Stories - AZPM

The largest island in the ring is the tourist mecca of Santorini (also known as Thira), while the other islands are Thirasia and Aspronisi. The three pieces are what remains after an enormous eruption destroyed most of a volcanic island. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory.

UA Tree-Ring Research Narrows Window for Massive Bronze Age Eruption

Newer methods helped close the gap on an ancient explosion that dimmed the sun across the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Navajo Generating Station, April 2018.

Potential New Coal Plant Operator Offers Few New Details

The Chicago-based company said it would run the plant at 44 percent of capacity to make it more economical.

Monsoon Lightning Zaps Tucson Weather Radar Tower

Forecasters used work-arounds during weekend thunderstorms.

The California condor was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, but agencies and environmental groups have worked to bring numbers back up, according to the National Park Service.

Endangered Condors to be Released in Northern Arizona

The captive-bred birds of prey will be released atop the dramatic Vermilion Cliffs in Northern Arizona.

The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Arizona Sides With Developer in Water-Use Dispute

The long-standing lawsuit revolves around a proposed 7,000-home development in Sierra Vista, near the San Pedro River.

Desert-adapted birds like the cactus wren, at left, have declined throughout the Mojave Desert, but not as much as other birds. Decreased rainfall because of climate change appears to be the culprit. On the right, a Costa's hummingbird.

Research Reveals Climate-Driven Bird Collapse in Mojave Desert

Deserts globally have borne the brunt of warming and drying over the past 50 years.

Collaborative multi-media artists Bailey Hikawa and Scotty Wagner are Emotional.Store, performing as part of their "100 Year Plan".

Fight Your Fear of the Future with a "100 Year Plan"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Is Arizona ready for wildfires on the scale of those ravaging California?, how to help hummingbirds beat the peak summer heat, and stories of kindness in action.

Researchers retrieve a fishing net from the Pacific Ocean in 2015.

Giant Strainer Seeks to Clean Up Oceanic Garbage Patches

An Arizona researcher says it's only one approach to an dire problem that requires a variety of mitigation strategies.

Still image from a video released by the public relations department of Customs and Border Protection showing the start to construction of border wall prototypes.

2,700 Scientists: Planned Border Wall a Threat to Biodiversity

Scientists from 47 countries reviewed a scientific paper and concluded Trump's border wall will be an ecological disaster.

Spring snowmelt in C.C. Cragin Reservoir, 2017.

Forest Thinning, Burning Project OK'd to Protect Reservoir

The plan is aimed at preventing severe fire, erosion and flooding.

Salt River Canyon wilderness area, May 2016.

Invasive Snail Threatens Ecosystem of Arizona's Salt River

Apple snails were likely introduced into the river's ecosystem illegally from someone's aquarium.

A changing climate is prolonging and intensifying heat waves, scientists say, driving wildfires.

Study: Droughts Are Growing Hotter Under Climate Change

Stressors may include environmental and social impacts of drought and heatwaves, driving more frequent wildfires, worsening air quality and stressing crops and livestock.