'Air-Conditioning' Rivers and Streams Could Save Overheated Fish
Warming waters pose a danger to Atlantic salmon. A new effort aims to lower the temperature in waterways used by the fish to spawn
Stories by Chelsea Harvey
Chelsea Harvey covers climate science for Climatewire. She tracks the big questions being asked by researchers and explains what's known, and what needs to be, about global temperatures. Chelsea began writing about climate science in 2014. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Popular Science, Men's Journal and others.
We Are Racing Toward Earth's Catastrophic Tipping Points
Temperatures are skyrocketing. Extinctions are accelerating. Groundwater is being depleted. Humanity can limit damage, but it will take collective global action
Arctic Cyclones Are Getting Stronger, More Damaging
As the climate warms, Arctic cyclones are lasting longer and becoming stronger, leading to more sea ice loss
Scientists Explore Pulling Potent Methane Out of the Air to Curb Warming
Methane traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, but pulling it from the air could prove to be a more complex task than removing CO2
Here's Why Salt Water Is Invading the Mississippi and Whether It Will Happen More Often
Raging floods, intensifying drought and rising seas could affect saltwater intrusion
Climate Disasters Displaced 43 Million Children in Just Six Years
The Philippines, India and China have seen the greatest total number of children displaced by disasters—some 23 million—in recent years
Lethal Heat Is Spreading across the Planet
Since 1970 more than 350 weather stations have experienced at least one six-hour period of a potentially deadly combination of heat and humidity. Scientists expect these episodes will increase as temperatures rise
The Grand Canyon Is Getting Even Hotter and More Dangerous
A new study finds that heat-related illness incidents will soar alongside temperatures inside the famed Grand Canyon National Park
The World's Oldest Moss Outlived the Dinosaurs, but It May Not Survive Climate Change
The world’s oldest moss has survived Earth’s shifting landscapes for more than 400 million years, but climate change is happening faster than it can adapt
Heat Waves Could Kill Off Human-Bred Mosquitoes
Rising heat could debilitate mosquitoes bred to slow the transmission of viruses such as yellow fever and dengue
California Waves Have Grown a Foot Taller because of Climate Change
The number of extreme wave events—when crests are taller than 13 feet—have doubled along California since the mid-20th century
A Sun Shield over Earth? Catch an Asteroid, and It Might Work
A resurfaced idea for solar geoengineering imagines a sunlight-blocking space shield tethered to an asteroid
Is A Mega Ocean Current About to Shut Down?
An alarming study predicts an imminent collapse of a mega ocean current, but some experts say the evidence is insufficient
Deep-Sea Mining Can Chase off Marine Life for Months
Even small deep-sea mining operations can have a significant effect on marine life, a new study has found, just as such mining operations are poised to begin with no industry rules in place
Climate Change Is Changing the Color of the Ocean
The world’s oceans are becoming greener with climate change, possibly because of changing amounts of plankton or other organic material in the water
Climate Change Could Stump AI Weather Prediction
Artificial intelligence taps historical weather data in forecasting, but the changing climate is complicating such efforts
60,000 People Died from Blistering European Heat Waves, New Analysis Finds
Tens of thousands of people died during intense heat waves in Europe last summer, indicating that heat prevention plans aren’t protecting vulnerable populations
Weather Warning Inequity: Lack of Data Collection Stations Imperils Vulnerable People
Early warning about impending weather disasters is almost impossible across large, low-income regions of the world
Snowcapped Mountains Are Turning into Dangerous Rain-Soaked Slopes
Extreme rainfall is increasing in the Northern Hemisphere’s mountain ranges as global temperatures rise, raising the dangers of floods and landslides
World's Second Named Heat Wave Strikes Spain
Heat Wave Yago is baking Seville, Spain, the first city in the world to introduce a heat wave naming and ranking system
Record Warm Atlantic Fuels an Unusual Tropical Storm
Record ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are causing storms to form much farther east than usual
Climate Change Has Made California's Wildfires Five Times Bigger
New research finds that the area burned by wildfires during summer in California has increased fivefold since 1971 because of more arid conditions caused by climate change
Canada's Wildfires Are a Warning of the East Coast's Smoky Future
Ontario and Quebec could see wildfires grow more intense and frequent as a changing climate brings unusually hot and dry conditions
An Ice-Free Arctic Could Be Only a Decade Away
A new study finds that Arctic sea ice could disappear in the summers as early as the 2030s, a decade earlier than previously thought