:14 +0000 A high-resolution view of hailstones the size of tennis balls can reveal how they form – and help researchers better forecast which storms will generate these destructive pieces of ice

Ocean acidification is reaching deeper waters Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:15:05 +0000 Rising carbon dioxide levels are driving an increase in the ocean’s acidity – and this change is sinking deeper as emissions increase, putting even more marine organisms at risk

Iceland’s Reykjanes volcanic eruption captured in stunning drone shots Thu, 21 Nov 2024 17:20:08 +0000 A new volcanic eruption has occurred on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula. It is the sixth in the region this year, according to the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Drone photographer Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove flew over the fissure caused by the volcano in the early hours of 21 November, filming the lava flow, which, according to the …

We may have solved the mystery of what froze Earth's inner core Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:00:05 +0000 A supercomputer simulation of iron and carbon atoms in Earth’s inner core may explain how a molten ball at the centre of our planet froze solid

Next Mauna Loa eruption could be forecast months in advance Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:00:36 +0000 An analysis of crystals in lava from the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa has revealed an unknown magma reservoir within the volcano, which could extend forecasts of eruptions from minutes to months

Striking image shows well-preserved wreck of Shackleton’s doomed ship Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Endurance sank beneath the ice during Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Antarctic expedition. More than a hundred years later, researchers document their own saga of how they found the vessel

Forget Hollywood, science has real plans to defend us from asteroids Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Forget Armageddon-sized rocks, just one of 25,000 smaller asteroids could destroy a city on Earth. How to Kill an Asteroid by Robin George Andrew shows how science plans to save the planet

Some wildfires are growing twice as fast as they did two decades ago Thu, 24 Oct 2024 20:00:06 +0100 In the western US, the average maximum growth rate of fires has more than doubled over the past two decades

Folklore uncovers a tsunami that rocked Hawaii hundreds of years ago Fri, 18 Oct 2024 18:00:44 +0100 A story passed down in folklore led scientists to evidence of an 8-metre tsunami that hit an island in Hawaii hundreds of years ago

El Niño pattern can bring wet weather to UK one year later Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:00:22 +0100 El Niño and La Niña cycles driven by ocean temperatures in the Pacific can influence weather in the North Atlantic 12 months later – a finding that could improve long-range forecasts

How 'river piracy' made Mount Everest grow even taller Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:00:36 +0100 Rapid erosion caused by a geological act of “piracy” tens of thousands of years ago may have raised Earth’s crust and elevated Mount Everest by as much as 50 metres

These maps will change how you see the world Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:00:30 +0100 Geographer Alastair Bonnett on his pick of the most diverse maps, from a collection of 100,000 galaxies to a 12th-century Chinese depiction of rivers on a grid

Why physicists are air-dropping buoys into the paths of hurricanes Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:00:49 +0100 A sprawling research program aims to improve hurricane forecasts by collecting data at the chaotic interface of ocean and atmosphere

Earth may once have had a ring like Saturn Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:14:52 +0100 A ring of asteroid debris could have orbited Earth for tens of millions of years, and perhaps even have altered the planet's climate

Greenland landslide caused freak wave that shook Earth for nine days Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:00:02 +0100 Seismologists were mystified by a strange signal that persisted for nine days in 2023 – now its source has been identified as a standing wave caused by a landslide in Greenland

Cave diver explores a Mexican sinkhole in atmospheric photograph Wed, 11 Sep 2024 19:00:00 +0100 This claustrophobia-inducing image is taken from photographer Martin Broen's new book Light in the Underworld, a collection of shots from the Yucatán’s cenotes, or sinkholes

Earthquakes may explain how huge gold nuggets form in quartz rock Mon, 02 Sep 2024 17:00:44 +0100 Quartz crystals produce electricity when they are deformed by mechanical stress, which may explain how enormous chunks of gold can form in inert rock

A dramatic twist to the Gaia hypothesis Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0100 James Lovelock's hypothesis that our planet is a living entity is well known. Ferris Jabr's new book Becoming Earth takes it a step further

