Planet Earth stories
That sinking feeling
February 2014 saw the appearance of at least three times more sinkholes in the UK than is normal for a whole year. Sue Nelson talks to experts from the British Geological Survey to find out what's making these huge holes open up.
29 Aug 2014
Abandoned landfills are polluting UK rivers
Abandoned landfill sites throughout the UK routinely leach polluting chemicals into rivers, say scientists.
26 Aug 2014
Podcast: The evolution of the British peppered moth
This week in the Planet Earth podcast, Ilik Saccheri and Arjen van 't Hof of the University of Liverpool describe how the British peppered moth changed from peppered to black during the Industrial Revolution in northern England.
19 Aug 2014
Isotopes reveal the diet of a king
Richard III enjoyed a life of luxury during the brief period between becoming king and perishing at the Battle of Bosworth, an analysis of the chemical composition of his bones and teeth has shown.
17 Aug 2014
Tags: Archaeology, UK
Mycology against malaria
Insect-borne infections take an appalling toll across much of the world, and they're turning up in new places. Tom Marshall finds out how fungi could help us fight back.
15 Aug 2014
Ship noise puts fish in danger
Noise made by passing ships stops eels from using their survival instincts, say NERC-supported scientists investigating the effects of man-made noise on fish.
7 Aug 2014
Tags: Animals, Biology, Climate, Earth observation, Earth system, Environmental change, Fish, Hazards, Marine life, Oceans, Pollution, Technology, UK, Water
Taking the environment's pulse
Long-term observation of our ecosystems is critical for us to understand environmental change. Andy Sier looks back on the contribution of 20 years of observation and research by the Environmental Change Network.
1 Aug 2014
Tags: Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, Environmental change, Insects, Rivers and lakes, UK
Coastal defences could contribute to flooding with sea-level rise
A combination of coastal defences and rising sea levels could change typical UK tidal ranges, potentially leading to a higher risk of flooding, say scientists.
1 Aug 2014
Tags: Environmental change, Flooding, Hazards, Oceans, Sea level change, UK
Podcast: Using X-rays to look inside ancient leaves
This week in the Planet Earth podcast, Roy Wogelius and Nick Edwards of the University of Manchester explain how they used extremely bright light from particle accelerators to delve into the chemistry of exceptionally well preserved fossil leaves from the Green River Formation in the US.
22 Jul 2014
Tags: Palaeontology, Plants, Podcasts