Tech

Climate-driven coastal flooding in the US likely to get worse suddenly

Enlarge Our warming planet is melting lots of ice and heating the waters of the oceans, creating a clear trend of rising oceans. In some areas of the US, this is starting to cause what’s called nuisance flooding, where high tides cause coastal flooding even in the absence of storms. As the oceans continue to […]

Tech

Sea level rise uncertainties: Why all eyes are on Antarctica

Enlarge (credit: Donald Slater) A few years ago, an ice-sheet model grabbed attention when it projected much faster losses of Antarctic ice and, subsequently, faster sea level rise. Understanding how quickly Antarctica dumps ice into the ocean is the biggest issue in sea level science—the current range of possibilities is huge and includes remarkable rates of […]

Tech

Archaeologists found the site of Harriet Tubman’s family home

Enlarge / Julie Schablitsky searches for artifacts at the site. (credit: Tim Pratt, MDOT) In the years before the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman led dozens of enslaved people to freedom through the network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the war, she scouted, spied, and led military raids against Confederate forces. […]