Millions of years ago, the Green River carved a path through the Uinta Mountains instead of flowing around the formation. Now, researchers have discovered how this could have happened.

California regulators will soon decide on a water plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Environmental advocates warn that the proposal on the table will harm the ecosystem.

Melting ice from West Antarctica once delivered huge amounts of iron to the Southern Ocean, but algae growth did not increase as expected. Researchers found the iron was in a form that marine life could not easily use. This means more melting ice does not automatically boost carbon absorption. In the future, Antarctic ice loss could actually reduce the ocean’s ability to slow climate change.

As demand for critical metals grows, scientists have taken a rare, close look at life on the deep Pacific seabed where mining may soon begin. Over five years and 160 days at sea, researchers documented nearly 800 species, many previously unknown. Test mining reduced animal abundance and diversity significantly, though the overall impact was smaller than expected. The study offers vital clues for how future mining could reshape one of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

An image of polar bears napping along the Hudson Bay coast in Canada has been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award 2026.

A new study finds that warming temperatures are causing Antarctic penguins to breed earlier, threatening some species with extinction by century's end.