All Stories by Nikk Ogasa
- Earth
Meet the sneaky and surprisingly dangerous squall-line tornado
These destructive, radar-dodging twisters often form at night. Emerging data from the U.S. Southeast might soon make forecasting the tornadoes possible.
- Earth
Analyze This: Where are U.S. earthquakes most likely?
A model used data on historical quakes and measurements from active faults to forecast risks of damaging earthquakes in the next 100 years.
- Health & Medicine
New tool maps where U.S. heat can pose threats to your health
The daily updated HeatRisk maps use color coding to show where the health threat from heat is highest. The website also offers tips for staying safe.
- Oceans
The seas’ record-breaking hot streak may bring unwelcome changes
Off-the-charts warming could fire up more hurricanes, intensify coral bleaching and accelerate the melting of Antarctic sea ice.
- Space
Comets may be the source of sandy dunes on Saturn’s largest moon
In an early reshuffling of the solar system, comet collisions and other space rocks could have sent dusty bits falling to Titan’s surface.
- Environment
Pumping cold water into rivers could help fish chill out
Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in the human-made cool zones. These areas may help fish adapt to river warming.
- Climate
Some tree leaves are finding it too hot for photosynthesis
Earth’s ongoing fever threatens to push entire forests toward this heat limit — and possible death.
- Earth
To get diamonds perfect for Barbie, make and break a supercontinent
Most pink diamonds may have formed billions of years ago during the tectonics that led to formation and breakup of Nuna, Earth’s first supercontinent.
- Animals
Adult corals have been frozen and revived for the first time
Living corals could be frozen for safekeeping. Scientists could later revive them to restore reef ecosystems that are withering in warming seas.
- Ecosystems
The Amazon is in trouble. Here’s why — and why it matters
Challenges from human-caused climate change, deforestation and degradation leave the fate of this vast forest uncertain.
- Tech
Nanobots can now enter brain cells to spy on what they’re doing
Fleets of advanced versions may one day be able to detect disease and then go about surgically treating it — without ever opening the skull.
- Climate
Let’s learn about why summer 2023 was so hot
Human-caused climate change has played a big role in this summer’s historic heat.
