Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Cracks Appear In Ice Under Mars Lander
Close-up images show cracks have developed in hard layer under Phoenix lander.
Cavers chart unique 'snowy' river of crystals
Hundreds of feet beneath Earth's surface, a few seasoned cave explorers venture where no human has set foot. Their headlamps illuminate mud-covered walls, gypsum crystals and mineral deposits.
Impact on wildlife limited in Miss. River spill
(AP) -- A large fuel spill that has shut down 100 miles of the Mississippi River for four days has had a limited impact on wildlife so far, but...
Oil Survey Says Arctic Has Riches
The Arctic may contain as much as a fifth of the world’s yet to-be-discovered oil and natural gas reserves, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey forecast.
EPA won't regulate 11 water contaminants
WASHINGTON, July 24 (UPI) -- Eleven potential drinking water contaminants will not be regulated, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined Thursday.
Boiling Hot Water Found in Frigid Arctic Sea
Well inside the Arctic Circle, scientists have found vents of water more than twice as the boiling point rising out of the seafloor.
U.S., New Zealand sign clean energy plan
WASHINGTON, July 24 (UPI) -- The United States and New Zealand committed to a plant that helps develop clean energy on island nations and territories, a U.S. official...
Russian scientists begin trial exploration of world's deepest lake
Russian scientists leading a submarine expedition to probe the world's deepest lake on Thursday carried out test dives ahead of the start of the operation next week, reports said.
Limestone may return climate
Adding millions of tonnes of limestone buried under the Nullarbor Plain to the world's oceans could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Top 10 Stargate Fan Favorite Episodes
Here are just some of the fans' favorite episodes of this seminal series.
Governors On Emissions: Westward No
Seven Western states are joining four Canadian provinces to propose a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions through use of a "cap and trade" system.
Region hit hard by 1993 floods showed economic resiliency, study indicates
With the first wave of clean-up efforts behind them, residents of communities affected by this year's Midwest floods may find hope in a University of Illinois study on the economic...
Landscape study may offer solutions for fire managers
A fire is currently burning through a study area where projections were made about fire behavior about 2 years ago. Managers used data and analysis from the Gotchen Late-Successional Reserve...
Huge Amount Of Fossil Fuels In Arctic: 90 Billion Barrels Of Oil And 1,670 Trillion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas
The area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 billion...
U.S. Study: Arctic Loaded with Oil and Gas
The untapped reserves beneath the seafloor in geopolitically controversial areas above the Arctic Circle.
Typhoons Bury Tons of Carbon in the Oceans
A single typhoon in Taiwan buries as much carbon in the ocean -- in the form of sediment -- as all the other rains in that country all year long...
Whale playground offers glimpse into Russia's melting Arctic
A young whale pokes its melon-shaped head into the cool morning air near this remote island, a sign its herd is thriving despite mounting threats in Russia's melting Arctic.
Opinion: Hot rocks rock!
The renewable energy resources are available - all that is required is the political will and a movement away from orthodox economic thinking, believes Kevin Cox.
Chemists join Olympic clean-up effort
Modeling and satellite technology improve atmosphere over Beijing
Israel to build new West Bank outpost
A key committee has approved construction of the first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank in a decade, an Israeli official said Thursday. The news infuriated Palestinians.
Expert warns wheat residue too valuable to lose
(AP) -- Times are good for wheat farmers, but they should resist the urge to harvest their crop residue and sell it for ethanol production, a federal researcher says.
Obama to speak near Brandenburg Gate
Presidential candidate Barack Obama travels to Berlin on Thursday to give the only public speech of a week-long foreign tour, an outdoor address on transatlantic ties that is likely to...
Pitt threatens to sue over family photos
Brad Pitt's lawyers say they will take legal action against anyone publishing photos taken of the actor and his newly enlarged family at their French estate. Severa; Web sites removed...
Paying to Save Tropical Forests Could Reduce Global Carbon Emissions
Wealthy nations willing to collectively spend about $1 billion annually could prevent the emission of roughly half a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year for the next 25...
U.N. database can aid climate, food issues
ROME, July 23 (UPI) -- A new, downloadable database on the world's soils can help tackle climate change and food production, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in...
Rose Shapiro on how to spot quacks
Rose Shapiro on the industry that recommends detoxes and hydration diets
China: Stoking the fire
China burns more coal than any other country; how it does so in the future will determine our planet's climate. Jeff Tollefson reports from Beijing.
China: The third pole
Climate change is coming fast and furious to the Tibetan plateau. Jane Qiu reports on the changes atop the roof of the world.