Planet Earth stories
Harnessing the wind
One of the best places to exploit wind power is offshore, where the wind is more reliable and where there are fewer objections to big wind farms.
20 Oct 2020
Ocean role
The Southern Ocean is one of the hardest places on Earth to carry out scientific research – but there is a growing realisation that in the era of climate change, we need to understand it better.
20 Oct 2020
Earth story
Soils are critical to the health of our planet and essential for human, animal and plant life – but are at risk from changes in climate and land use.
20 Oct 2020
Collaboration to beat climate change
With climate change having a huge impact on the decisions and policies we make, collaboration is key – and at the forefront is the NERC and Met Office collaborative Joint Weather and Climate Research Programme.
20 Oct 2020
Heat source
The untapped reservoir of hot water beneath UK cities could provide green energy for millions of homes.
20 Oct 2020
Building resilience
Hotter summers and wetter winters will bring new challenges and opportunities. The UK Climate Resilience programme, a collaboration between UKRI and the Met Office, brings a wide range of researchers to help in this effort.
20 Oct 2020
The gathering storm
From rising sea level impact on coastal ecosystems to exciting new ways to reduce greenhouse emissions, marine scientist Dr Judith Wolf describes her research into the effect of climate change on the world’s oceans.
20 Oct 2020
The experts making a difference
We meet the NERC scientists who are helping us all to understand every element of our planet, one groundbreaking discovery at a time.
20 Oct 2020
Helping the UK reduce its carbon footprint
Over the last ten years, NERC researchers have pioneered tools to help farmers, land owners and businesses lower their carbon footprint and meet the target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
20 Oct 2020
Capturing carbon
Carbon Capture and Storage offers a way to take greenhouse gases from industrial plants or power stations at source and storing them to prevent release into the atmosphere.
20 Oct 2020
Under the ice
Landscapes in deglaciated areas are like time machines, shaped by former ice flow processes. But how did they form and what can that tell us about present-day and future ice dynamics?
20 Oct 2020
Flood forecaster
Predicting when and where a flood will hit saves people's lives and livelihoods, but why is forecasting floods so hard?
20 Oct 2020
Life stranded in ice
Scientists are currently marooned onboard the icebreaker RV Polarstern due to the COVID-19 lockdown; we hear first hand how they are coping, what life is like on the ship, and what ongoing experiments can reveal about climate change in this fascinating region.
20 Oct 2020
The Arctic
The Arctic is beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is also a vital element of the Earth's climate system, helping to regulate global temperatures.
9 Jul 2019
Tags: Arctic, Climate, Environmental change, Ice, Marine life, Oceans, Pollution, Sea level change
Following the ocean's flow
The dramatic sight of Atlantic waves crashing onto UK shores from the vast, surging ocean illustrates perfectly the joke behind its nickname of 'The Pond'.
20 Jun 2019
Tags: Climate, Modelling, Oceans, Technology
Get to know the UK's new polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough
Once you have set eyes on the RRS Sir David Attenborough, you won't forget her. From rock drills and marine robots to the intriguingly named moon pool, take a closer look at everything the ship has to offer.
11 Jun 2019
What happened to Helike?
There is little to see today of Helike, just a few walls and artefacts scraped clean by archaeologists. The great Greek city, famed across the classical world, sunk into the coastal mud of the Gulf of Corinth in 373 BC during a terrible earthquake.
6 Jun 2019
Tags: Archaeology, Earthquakes, Geoengineering, Geology, Hazards
Cliffs, clams and coral reefs: Looking below the sea's surface
The ocean covers more than two thirds of the world, but we have a detailed map of less than 20% of its floor. But slowly, marine geoscientists are filling in the gaps.
24 May 2019
Tags: Biodiversity, Mapping, Marine life, Oceans, Reefs, Robotics, Technology, UK
Change of tune for Hawaiian crickets?
Crickets that lost their song in an evolutionary bid to escape predators could hold the key to understanding how bursts of new species can form so quickly.
10 May 2019
From childhood ambition to ocean explorer: Looking back on a life at sea
Over the years, I've explored unvisited areas of ocean floor. I've discovered new ecosystems and described weird and wonderful species and even had the honour of having some named after me.
26 Apr 2019
Tags: Antarctic, Biodiversity, Marine life, Oceans
Copepods: The unsung heroes of the ocean
We all know the amazing job that bees and birds, as pollinators, do for the planet. But have you heard about the humble copepod?
24 Apr 2019
Tags: Animals, Arctic, Climate, Ecology, Environmental change, Marine life, Oceans
Widespread British pollinator losses
Insects that play an important role in pollination are disappearing from areas of Great Britain.
27 Mar 2019
Tags: Bees, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Environmental change, Farming, Insects, Pollinators, UK
Listening in: Sounds of minke whales recorded for first time
The minke whale is one of the largest marine species regularly visiting the Scottish coast, but its secretive and unpredictable lifestyle means much of its behaviour remains a mystery.
12 Mar 2019
Tags: Animals, Marine life, Oceans, Technology, UK
How are plankton changing?
Scientists are one step closer to understanding how plankton communities are changing in coastal waters and shelf seas around the UK.
1 Mar 2019
Working with China to find a solution to pollution
Scientists are delving underground to study the agricultural impacts to soil and water, and are one step closer to finding a solution to land degradation and pollution.
7 Feb 2019
Tags: Farming, Food, Pollution, Soils, Technology