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.
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have identified a previously unknown tectonic regime, the “episodic-squishy lid”, redefining how terrestrial planets evolve and offering new insights into the tectonic histories of Earth and Venus.
Earthquake swarms are sequences of many small to moderate earthquakes that cluster in time and space without producing a single defining mainshock. Their unusual patterns reveal how stress, fluids and magma shift through the crust, offering one of the clearest signals that the Earth is actively reshaping itself beneath our feet.
Short, high-frequency seismic signals recorded between 2020 and 2023 beneath Cascade Glacier in Alaska’s Barry Arm display a recurring seasonal cycle that may reflect freeze-thaw cracking in subsurface rock. The study, published on December 2, 2025, in Seismological Research Letters, provides new insight into processes that influence one of the most dangerous landslide hazards in the United States.
Lahars are rapid volcanic mudflows capable of traveling tens of kilometers down valleys with little warning, moving at speeds of up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and carrying trees, boulders, and buildings. They form when water mixes with volcanic ash and rock during eruptions, heavy rainfall, or crater-lake breaches, creating a dense flow that can bury settlements, reshape river systems, and alter landscapes long after volcanic activity ends.
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.
