NOAA

Why the science of tides was crucial for D-Day

3:01am June 05, 2024

June 6, 1944 the Allied Forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and took the Nazis by surprise in the largest sea-to-land invasion in history. This would be remembered as D-Day and would ultimately lead to the end of World War II in Europe. However, this planned attack wouldn't have been possible without deep knowledge of ocean tides! We get into the whole story, including why tides sit at the intersection of astronomy and marine ecology — and why understanding tides are key to a greener future.

Want to hear us cover more science history? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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The solar flare as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on May 9, 2024. The flare has triggered a severe geomagnetic storm watch for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Science

A huge solar storm is hurtling toward the Earth. Scientists say you should look up

1:47pm May 10, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

An aurora could be visible as far south as Northern California. Experts say the storm could disrupt some communications and navigation systems like GPS.

Large icebergs and smaller pieces of ice melt in the ocean waters near Ilulissat, Greenland on Sept. 7, 2023. The icebergs broke free from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the largest and fastest moving Greenland outlet glaciers. Ice loss from Greenland has increased substantially during the 21st century and continued in 2023.

Science

Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change

4:32pm December 12, 2023

by Barbara Moran / WBUR

This past summer in the Arctic was the warmest since 1900, leading to early snowmelt and diminished sea ice.

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This GOES-East GeoColor satellite image taken June 2 shows Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

National

An active 2023 hurricane season comes to a close

2:46pm November 30, 2023

by Greg Allen

The Atlantic hurricane season ends today. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says more named storms formed in the Atlantic this year than any other El Niño year in the modern record.

A man walks in the rain along a street in Austin, Texas, Nov. 11, 2022.

National

Winter forecast: A warmer North, wetter South because of El Nino, climate change

2:07am October 23, 2023

by The Associated Press

Most of the country is predicted to be warmer than normal with that warmth stretching north from Tennessee, Missouri, Nebraska and Nevada, along with nearly all of California, say federal forecasters.

An aerial view of a stuck boat on a dried out lake in Bolivia. A new report finds that September 2023 was the hottest September on record. South America - which is coming out of its winter - also saw record high temperatures.

Environment

It's the warmest September on record thanks to El Niño and, yes, climate change

6:46am October 14, 2023

by Julia Simon

A new government report finds that September 2023 was the hottest in the agency's 174-year global climate record. Climate change and El Niño are driving the heat.

Experts say the model will be a valuable tool for future Titanic research and deep-sea exploration in general.

A remarkable new view of the Titanic shipwreck is here, thanks to deep-sea mappers

2:32pm May 20, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

The Titanic wreck is hard to reach and harder to capture, with most images showing just a section at a time. The first full-sized digital scan offers what experts call a game-changing view.

A killer whale, measuring more than 20 feet, died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla., on Wednesday, authorities said.

First orca whale to be stranded in southeast U.S. in decades showed signs of illness

2:43pm January 13, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

A killer whale more than 20 feet long died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla. This is the third known orca to be stranded in the southeastern U.S. and the first since 1956, an official says.

This Climate.gov graphic shows how La Niña generally affects weather conditions in the United States. Forecasters say there's a nearly 90% chance that La Niña conditions will be in place from December 2021 to February 2022.

La Niña is coming. Here's what that means for winter weather in the U.S.

5:11pm October 15, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The climate pattern known as La Niña generally brings winters that are drier and warmer than usual across the southern U.S. and cooler and wetter in the northern part of the country.

Aerial view of a coral reef area at Playa Blanca, in Portobelo, Colon province, Panama, on April 16, 2021. A massive new report shows that the world's coral reefs are under stress, but could recover if greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced.

A new report shows just how much climate change is killing the world's coral reefs

12:20pm October 05, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Rising ocean temperatures killed 14% of the world's coral reefs, a new analysis finds. But it's not without hope: Experts say many can recover if immediate action is taken to curb future warming.