Photo: Climate Change Pushing Tropics Farther, Faster

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Tropical habitats along the Equator are spreading north and south much faster than predicted by climate-change models, according to a new study of Earth's air circulation patterns.

If the shift continues, nontropical ecosystems will be disrupted—leading to "very unpredictable consequences," an expert says.

Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita/NGS

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