Photos from friends: An early season aurora in Lapland

It's only when when autumn comes, and the nights begin to lengthen, that aurora season begins in earnest at northerly latitudes.

Did clouds help Snowball Earth thaw out?

There's evidence Earth was covered by a planet-wide glacier, more than 650 million years ago. But how did Earth thaw out again?

World’s stinkiest fruit: Durian is a chemical cacophony

Dozens of chemical compounds contribute to the durian’s, um, unique aroma.

Super Typhoon Bopha major threat for the Philippines

Super Typhoon Bopha will hit the Philippine island of Mindanao early Tuesday morning (December 4, 2012) as a Category 4 or 5 storm.

US west coast getting hit hard by extreme weather

An atmospheric river is creating a lot of wind, rain, and snow across the west coast of the United States. The nasty weather will continue this weekend.

Lesli Wood: Exploring Gulf of Mexico deep water oil

To meet demand for oil within U.S. borders, industry has pushed the limits of technology to reach oil reserves in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

What are great white sharks doing when they dive deep?

Sharks may be visiting an open area of the Pacific Ocean known as the White Shark Café. Scientists are trying to determine why.

Large, violent tornado caught on video in Italy on November 28

The large tornado struck in southeast Italy, in the town of Taranto. Check out this video. At least 20 people injured. Unconfirmed reports of three deaths.

Galapagos giant tortoises migrate, albeit slowly and not too far

Large male Galapagos giant tortoises trek, slow and steady, from the island lowlands up across the volcanic slopes and back again.

Who died during Hurricane Sandy, and why?

Hurricane Sandy took over 100 lives in the United States. Most were over the age of 65. Most deaths were from drowning.