In recent months there’ve been hints of an El Niño on the horizon that might help quench the ongoing U.S. drought. But those hints might turn out to be as meaningless as a mirage on a parched highway.

Researchers ponder the implications of a massive summer storm in the Arctic Ocean that swept across a weakened ice pack.

In some areas, heat from urban development could outpace warming due to greenhouse gases.

As rising temperatures melt glaciers around the world, scientists are tracking the changes and helping glacier-dependent regions adapt to a changing water supply.

Until supplies approach a trickle—or a torrent—public attention seldom focuses on water issues. But water is consistently Topic A for a wide-ranging group of researchers.