Chile's Atacama Desert, which gets less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) of rainfall each year, started to form more than 40 million years ago ‪—‬ 20 million years before the Andes.

China is building a dam system that will generate more hydroelectric power than the U.S. generates yearly. But the project comes with huge risks for people downstream.

Antarctica was long thought to be seismically calm, but new technology makes it possible to detect unexpected types of earthquakes beneath the ice.

June 13, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend

Water, water, everywhere … has all of it been peed out at least once?

The first global map of subterranean fungi networks reveals how massive its reach is worldwide.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gives the climate event a 63% chance to "rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950."

The Atlantic's enigmatic "cold blob" has once again been linked to a weakening of key ocean currents and a devastating climate tipping point.

A mysterious geological structure that resembles a human hand with outstretched fingers has been revealed beneath East Antarctica. The discovery shows the frozen continent still hides many geological secrets.

A 2020 astronaut photo shows three uniquely colored lakes — Tahoe, Walker and Mono — straddling contrasting biomes on either side of the California-Nevada border.

Researchers say the Arctic Ocean crossed a biological tipping point in 2009, when nitrate levels in the water suddenly started dropping due to a drastic reduction in sea ice extent.

There are two contenders for the world's deepest cave, and they're in the same mountain range.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative has been collecting data on physical, chemical, geological and biological conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for the past decade

A June update by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts suggests that the coming weather event will be the strongest ever measured.

A volcano that erupted after being asleep for more than 100,000 years is leading more volcanologists to say we must redefine volcano activity to ensure eruptions don't surprise us.

Seeds from the last surviving wild Dendroseris neriifolia tree are now stored in Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank as researchers work to find ways to reintroduce the species into the wild.

A new study finds mangrove forests are no longer shrinking worldwide, offering hope for coastal protection and climate resilience. But other research warns sea level rise could reduce their ability to store carbon.

A 2015 astronaut photo shows dark-orange water that appears to bleed across the bright-white floor of a high-altitude salt lake in the Bolivian Andes.

The Euphrates River fueled the "cradle of civilization," and a new study reveals the waterway was born of two other ancient rivers around 3.6 million years ago.

Iran is experiencing "water bankruptcy" that stems from decades of broken water governance and aggressive policies, and the current war is exacerbating the crisis.