Carolyn Gramling

Carolyn Gramling

Earth & Climate Writer

Carolyn is the Earth & Climate writer at Science News. Previously she worked at Science magazine for six years, both as a reporter covering paleontology and polar science and as the editor of the news in brief section. Before that she was a reporter and editor at EARTH magazine. She has bachelor’s degrees in Geology and European History and a Ph.D. in marine geochemistry from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She’s also a former Science News intern.

All Stories by Carolyn Gramling

  1. Paleontology

    Earth’s largest ape went extinct 100,000 years earlier than once thought

    Habitat changes drove the demise of Gigantopithecus blacki, a new study reports. The find could hold clues for similarly imperiled orangutans.

  2. Climate

    COP28 nations agreed to ‘transition’ from fossil fuels. That’s too slow, experts say

    COP28 ended with a historic climate agreement to begin moving away from fossil fuels, but stopped short of mandating phasing them out.

  3. Climate

    COP28 is making headlines. Here’s why the focus on methane matters

    Here’s one takeaway from COP28: Deep cuts to methane are essential to meet the Paris Agreement goals. That’s still possible.

  4. Climate

    Here’s how 2023 became the hottest year on record

    The effects of climate change were on clear display in 2023 as records not only broke, but did so by surprising amounts.

  5. Climate

    A new UN report lays out an ethical framework for climate engineering

    The report’s release, which coincides with COP28, weighs the ethics of using technological interventions to mitigate climate change.

  6. Climate

    The last 12 months were the hottest on record

    The planet’s average temperature was about 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than the 1850–1900 average, a new report finds.

  7. Paleontology

    Newfound fossil species of lamprey were flesh eaters

    In China, paleontologists have unearthed fossils of two surprisingly large lamprey species from the Jurassic Period.

  8. Chemistry

    The development of quantum dots wins the 2023 Nobel prize in chemistry

    Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov split the prize for their work in creating nanoparticles whose properties depend on their size.

  9. Paleontology

    New computer analysis hints volcanism killed the dinosaurs, not an asteroid

    Scientists take a creative approach to investigating what caused the mass extinction 66 million years ago, but the debate is far from settled.

  10. Climate

    What’s driving an increasing number of hurricanes to rapidly intensify?

    Hurricane Lee is just the latest storm to explode in power in only hours. The phenomenon is linked to a warming world.

  11. Climate

    Arctic sea ice may melt faster in coming years due to shifting winds

    A complex dance between Arctic wind patterns and the Atlantic has limited the flow of warmer water north in recent years. That may be about to change.

  12. Climate

    Extreme ocean heat off Florida has ebbed. But for marine life, the danger remains

    After the recent heat wave, corals have received too much heat too early in the summer, and other sea life could see lingering effects too.