Water

Water is everywhere, seriously, making up more than 70 percent of the planet's surface. And you can't survive without it. To keep up with all things H2O, check out the most interesting discoveries related to water, from the stuff you drink, to the droplets that make up the planet's oceans, to water itself in all its glorious strangeness.
Related Topics: Ocean, Global Warming, Amphibians, Fish
Latest about water

What's the oldest lake on Earth?
By Elana Spivack published
The oldest lake in the world dates back about 25 million years and is also the world's deepest and most biologically diverse lake.

The universe's water is billions of years older than scientists thought — and may be nearly as old as the Big Bang itself
By Joanna Thompson published
A new study suggests that water first appeared in the universe just a couple hundred million years after the Big Bang — meaning life could have evolved billions of years earlier than previously thought.

Scientists spot water molecules flipping before they split, and it could help them produce cheaper hydrogen fuel
By Ben Turner published
A photograph of a water droplet.

NASA rover discovers liquid water 'ripples' carved into Mars rock — and it could rewrite the Red Planet's history
By Joanna Thompson published
NASA's Curiosity rover photographed remnants of rippling waves in an ancient Martian lakebed, proving that the Red Planet had open water for longer in its history than previously thought.

Scientists discover hidden 'plumbing' that's driving Antarctic ice sheet into the ocean
By Skyler Ware published
Maps created by combining different models of glaciers and ice sheets reveal the way water is flowing deep beneath Antarctica's ice.

What is alkaline water, and does it have any benefits?
By Manuela Callari published
Despite the health claims surrounding alkaline water, scientific evidence suggests its purported benefits may be overhyped.

1st supernovas may have flooded the early universe with water — making life possible just 100 million years after the Big Bang
By Harry Baker published
A new study suggests that the explosive deaths of the universe's earliest stars created surprising quantities of water that may have sparked extraterrestrial life in the very first galaxies.

Stark 'drought' maps reveal just why wildfires have blazed through Los Angeles
By Ming Pan published
The state is seeing a sharp water divide this year, with lots of rain in the north while the south has stayed dry. A hydrologist explains what’s happening.
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