Environment

Jungle vs rainforest: what exactly is the difference?
Think they’re interchangeable? Think again. While they might share some of the same tropical features, the difference between a jungle and a rainforest comes down to one crucial thing – light.

"One day it’s there. The next it’s gone. Then it’s back again." 11 weirdest, bizarrest lakes on the planet – including one that contains a fluid that's not water...
From the deepest to the oldest, the deadliest to the smallest here are the weirdest lakes in the world

A snake hitched a ride to a remote Pacific island. This is what happened next.
It looks like your average snake, but it has been wreaking havoc on this remote island for decades.
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The strange, very peculiar lake that forms a mythical dragon's giant eye every spring
A seasonal natural phenomenon known as the 'Dragon Eye' transformers a crater lake near the summit of Mount Hachimantai in northern Japan into a giant eye.

‘Millions of trees and shrubs have been planted.’ Epic projects are underway to ‘regreen’ Earth’s deserts
Is there a way to regreen the world's deserts?

“After four short hours hiking its ancient forest, we’d decided to move to the Scottish Highlands”
Kate Bradbury on rewildling efforts in the Caledonian forest

Imagine if dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct. Here's what scientists think may have happened next
66 million years ago, a city-sized asteroid hurtled toward Earth – then sailed straight past…

These colossal spires rise from the Siberian wilderness like skyscrapers. They're filled with dead animals
Reaching heights of up to 200m, these great pinnacles are the remains of an enormous ancient reef belt.

It’s the same size as the city of Amsterdam, has breathtaking waterfalls and contains venomous snakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Croatia

Why on Earth are pink lakes pink? The science behind nature's most vibrant waters
Yes some lakes are pink. Here's why

"Known as the Gateway to Hell, where lurid-coloured acid lakes create an eerie, alien world." 10 barren dead zones where nothing survives...
Dead zones are fascinating, often alien places, where nothing or very little lives

This iconic New York landmark is becoming a magnet – not just for tourists, but birds
Does anything live on the Statue of Liberty – and Ellis Island?

Hundreds of dying rivers, 4 million km² of wetlands lost and 420 water-related violent conflicts: Just how dangerous is the global water emergency?
From shrinking rivers and dying wildlife to growing fears of global conflict, here’s why experts say the world is running dangerously dry.

60 metres below an arid desert lies a secret, gigantic underground lake that's hundreds of metres deep and home to animals found nowhere else on earth
It might sound like a location from The Game of Thrones, but the Dragon’s Breath Cave, hidden deep below the Kalahari Desert in Namibia, is actually the home of a vast 264-metre-deep lake, with a surface area the size of two football pitches

This gigantic tusk and more than 70 bones were dug up at a construction site in Germany. Here's why the discovery is so exceptional
After several years of detailed study, scientists from Germany have cracked a cold case that has been on ice since the Last Glacial Maximum.

It’s the size of Hong Kong and contains the highest mountain on Earth – and it’s home to a mighty carnivore
Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is home to some of the planet's hardiest animals – from woolly hares and red pandas to high-flying geese and stalking snow leopards.

It’s the size of Texas, stores 70 billion tonnes of carbon and deadly predators roam its harsh, remote landscape
The West Siberian Lowland is the world’s largest high-latitude wetland and contains the biggest peatland

Expedition to remote Angolan plateau reveals dozens of dazzling new species
Numerous species previously unknown to science have been discovered in a ‘biodiversity blank spot’ in Angola on the west coast of Southern Africa.

"Stop, prevent your death! Go no further." 9 deadliest, most terrifying caves on the planet
For those who chose to explore them, caves are a source of fascination, but these can be dark, inhospitable places, full of twist and turns and tunnels and chambers says Helen Pilcher.

These 50-million-year-old giants are taller than the Statue of Liberty – and there are thousands of them
Utah's Bryce Canyon isn’t a canyon at all, but a vast high plateau carved into numerous amphitheatres – and within these incredible rock formations there is life.

Siberia’s ‘Gateway to Hell’ is getting bigger. And it’s spewing out prehistoric animals
Known by some as the ‘Gateway to Hell’, the Batagay crater in Siberia is the world’s largest megaslump

A carnivore has moved into Florida's Everglades – and it's threatening native crocodiles and alligators
The invasive spectacled caiman could be hampering efforts to restore the Everglades ecosystem, according to a recent review.

This Italian island is home to an active volcano – and a horde of wild goats
Living in the shadow of an active volcano is nerve-wracking – but the residents of Stromboli face another challenge

The same size as Casablanca, this arid landscape holds over 15 staggering 300m rock towers older than the dinosaurs – and America’s deadliest snake
Discover the land of red rock towers, legendary monsters and coyotes