Part of the Atlantic is cooling at record speed and nobody knows why Mon, 19 Aug 2024 23:24:41 +0100 After over a year of record-high global sea temperatures, the equatorial Atlantic is cooling off more quickly than ever recorded, which could impact weather around the world

Dramatic images show the dark side of cobalt mining boom Wed, 14 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Pascal Maitre's photos from the Democratic Republic of Congo detail the problems arising as demand for cobalt grows

Record-breaking drill core reaches 1.2 kilometres into Earth's mantle Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:00:17 +0100 A scientific drilling ship has burrowed further into Earth’s mantle than ever before, obtaining new clues about the processes that feed oceanic volcanoes and the possible origins of life

New Scientist recommends Twisters – action sequel with added tornadoes Wed, 07 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0100 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Mangrove forests celebrated in stunning photographs Wed, 07 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0100 See some of the top entries to this year's Mangrove Photography Awards, showing the beauty and fragility of these unique ecosystems

Ambitious story of how life shapes Earth ends superb trilogy Wed, 07 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0100 The dynamics of how plants and animals change Earth is central to this last book in a trilogy by Other Minds author and "scuba-diving philosopher" Peter Godfrey-Smith

Epic images show old mines transformed into a library, lab and museum Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Amazing images of an open-air library, underground lab and design museum show the reincarnation of dead mines, captured in a new book, 102 Things to Do With a Hole in the Ground

Shock discovery reveals deep sea nodules are a source of oxygen Mon, 22 Jul 2024 17:00:12 +0100 Sea-floor nodules raise oxygen levels in the deep ocean, suggesting they may have a valuable role in ecosystems and adding to concerns about the impact of deep-sea mining

What would Earth look like in 25 years? I asked the experts Wed, 10 Jul 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Exhausted by today's political and environmental instability, Annalee Newitz investigated what a future Earth might look like. Get ready for green mining, soft cities and robo-taxis

Record amount of water from 2022 Tonga eruption is still in atmosphere Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:00:55 +0100 Millions of tonnes of water vapour have been lingering in the atmosphere since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in 2022– possibly contributing to global warming

Watch Philippines typhoon disaster film winner of Earth Photo 24 award Sat, 22 Jun 2024 11:00:52 +0100 Dreams of the Ravaged is a short documentary film about three young survivors of super-typhoon Odette (also known as Rai), a tropical cyclone that hit the Philippines in 2021 and killed over 400 people. The film, directed by Breech Asher Harani , recently won the New Scientist Editors Award at the Earth Photo 2024 competition, …

Photos of a rusting Alaskan river win New Scientist Editors Award Wed, 19 Jun 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Taylor Roades's images of a river in north-west Alaska that has turned orange because of global warming have won the New Scientist Editors Award at the Earth Photo competition

Is North America set for another bad wildfire smoke season? Mon, 27 May 2024 13:00:54 +0100 Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada and Mexico is already worsening air quality in the US, but some signs suggest clearer skies than last year

Hot Atlantic sets the stage for extreme hurricane season Thu, 23 May 2024 20:51:27 +0100 This year could bring up to 25 named tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean due to a shift to La Niña conditions, says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Snow and rising sea levels may have triggered Japan's earthquake swarm Tue, 21 May 2024 16:00:54 +0100 In an ongoing swarm of earthquakes that began hitting Japan in 2020, the shifting weight of surface water may have spurred the shaking

Why criticisms of the proposed Anthropocene epoch miss the point Wed, 08 May 2024 19:00:00 +0100 A proposal to define the Anthropocene as a geological epoch was rejected this March, but humanity's impact on Earth is real, whether formalised or not, says Jan Zalasiewicz

Can these awesome rocks become central Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark? Tue, 30 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0100 Long feted by fossil hunters and geologists, if UNESCO recognises the extraordinary rock formation at Madygen in Kyrgyzstan, it will soon be a player on the world stage

