Articles about Earth

The quake was at a shallow depth of 10km in the Northern Molucca Sea region, the USGS saidA magnitude 7.8 earthquake has struck the Northern Molucca Sea region in Indonesia, the United States Geological Survey said.The quake on Thursday was at a shallow depth of 10km (6.21 miles), it said. Continue reading...

• NASA is launching multiple technology and science demonstrations to low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, March 30, 2026, as part of the Transporter-16 commercial rideshare mission. • The payload includes the AEPEX CubeSat for studying high-energy particle effects on the upper atmosphere, magnetic field measurement CubeSats, the R5-S10 CubeSat for proximity operations and formation flying, a power processing system from CisLunar Industries, and a heat shield experiment from Varda Space Industries. • The experiments aim to test thermal protection systems, advance in-space communications, and deepen understanding of Earth's atmosphere to support NASA's exploration and research goals.

• Asteroid 2026 FA3, approximately 53 feet wide or house-sized, will safely pass Earth on March 27, 2026, at 1.78 million miles away—seven times lunar distance. • NASA’s planetary defense systems monitor the near-Earth object (NEO) using telescopes and radar for precise orbit, trajectory, and speed calculations. • Followed by two more safe flybys the next day; increased detections due to advanced global tracking highlight vigilant space situational awareness.

• Back-to-back subtropical Kona storms in March 2026 triggered destructive flash flooding across several Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu. • NASA Earth Observatory published images and analysis of the flooding event on March 25, 2026, highlighting the cyclones' impact. • These storms underscore intensifying weather patterns linked to climate variability in the Pacific region.

Human Rights Watch and others say they have documented use of weapon in civilian areas, which some argue is illegalWhen the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile airbursts, expelling its felt wedges containing white phosphorus, it leaves a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. That is how Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said they were able to verify that Israel was again using the notorious weapon over south Lebanon, reigniting accusations that it is breaking the laws of war.The New York-based rights group said it had verified and geolocated eight images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor in the opening days of Israel’s assault during the war on Gaza. Continue reading...

• Scientists from Oregon State University and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have identified 16 'tipping elements' across Earth's systems, including the Greenland Ice Sheet, Amazon rainforest, and Atlantic Ocean's overturning current, that could trigger a 'hothouse Earth trajectory' if pushed past critical temperature thresholds. • Atmospheric CO2 has reached 422.5 parts per million, about 50% higher than pre-industrial levels, with researchers warning that triggering one tipping element could push others closer to their own thresholds in a cascading effect. • The study, published in One Earth, distinguishes between a 'hothouse trajectory'—a direction of travel that could theoretically be interrupted—and a 'hothouse state,' where the planet would be locked into extreme, sustained heat and seas many meters higher.

• Human-driven climate change is lengthening Earth's day by 1.33 milliseconds per century, the fastest rate in 3.6 billion years, due to melting ice redistributing mass toward the equator. • ETH Zurich researchers Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi and Benedikt Soja used foraminifera fossils to confirm this anomalous effect outpaces historical changes, including El Niño winds. • Projections show a 2.62 milliseconds-per-century increase by 2080 under high-emissions scenarios, impacting precise timekeeping in spacecraft, computing, and geodesy instruments.

The dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid, but does that mean we risk suffering the same fate - and should you be worried about the possibility? Leah Crane sets the matter straight

Since 2014, the planet has been warming by about 0.36°C per decade, according to an analysis of five temperature datasets, raising fears that climate tipping points could be crossed earlier than expected

Photographer Jonas Kako travelled to Greenland to explore how mining for the rare earth elements and minerals that are vital for new green technologies is impacting locals

Looking for molecular evidence of life on other worlds is tricky, but a test based on the reactivity of carbon compounds could be a useful indicator

A study analyzing North China Craton rocks reveals tectonic uplift from early supercontinent Columbia formation erased over a billion years of Earth's history, creating the Great Unconformity observed globally. Researchers found 13 kilometers of erosion and 400 degrees of cooling predating Cryogenian glaciations by analyzing zircon and monazite minerals across five sites. Coauthor Nicholas Christie-Blick noted, 'If glaciation had been the dominant driver, you’d expect a clear pulse of erosion at the time of the Cryogenian ice ages. We don’t see that pattern.' Published in PNAS, this challenges Snowball Earth theory and refines plate tectonics models.