A massive solar storm that struck Earth over 14 000 years ago has been identified as the strongest ever recorded. Traces of the event were discovered in ancient tree rings, revealing a sharp spike in radiocarbon levels in 12 350 BC. The finding extends the known limits of solar activity and provides a rare reference point for dating events in the Late Glacial period.
A G5 – Extreme geomagnetic storm in May 2024 revealed just how far-reaching space weather can be. From subtle shifts in Earth’s upper atmosphere to radiation spikes on Mars, the event challenged infrastructure, disrupted systems, and gave scientists an enormous archive of data.
A new study shows that Earth’s upper atmosphere can pulse in near-perfect sync with subtle rhythms from the Sun. Researchers tracked minute-scale bursts from a powerful solar flare and found matching fluctuations in electron density overhead. The discovery reveals a direct, finely timed link between solar activity and conditions in Earth’s ionosphere.
The ground beneath major U.S. cities is slowly sinking, according to new research that documents land subsidence in all 28 of the nation’s most populous urban areas. Driven primarily by groundwater extraction, the phenomenon poses a structural risk to homes, roads, and infrastructure in cities such as New York, Houston, and Chicago.
Natural disaster-related losses in the first quarter of 2025 have surged to over USD 110 billion, a sharp increase from the decade-long average. While insurers absorbed a substantial portion of these damages, nearly half of the losses remain uninsured. With the US facing mounting risks from severe storms and wildfires, the protection gap remains a growing concern.
Antarctica has shown a rare shift in behavior, gaining ice mass between 2021 and 2023 after years of steady decline. Using satellite gravimetry, researchers tracked this anomaly and linked it to unusual precipitation rather than long-term change. The findings offer insight into the continent’s sensitivity but little certainty about what comes next.
A new study published in PNAS provides the most detailed view to date of the dormant Uturuncu volcano in southwestern Bolivia, revealing that its long-standing ground deformation and seismic unrest are driven by the movement of hot fluids and gases, not by magma ascent. Researchers conclude there is no immediate eruption risk, but confirm that a deep magmatic system remains active beneath the surface.
Gold may not come from where you think. According to new research, some of the gold found in objects like phones and laptops could have been forged in violent magnetar explosions billions of years ago.
Kosmos 482, a Soviet descent module built to survive Venus’s atmosphere, is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between May 8 and 11, 2025, with a high probability of debris survival due to its robust design.
Researchers predict that solar cycle 25 will produce 2 ± 1 extremely strong solar flares (stronger than X14.3) after spring 2027, along with a broader estimate of 5 ± 2 flares exceeding X10, based on solar observations since 1975.