These photos show how a warmer climate is damaging Earth's waters Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Photographer Diane Tuft has documented how global warming is affecting bodies of water around the world

What are the mysterious continent-sized lumps deep inside Earth? Wed, 04 May 2022 13:00:00 +0100 For decades, planetary scientists have been trying to understand the origins of two colossal geological anomalies inside our planet. New insights suggest they could be leftovers from a cosmic collision

Extreme heat in 2023 linked to drastic slump in growth of marine life Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:51 +0100 Last year’s marine heatwaves saw an unprecedented decline in the growth of phytoplankton and algae, which many animals in the oceans depend on for food

Geoscientists are using telecom 'dark fibres' to map Earth’s innards Mon, 15 Apr 2024 21:00:28 +0100 The networks of fibre optic cables that criss-cross the planet could be used to better understand what’s happening inside it

Deadly upwellings of cold water pose threat to migratory sharks Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:00:05 +0100 Climate change is making extreme cold upwellings more common in certain regions of the world, and these events can be catastrophic for animals such as bull sharks

Huge crater in India hints at major meteorite impact 4000 years ago Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:00:18 +0000 The Luna structure, a 1.8-kilometre-wide depression in north-west India, may have been caused by the largest meteorite to strike Earth in the past 50,000 years

Why supersonic, diamond-spewing volcanoes might be coming back to life Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Strange volcanoes called kimberlites bring diamonds up from Earth's depths. Scientists have always struggled to understand why they switched off millions of years ago – but perhaps they didn't

Sulphur dioxide from Iceland volcano eruption has reached the UK Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:38:34 +0000 A huge plume of sulphur dioxide from the latest eruption in Iceland is drifting across Europe, but it isn't expected to cause any significant harm

It's time to accept that we are in the Anthropocene once and for all Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Humans are drastically changing the planet and the Anthropocene is a useful tool to help us deal with that – so let's stop quibbling over definitions

Stark, haunting images show Kazakhstan's former nuclear testing ground Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:00:00 +0000 These stunning photographs are all shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Surprise decision not to define the Anthropocene shocks scientists Tue, 05 Mar 2024 20:28:14 +0000 A proposal to define the Anthropocene, a geologic epoch defined by human activity, has been rejected – surprising even scientists who consulted the voting group

Eerie green sunsets after 1883 Krakatoa eruption finally explained Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:07:04 +0000 Mysterious green sunsets were reported after the massive eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 – now simulations show how they were created and just how rare they are

Stark mountain landscapes exposed in Canada as glaciers shrink Wed, 21 Feb 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Global warming means many of the world’s ancient rivers of ice will be gone within decades, threatening ecosystems that rely on their meltwater, a looming crisis that photographer Edward Burtynsky highlights in his work

Largest volcanic eruption in recorded history happened 7300 years ago Wed, 21 Feb 2024 13:58:06 +0000 The Kikai-Akahoya eruption of an underwater volcano off the coast of Japan ejected enough material to fill Lake Tahoe twice, three times as much as the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815

Bacteria could help turn CO2 to rock under extreme conditions Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:57:50 +0000 Microbes that rapidly convert CO2 to rock could lock away the greenhouse gas in deep underground storage sites, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs

Giant magma flow in Iceland was the fastest ever recorded Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:00:27 +0000 As a 15-kilometre crack formed ahead of the recent eruptions, magma flowed into it at the highest rate observed anywhere in the world

Huge deposit of natural hydrogen gas detected deep in Albanian mine Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:00:05 +0000 Companies are searching all over the world for deposits of geologic hydrogen that could be used as clean fuel, and a mine in Albania could give them clues about where to look

Enormous underwater mountains discovered off west coast of Americas Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:00:29 +0000 An ocean research vessel has just discovered four underwater mountains, the tallest almost 3 kilometres high, that might be hotspots of deep-sea life

Ocean thunderstorms generate the most intense lightning ever observed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:00:49 +0000 An analysis of satellite observations has identified some extreme thunderstorms over the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Mexico with lightning flashes so frequent that the sky would appear continuously lit

