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

    How earthquakes build beefy gold nuggets

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

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Environment

    Landfills belch toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the air

    An analysis of samples from three Florida landfills shows that landfill gas can carry more PFAS than the liquid that leaches from the waste.

  9. Earth

    Something weird is happening to Earth’s inner core

    A new study claims to confirm that the inner core is now rotating more slowly than it was over a decade ago, but some researchers remain skeptical.

  10. Earth

    Geoscientists found the most dangerous part of a famous West Coast fault

    Seismic data reveal that the Cascadia megathrust consists of at least four segments, the most dangerous of which may lurk offshore of Washington.

  11. Environment

    A new approach to fighting wildfires combines local knowledge and AI

    Land managers in the western United States are using potential operational delineations, or PODS, to prepare for — and take advantage of — wildfires.

  12. Climate

    Three reasons why the ocean’s record-breaking hot streak is devastating

    Ocean warming enhances hurricane activity, bleaches coral reefs and melts Antarctic sea ice. That warming has been off the charts for the past year.