The study of Earth’s systems, including its physical structure, natural processes, and interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Earth sciences investigate phenomena such as weather, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions to understand our planet’s past, present, and future.
Volcanic eruptions can generate spectacular “rogue lightning,” as ash-filled plumes become electrically charged and discharge massive bolts, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report. Lightning detection networks have helped identify eruptions within second, a critical tool for aviation and hazard monitoring.
A 15-year analysis of Yellowstone’s seismic record, published in Science Advances, has uncovered how thousands of small earthquakes cluster in time and space, revealing complex interactions between hydrothermal fluids and fault systems beneath the caldera.
A NOAA dropsonde released into Hurricane Melissa near Jamaica on October 28, 2025, recorded a wind gust of 406 km/h (252 mph), later verified by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research as the strongest hurricane wind speed ever measured by a dropsonde.
A study published recently in Nature Communications shows that the 2024 M7.4 Calama earthquake in northern Chile ruptured deeper than expected, breaking through thermal limits once thought to prevent seismic rupture and revealing a new process that can intensify deep earthquakes.
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is one of the primary drivers of year-to-year climate variability, influencing rainfall, monsoons, heat extremes and storm patterns worldwide. Late 2025 observations indicated a weak La Niña, with many climate models projecting a transition toward neutral conditions early in 2026.
A cluster of powerful X-class solar flares between November 9 and 14, 2025, jolted Earth’s ionosphere and disrupted global radio signals, NJIT scientists report.
An M8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at 23:47 UTC on July 29, 2025, generating a Pacific-wide tsunami captured for the first time in high resolution by NASA’s SWOT satellite.
High above Earth, narrow bands of fast-moving air circle the planet near the tropopause at 9–16 km (30 000–52 000 feet). These fast-moving corridors are known as jet streams, and they steer storm systems, influence temperature patterns, and shape how aircraft move across the globe. Understanding how they form and change over time helps explain many of the weather shifts we experience at the surface. Their behavior also connects daily weather with long-term climate patterns, making them one of the atmosphere’s most influential features.
Researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and collaborators have identified a previously unknown cyclic climate pattern, the tropics-wide intraseasonal oscillation (TWISO), evident across tropical regions on 30–60-day timescales. The discovery, described as one of the most significant advances in climate dynamics, may help improve medium-range forecasts by revealing a predictable rhythm in tropical activity.
Researchers analyzing 11 years of seismic data from Japan found that earthquakes occurring at greater depths release more energy, revealing a direct link between stress release and crustal rock strength.
