Razib Khan

Gene Expression

Lynn Margulis, 1938-2011

A fire cloud erupts above Oregon's Falls Fire on July 15, 2024. The Western United States and Canada were plagued by intense, fast-spreading wildfires during 2024 — part of a long-term trend linked to climate change. (Credit: InciWeb)

A Fire Cloud Erupts

The second installment in a review of Earth's over-heated, storm-tossed but also beauty-filled year.

A Year on Planet Earth — Part 2

Lava fountaining at Kīlauea within the Halema'uma'u Crater on December 30, 2024 with a USGS scientist taking video of the eruption. Credit: USGS/HVO/Matthew Patrick

Fountaining at Kīlauea 

One of the most common features found at large volcanoes are calderas, formed by the collapse of the land due to eruption. The scale of these features varies a lot depending on if you're on Earth or Mars.

Calderas Across Two Worlds

Astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this dramatic image of Hurricane Beryl from the International Space Station on July 1, 2024. At the time, the cyclone's winds were howling at 150 miles per hour. Beryl was the earliest Atlantic basin Category-5 hurricane on record and the strongest June and July hurricane in the basin. The hurricane roared across parts of the Caribbean and the Yucatán Peninsula, making landfall in the United States along the Gulf Coast as a Category-1 storm. (Credit: NASA)

Hurricane Beryl

From vicious storms and relentless global heating, to volcanic eruptions and shimmering aurora, compelling images help tell the story of a drama-filled year.

Lynn Margulis, 1938-2011

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