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Articles on Equator

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Aerial view of a waterfall in the valley of Vilcabamba, Ecuador, where an historic lawsuit was won by a river in 2011. Curioso.Photography/Shutterstock

‘Legal animism’: when a river or even nature itself goes to court

Some countries have managed to elevate nature and ecosystems to the status of legal entities. Do these innovations really help to protect the environment?
The idea that the Coriolis force influences how water drains frequently appears in popular culture and urban legends. frantic00 / Shutterstock

Does the direction water rotates down the drain depend on which hemisphere you’re in? Debunking the Coriolis effect in your sink

This physical effect does explain how some massive natural phenomena like hurricanes behave. But on the scale of water in your sink – not so much.
Shutterstock

Marine life is fleeing the equator to cooler waters. History tells us this could trigger a mass extinction event

Climate change has already made tropical oceans too hot for some marine species to survive. As they flee towards the poles, the implications for ecosystems and human livelihoods will be profound.
The Monkeypox virus was isolated most recently in 2012 from a dead infant mangabey (species of monkey) in Ivory Coast. Shutterstock

Monkeypox has resurfaced in Nigeria. What you need to know

A disease suspected to be monkeypox is on the rampage in Nigeria. In less than one month, it has spread to seven of the country’s 36 states and infected 31 people.
The mass of the Earth is big enough that the gravitational force it creates can pull the hard shape of ice, rock and metal into a sphere. NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data from Miguel Román, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Curious Kids: Why is the Earth round?

Imagine the Earth pulling everything it is made up of, all of its mass, towards its centre. This happens evenly all over the Earth, causing it to take on a round shape.
The Tropic of Capricorn sign in Namibia. Expansion of the tropics will have huge implications for people and nature. Shutterstock

Africa should be worried about the expanding tropics

The tropics are expanding at an unprecedented rate. This will have massive implications for societies, economies and the natural world.

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