Earth Fundamentals Archives - Page 2 of 2 - State of the Planet

During the Last Ice Age, the Tropics Were Colder Than We Thought. Bad News for Us.

Gases collected from ancient groundwater provide a compelling portrait of how much past temperatures have swung back and forth.

by |May 12, 2021

Hidden Within African Diamonds, a Billion-Plus Years of Deep-Earth History

Fluids trapped within the stones are helping researchers reconstruct the deep history of the continent, and eventually maybe others.

by |May 11, 2021
fire boats trying to put out a fire on oil platform

Decades After the Oil Spill That Inspired Earth Day, Are We Prepared for the Next One?

We’ve gotten better at preventing and tracking oil spills, but oceanographers say much more progress is needed.

by Lindsay Key |April 21, 2021

Sidney Hemming, Paleoclimate Detective, Wins Guggenheim Fellowship

A Q&A with the geochemist, who plans to investigate a key climate interval millions of years ago.

by |April 13, 2021

Fossil Plants at Bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet Warn of Future Melting

The discovery of fossil plants below a mile of Greenland ice indicates that the ice sheet completely melted in the past, and suggests it could rapidly do so again.

by |March 15, 2021

The ‘Zealandia Switch’: Missing Link in Big Natural Climate Shifts?

Movements of winds in the Southern Hemisphere may be the key to waxing and waning of ice ages, says a new study.

by |March 15, 2021