Today in science: Happy birthday Albert J. Myer

As you check your local weather forecast today, give a nod to Albert J. Myer, born on this date in 1828, who helped to establish the US National Weather Service.

Summer 2019 tied for hottest on record for Northern Hemisphere

June through August 2019 was the Northern Hemisphere’s hottest summer on record, tied with 2016. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the same period marked the 2nd-warmest winter in the 140-year record.

Did an asteroid collision cause an ice age on Earth?

Could a collision between 2 asteroids millions of miles away cause an ice age on Earth, some 460 million years ago? A new study of earthly rocks and sediments - plus micrometeorites that fell in Antarctica - suggest it's possible.

Volcanic eruption creates moveable islands of pumice

Last month, rafts of pumice, spewed from an undersea volcano and spanning an area about the size of Washington, D.C., appeared in the South Pacific.

Tsunamis, wildfires followed dinosaur-killing impact

A new study that analyzed rock from deep within the Chicxulub impact crater helps reveal what happened within the first 24 hours after the asteroid impact that doomed the dinosaurs.

Why carbon dioxide has such outsized influence on Earth’s climate

Carbon dioxide, CO2, makes up less than one-twentieth of 1% of Earth's atmosphere. How does this relatively scarce gas control Earth's thermostat?

Plastic pollution has entered fossil record, says study

A new study has found that plastic pollution is being deposited into the fossil record, with deposits increasing exponentially since 1945.

T. rex had an air conditioner in its head

How did the huge dinosaurs stay cool?  According to a new study, they did it much as today's alligators do, with a built-in 'air conditioner' on the top of their skulls.

Yellowstone’s Steamboat geyser breaks record

With 33 eruptions as of August 27, Steamboat geyser in Yellowstone National Park is having an exceptionally active year.

Monster penguin was as tall as a person

An extinct species of giant penguin – over 5 feet (1.6 meters) tall – has been identified from fossils found in New Zealand.

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