Understanding why ocean water is salty but river water isn’t is a fascinating topic, and one that has intrigued scientists for centuries. The answer lies in a combination of geological and natural ...

A pile of coarse-grained salt with wooden scoop. - By Marion C. Haßold, Www.marionhassold.com/Getty Images If you've ever accidentally had your mouth open when you ...

Firefighters battling the deadly wildfires that raced through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 have been hampered by a limited supply of freshwater. So, when the winds are calm enough, skilled ...

As the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to scorch Southern California, helpless spectators are raising questions about whether there are better ways to tame the flames. While some fire hydrants in ...

I recently talked to coworkers about which kinds of salt their families used, and I was surprised that table and sea salt ...

Scientists have studied the possibility of filling the receding Great Salt Lake with water from the Pacific Ocean, through an 800-mile ocean pump—and the results do not look good. The Great Salt Lake, ...

On the Great Lakes, waves build without warning and water churns with a cold, erratic energy. Waves are steep and packed ...

In Los Angeles, “Super Scooper” planes are dumping ocean water on the raging wildfires. But using seawater has downsides Patrick Megonigal, Associate Director of Research, Smithsonian Environmental ...

Patrick Megonigal receives funding from the Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Lab, National Science Foundation, and Simons Foundation. He is affiliated with Pacific Northwest National ...