Nature

Chile is one of the best places to stargaze, thanks to its climate and remote areas free of light pollution. Local astronomer Rodrigo Zuciga Vázquez shares his favorite spots and recommendations.

The country’s stunning landscapes, from the snow-capped peaks of Torres del Paine National Park to the green vineyards of the Central Valley, become even more impressive after sunset. At night, the sky turns into a mesmerizing spectacle, with stars sparkling against the darkness. Particularly prized are the dark celestial basins, where astronomers can experience a truly up-close connection with the cosmos.

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The Midwest is facing hot weather, and corn fields in the region are making the climate more humid. The phenomenon, known as “corn sweat,” is familiar to meteorologists and farmers, adding moisture to the atmosphere and making the heat worse.

Corn, like other plants, uses a process called evapotranspiration to extract water from the soil and re-release it into the atmosphere. In hot weather, corn needs more water, which increases the amount of moisture that evaporates.

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The saltmarsh sparrow depends on coastal marshes that stretch from Virginia to Maine for survival. Their decline points to an ecosystem on the brink of collapse.

Deirdre Robinson, co-director of the Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative, carefully picks her way through the grass, hoping to spot a nest. The sparrows, with their orange-red faces and striped plumage, build their nests in marshes, but are facing challenges as sea levels rise and tides rise.

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Hundreds of oil platforms in the ocean around the world are nearing the end of their useful lives. The problem is that what happens to these giant structures could impact the environment. There are about 12,000 oil platforms scattered beneath the ocean floor that were built to extract oil and gas. In the next ten years, many of them will reach the end of their useful lives as the wells run out of reserves or are no longer profitable.

Energy companies use loud air guns to create seismic maps to find oil and gas deposits. These platforms are enormous. For example, the Bullwinkle platform in the Gulf of Mexico is taller than the Empire State Building and almost twice as big as the Eiffel Tower. The platforms can also provide housing for workers and withstand hurricanes. The steel materials can be recycled, sent to landfills, or, in rare cases, buried in the deep ocean.

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The Mississippi River carries tons of grain and agricultural products each year. So what happens when more frequent droughts shorten America’s longest river? The Mississippi River, which runs from Minnesota to Louisiana, is a key transportation route for goods, but it has faced serious challenges in recent years.

The river serves as a “superhighway” for 92 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports and 78 percent of the world’s feed grains each year. But the increasing frequency of droughts means barges can carry less cargo. According to the latest National Climate Report, climate change could negatively impact the Mississippi with serious regional and national consequences. Even a small one-foot drop in water levels results in a loss of 100,000 bushels of soybeans from a typical 15-barrel freight — equivalent to 2,738 metric tons.

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