If the Amazon rainforest functions as our planet's lungs, what do raging wildfires threaten? An atmospheric scientist explains why the fires, though devastating, won't suffocate life on Earth.
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Articles on Atmospheric science
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'Night-shining' clouds normally found above the poles have now been seen as far south as Los Angeles.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are at 414 parts per million. But thanks to a recalculation of methane's warming power, the total amount of greenhouse gases is now equivalent to more than 500.
Over the past 20 years, Great Lakes water levels have gone from sustained multiyear lows to multiyear highs. Climate change is accelerating the transition between dry phases and wet phases.
What creates such dramatic storms across the US Great Plains? The key factors are topography and temperature differences.
A climatologist who studies precipitation trends explains how climate change is projected to make flooding events in the Midwest more severe and more frequent.
An atmospheric scientist explains why water can do some strange-looking things at very cold temperatures, and what's different about snowfalls on Mars.
Haze from Northern California wildfires has drifted as far east as Philadelphia. Wildfire smoke contains many potentially toxic substances, so anyone exposed to it should take basic precautions.
According to a new study, the oceans have absorbed more heat from climate change than previously thought. This could mean the Earth will warm even faster in the future than scientists have predicted.
Even a small cloud can weigh as much as four tonnes – but gravity, chemistry and temperature keep them floating in the sky.
When you see a bolt of lightning, do you immediately start counting to see how far off a storm is? An atmospheric scientist parses the practice.
An atmospheric scientist who studies the Arctic explains why – because of global warming – the U.S. may be in for longer cold spells in the winter.
The treaty to limit the destruction of the ozone layer is hailed as the most successful environmental agreement of all time. Three decades on, the ozone layer is slowly but surely returning to health.
What scientists know – and don't know – about the linkage between climate change and hurricanes.
Meteorology researchers across the country are prepping experiments for the mini-night the eclipse will bring on August 21 – two minutes and 36 seconds without the sun in the middle of the day.
Two atmospheric scientists explain how they weigh evidence such as ocean temperatures, wind speeds and other climate patterns to predict how many Atlantic hurricanes are likely to form this year.
When a bushfire rages so high it creates its own thunderstorm, it becomes a 'firestorm' - and makes life much more difficult for firefighters. We still have a lot to learn about what triggers them.
New study changes what we know about the pre-industrial atmosphere – and how we predict future climate change.
What the Montreal Protocol has done for the ozone hole threat other international accords could do for climate change – if we all agree.
While planes still emit too much carbon, they may also help the climate by ensuring clouds bounce more sunlight back into space.
Top contributors
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Honorary Fellow, CSIRO
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Research Group Leader, CSIRO
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Professor of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University
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Director and ARC Laureate Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
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Earth and paleo-climate scientist, Australian National University
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Lecturer, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
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Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Tasmania
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Honorary Fellow, CSIRO
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Research Projects Officer, Oceans and Atmosphere, Climate Science Centre, CSIRO
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Research Scientist at Space Science Institute and Fellow, Research School of Physics and Engineering and The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Associate Professor, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, UNSW Australia, UNSW
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Professor of Earth System Analysis, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
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Professor of Physics of the Oceans, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
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Associate Professor and Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology
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Senior Research Scientist, NASA