Lightning during volcanic eruptions may have sparked life on Earth Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:00:41 +0000 Lightning strikes during volcanic eruptions could have provided nitrogen in a form that was needed by early life forms

Lithium mining looks set to reshape Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni salt flat Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Photographer Matjaz Krivic has been charting the effects of lithium mining on locals in the world's largest salt flat in Bolivia since 2016

Siberia’s mysterious exploding craters may be caused by hot gas Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:00:20 +0000 Several enormous craters left by explosions have been spotted in Siberia over the past 15 years, and a new explanation links them to hot gas – and climate change

World's first tunnel to a magma chamber could unleash unlimited energy Wed, 03 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000 In Iceland, scientists are planning to drill two boreholes to a reservoir of liquid rock. One will give us our first direct measurements of magma – the other could supercharge geothermal power

Vast submerged area near Australia may once have hosted 500,000 people Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:13:45 +0000 An area of the seabed north of Australia has been mapped in detail for the first time, revealing that large numbers of people could have lived there until it was inundated by rising seas

See a dazzling collection of the year's best northern lights pictures Wed, 27 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000 This spectacular selection of images is taken from the winners of the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition, run by Capture the Atlas

We might officially enter the Anthropocene epoch in 2024 Tue, 26 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Scientific bodies are due to make an official decision in the coming year about whether to declare a new geochronological unit precipitated by the impact of humans on Earth

China started drilling ultra-deep holes in 2023 in a hunt for oil Sun, 24 Dec 2023 10:00:05 +0000 A drilling project in the Taklamakan desert is aiming to reach more than 11,000 metres below Earth’s surface as China explores the deep earth for resources

Dead spacecraft are seeding the upper atmosphere with metal Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:00:55 +0000 The stratosphere seems to be full of aluminium particles and other metals that come from spacecraft burning up in the atmosphere, and those particles could mess up polar clouds

Iceland volcano: Watch the Fagradalsfjall eruption live Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:48:05 +0000 Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano, located on the Reykjanes peninsula in the south-west of the country, has erupted after weeks of earthquake activity. The eruption started on 18 December at 22:17 local time, after a sequence of small earthquakes in the hour before. Enormous plumes of smoke and spews of lava have since been flowing from a …

The magnificent medieval map that made cartography into a science Tue, 12 Dec 2023 16:00:00 +0000 Some 550 years ago, a Venetian monk named Fra Mauro set out to create a world map. Rather than myth and religion, it was based on solid evidence for the first time

Popocatépetl: Predicting Mexico's most dangerous volcano Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:23 +0000 Volcanic eruptions can be disastrous for those living nearby. Few volcanoes pose a greater threat than Popocatépetl, situated near Mexico City and Puebla, with combined populations in the tens of millions. To understand their activity and help minimise risk, such active volcanoes are constantly monitored and studied. Chiara Maria Petrone is a geochemist, petrologist and …

Forget the Amazon – are these the most remarkable rivers in the world? Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000 When most people are asked to name a river, they often reach for the Amazon or Nile, but these aren’t the only remarkable rivers out there. Here are 10 more from around the world – and solar system

Iceland volcano: Current cycle of eruptions could last for decades Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:15:46 +0000 Iceland is bracing for a volcanic eruption, as thousands of small earthquakes have shaken the southern part of the Reykjanes peninsula since October. The earthquakes were caused by a huge amount of magma from deep inside Earth moving upwards and forming a 15-kilometre-long crack between 2 and 5 kilometres underground. As of 12.30pm GMT on …

Ice might be ubiquitous, but we are still discovering things about it Wed, 15 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Once seen as miraculous, these days ice is no longer extraordinary. But in a winter season when Antarctic sea ice hit a historic low, it is clear we should cherish it more, says Max Leonard

Iceland volcano: 15km magma tunnel under town threatens to erupt Tue, 14 Nov 2023 15:18:23 +0000 A 15-kilometre-long mass of lava has formed underneath the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland and could erupt at any time