Nikk Ogasa

Nikk Ogasa

Staff Writer

Nikk Ogasa is a staff writer who focuses on the physical sciences for Science News, based in Tucson, Arizona. He has a master's degree in geology from McGill University, where he studied how ancient earthquakes helped form large gold deposits. He earned another master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His stories have been published in Science, Scientific American, Mongabay and the Mercury News, and he was the summer 2021 science writing intern at Science News.

All Stories by Nikk Ogasa

  1. Earth

    What leads rivers to suddenly change course?

    An analysis of satellite data could help predict where rivers will change their course and where their rerouted flows will go.

  2. Climate

    Why Hurricane Helene was so devastating

    The tempest caused record-breaking storm surge on the coast and widespread and deadly flooding and debris flows in the Appalachian Mountains.

  3. Oceans

    A vital ocean current is stable, for now

    The Florida Current, a major contributor to a system of ocean currents that regulate Earth’s climate, has not weakened as much as previously reported.

  4. Physics

    X-rays from nuclear blasts could defend Earth from asteroids

    The X-ray pulses could deflect asteroids up to 4 kilometers wide, a new study suggests.

  5. Environment

    A biogeochemist is tracking the movements of toxic mercury pollution

    Exposing the hidden movements of mercury through the environment can help reduce human exposure.

  6. Earth

    How earthquakes build beefy gold nuggets

    The strain imparted by an earthquake can generate voltages in quartz veins that stimulate the mineralization of gold.

  7. Earth

    Mantle waves buoy continents upward and bedeck them with diamonds

    A phenomenon occurring deep underground may explain how vast plateaus form far away from tectonic plate boundaries.

  8. Climate

    The world’s record-breaking hot streak has lasted 14 months. When will it end?

    Science News spoke with NOAA climatologist Karin Gleason about the ongoing record-breaking streak of record-high global temperatures.

  9. Earth

    Why Japan issued its first-ever mega-earthquake alert

    After a magnitude 7.1 temblor jolted southern Japan, the chances of a subsequent, larger quake occurring in the next week had slightly increased, experts said.

  10. Earth

    Squall line tornadoes are sneaky, dangerous and difficult to forecast

    New research is revealing the secrets of these destructive twisters, which dodge radar scans and often form at night.

  11. Climate

    Climate change is driving the extreme heat baking France’s Olympics

    In this week’s Extreme Climate Update, we look at record-breaking temps around the world and explain what the heat index is.

  12. Oceans

    This AI can predict ship-sinking ‘freak’ waves minutes in advance

    The model, which was trained on data from ocean buoys to identify potential rogue waves, could help save lives.