The greenhouse effect is the radiative process by which certain atmospheric gases (notably water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone) absorb and re-emit longwave (infrared) radiation emitted by Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere, thereby reducing the net outgoing longwave flux to space and warming the lower troposphere and surface. It arises from molecular vibrational and rotational absorption bands that are transparent to most incoming shortwave solar radiation but partially opaque to outgoing terrestrial radiation. In climate science, the greenhouse effect is quantified via radiative forcing, feedbacks (e.g., water vapor and cloud feedbacks), and its role in establishing Earth’s energy balance and global mean temperature.
Vegetarians need not worry yet—plants will be on Earth for a long time to come. But not forever. The sun will ultimately determine the long-term existence of life on Earth. Its total energy output, called luminosity, has ...
Florida State University researchers have identified key differences in the root causes of long-term sea-surface temperature changes across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, a finding that could help guide future research ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 17, 2026
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39
Spain registered its third-warmest year on record in 2025, with 25 single-day heat records set during the period, national weather agency AEMET said Wednesday.
Environment
Jun 17, 2026
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6
A new study reveals that, for the first time, areas of Canada's boreal peatlands damaged by oil and gas exploration have failed to recover as scientists and companies predicted and instead have led to a tripling of methane ...
Environment
Jun 14, 2026
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57
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego reported today that carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa Observatory reached 432.00 parts per million (ppm) in May, continuing a long ...
Environment
Jun 11, 2026
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El Niño, Nature's chaotic climate agent, has formed in a warmed-up Pacific Ocean and is expected to grow to historic strength, meteorologists announced Thursday.
Environment
Jun 11, 2026
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13
Heat waves across Europe and South Asia have dominated the news recently. But these events are really a surface expression of more fundamental changes affecting our planet: Earth itself is accumulating heat faster than ever ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 11, 2026
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39
The space industry is surging. In coming years, nearly 10,000 spacecraft are slated to launch into low-Earth orbit for a variety of purposes, such as global surveillance, space tourism, and satellite "megaconstellations" ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 8, 2026
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21
A new study led by Professor Mark Trimmer of Queen Mary University of London, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, explains how increases in natural methane emissions will be maximized under future climate warming.
Earth Sciences
Jun 5, 2026
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30
There's no sign that methane emissions are declining globally.
Environment
Jun 3, 2026
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