Harvey, Irma and Maria - all 2017 hurricanes - are among the top 5 costliest Atlantic hurricanes since record-keeping began in 1851.

"Love the earth and sun and the animals ..." - Walt Whitman

This year's list includes a towering tree and a tiny, single-celled protist, as well as a rare great ape and the fossil of an Australian marsupial lion.

"I am living a few hundred feet above a scar, a surface representing the worst disaster ever inflicted on planet Earth."

My best sprite lightning capture to date, said long-time observer Paul Smith.

A new study suggests our planet got its 1st snowfall about 2.4 billion years ago, after a lot of land rose swiftly from the sea and set off dramatic changes on Earth.

'What we are witnessing is major hydrologic change,' they said. Over 14 years, Earth's wet land areas got wetter. Dry areas got drier. They also reported multiple hot spots resulting from groundwater depletion.

Summer is a great time to frolic in the woods, but look out for poison ivy, oak, and sumac! Top tips for summer itch-prevention.

A large explosion happened on May 18 at Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, and, at that time, the 1st serious injury was reported. USGS warned of the release of toxic gases in a plume called a laze, which happens when molten lava hits sea water. Images and videos here.

Report on CFC-11 - an illegal chemical responsible for ozone-depletion in Earth's atmosphere - now apparently on an upswing again. Meanwhile, new direct evidence the ban on CFCs is working and the ozone hole is recovering.