Keith Kloor

Collide-a-Scape

The 37 percent Discrepancy 

Pangea

Back when dinosaurs first began to roam the Earth, our planet was composed of a single landmass that formed the supercontinent Pangea. Its extreme conditions can offer insights to scientists studying our changing climate today.

What Was Life Like on Pangea 250 Million Years Ago?

Sea surface temperatures along the equator west of South America have been much warmer than average — a signature of El Niño. The odds are now favoring a strong El Niño episode. (Credit: earth.nullschool.net with annotations added)

El Niño Strengthens

Strong El Niños tip the odds toward certain extremes in the United States and many other parts of the world, but nothing is guaranteed.

With a Strong El Niño Now Very Likely, What Should We Expect?

June through August of 2023 turned out to be the warmest meteorological summer on record. This map shows just how much warmer or cooler different regions of Earth were at the surface compared to the baseline average from 1951 to 1980. As the map makes clear, almost all of the world was warmer than average. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin)

Sizzling Summer of 2023

Hint: Sea surface temperatures are still at record highs (not even close), and El Niño continues to grow.

With Earth's Warmest Summer and August Now in the Record Books, What Will the Rest of 2023 Bring?

Drawing of the Peshtigo Fire, showing people seeking refuge in the Peshtigo River. Drawing originally appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1871. (Credit: G. J. Tisdale/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)

Drawing of the Peshtigo Fire, showing people seeking refuge in the Peshtigo River

In 1871, this Wisconsin lumbering town burned to the ground. Learn about the deadliet wildfire recorded in U.S. history.

What Was the Deadliest Wildfire in U.S. History?

Rafael López-López with one of his slick Holsteins. (Credit: Katherine Rapin)

López and Hosteins

A natural mutation found in Puerto Rican dairy cows might keep them healthier in extreme heat.

Farmers Are Breeding Heat-Resistant Cows

(Credit: Beth Zaiken (https://bethzaiken.com/)

Evolution of Modern Elephants

Those that evolved survived extreme climate changes from about 23 to 11 million years ago. 

The 37 percent Discrepancy

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