Planet Earth stories
Tiny fossils reveal how shrinking was essential for successful evolution
Scientists have discovered that mammals successfully evolved over the years by getting smaller in size.
18 Sep 2018
Scientists closing in on source of Shetland tsunamis
Shetland has been hit by at least two more tsunamis in the past 10,000 years than previously thought, and scientists are working to identify where the giant waves originated.
17 Sep 2018
Keeping satellites in the sky
As part of a series of interviews with new NERC Independent Research Fellows, Ingrid Cnossen talks about the beauty of flexible working and how understanding the weather can help to keep satellites in orbit.
29 Aug 2018
Under the faultlines
As part of a series of interviews with new NERC Independent Research Fellows, Craig Magee tells us about the portability of being a fellow and why he's going underground to uncover the science behind volcanic eruptions.
29 Aug 2018
Tags: Earth observation, Earthquakes, Geology, Hazards, Volcanoes
Unlocking the mysteries of life giving microbes
As part of a series of interviews with new NERC Independent Research Fellows, Katherine Helliwell tells us about what motivated her to apply for the scheme and the benefits of getting to grips with phytoplankton.
29 Aug 2018
Tags: Biology, Earth system, Ecology, Marine life, Water
New technology models cities' air quality in under 10 minutes
Dr Nicola Masey has found that a new system can accurately model air quality in large cities like London in minutes, within five metres of any given location using just a standard office computer.
21 Aug 2018
Tags: Atmosphere, Climate, Earth observation, Hazards, Health, Mapping, Pollution, Technology, UK
Sydney rock oysters shrinking due to coastal acidification
Sydney rock oysters, found only in the waters of Australia and New Zealand, are getting smaller due to coastal acidification, a new report has found.
16 Aug 2018
Tags: Climate, Environmental change, Farming, Fish, Food, Marine life, Oceans, Pollution
Genetic toolkit gives periwinkles seashore advantage
Periwinkles, struggling to survive the seashore battleground, have developed a genetic toolkit to help them adapt to different environments, a new study shows.
10 Aug 2018
Tags: Adaptation and mitigation, Animals, Biodiversity, Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Marine life, UK
Scientists take to the skies to measure emissions from Greater Manchester moor fires
Scientists flew through the plumes of smoke rising from the Greater Manchester moor fires to sample pollution levels.
11 Jul 2018
Tags: Atmosphere, Climate, Ecology, Environmental change, Health, Pollution, Weather
Why is the UK's honeypot shrinking?
An innovative monitoring scheme could provide a better understanding of the factors that impact on the size and health of honeybee populations, and on honey yields.
9 Jul 2018
Tags: Bees, Biodiversity, Farming, Pollinators, Sustainability, UK
Sea robots show Arctic climate change
Underwater robots have uncovered new evidence about life in the Arctic and, for the first time, revealed the moment the region's marine ecosystem springs into life after the dark winter season.
8 Jun 2018
Tags: Arctic, Climate, Environmental change, Ice, Marine life, Oceans, Sustainability, Technology, UK
How much time is left to meet the Paris climate agreement?
Dr Phil Goodwin and Professor Ric Williams ran 100 million simulations of carbon emissions and warming to find out.
4 Jun 2018
Hay Trans.MISSION Q&A with Chris Haughton and Dr Emily Shuckburgh
Dr Emily Shuckburgh worked with author and illustrator Chris Haughton to show how scientists measure the impacts of CO2 over time.
26 May 2018
Hay Trans.MISSION Q&A with Dan Binns and Professor Ally Lewis
Aardman director Dan Binns teamed up with Professor Ally Lewis to explore the surprising amount of air pollution emitted by the home.
26 May 2018
Hay Trans.MISSION Q&A with Nicola Davies and Professor Ed Hawkins
Poet Nicola Davies teamed up with Professor Ed Hawkins to explore climate and weather in a series of poems set to images.
26 May 2018
Mining for answers in the ocean's archives
With a death toll of more than 250,000 people, the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 was one of the most devastating disasters of recent history.
23 May 2018
Securing the UK's natural carbon storage
The UK's spectacular scenery attracts millions of visitors from around the world. Iconic heath, peatland and sea lochs don't just look beautiful though. They are shaped by the changing climate.
17 May 2018
Tags: Atmosphere, Climate, Environmental change, Microbes, Pollution, Soils, Sustainability, UK
Building an offshore wind farm
Mapping the seabed off the northeast coast of the UK to help find the best site for future offshore wind energy developments.
3 May 2018
Tags: Climate, Geology, Mapping, Oceans, Sustainability, Technology, UK
Painting underwater pictures with sound
Silent marine robots that record sounds underwater are allowing researchers at the University of East Anglia to listen to the oceans as never before.
10 Apr 2018
Tags: Animals, Antarctic, Marine life, Oceans, Robotics, Technology
Skin of the Earth
Exploding populations are challenging the world to keep more people fed using less - and less good quality - land.
22 Mar 2018
Helping species on the move
Meet the software for working out where species will thrive in future, as global warming pushes them north seeking cooler places and key habitat is lost.
8 Mar 2018
How cities draw the heat
It is 15 years since the UK sweltered in the record-breaking 2003 summer heatwave. While the sunshine was welcome to many, it also brought deadly consequences, with more than 2,000 people across England and Wales dying in the stifling heat
22 Feb 2018
Secrets of sudden death of 200,000 antelopes in Central Asia
In May 2015 the sudden death of more than 200,000 saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan baffled the world.
18 Jan 2018
Tags: Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Disease, Ecology, Health, Microbes
On the way to plastic-free oceans
Four days since leaving port, Dr Katsiaryna Pabortsava reaches her destination. She's in the middle of the North Atlantic, thousands of miles from land, and she's looking for microplastics.
8 Jan 2018
Tags: Biodiversity, Marine life, Microplastics, Oceans, Pollution, UK
Our changing Arctic
The Barents Sea is a wild, dark, stormy old ocean. Who would want to be out there on a ship in January?
17 Nov 2017