Latest science news in Earth & Climate
VIDEO: 'UK will run out of gas without shale'
The government has given the go-ahead for a firm to resume the controversial technique known as fracking to exploit gas in Lancashire.
Mars rover Curiosity nearing Yellowknife Bay
The NASA Mars rover Curiosity drove 63 feet (19 meters) northeastward early Monday, Dec. 10, approaching a step down into a slightly lower area called "Yellowknife Bay," where researchers intend...
Odds of U.S. White Christmas vary by region
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The probability of a white Christmas -- with snow at least an inch deep on Christmas Day -- is low for many...
Males hit by vehicles twice as likely to die
According to a newly published study, male pedestrians struck by vehicles are more than twice as likely to die as their female counterparts.
Researcher Says Detecting Tunnels Using Seismic Waves Not as Simple as It Sounds
A researcher at Sandia National Laboratories is working to improve the detection of shallow tunnels, with the ultimate goal of helping detect tunnels for areas where they could pose a...
Materials Science Thought Leaders Examine Global R&D Trends at TMS2013
The necessity of investing in basic research and the discussion of real-life success stories throughout the world will be the focus of Global R&D Trends--Implications for Material Sciences, a special...
How the First Chain Reaction Changed Science
The Atomic Age began at 3:25 p.m. on Dec. 2, 1942--quietly, in secrecy, on a squash court under the west stands of old Stagg Field at the University of Chicago.
Poorer quality wheat when carbon dioxide levels in the air rise
Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have a negative impact on the protein content of wheat grain and thus its nutritional quality. This is the finding of researchers at the...
As Amazon urbanizes, rural fires burn unchecked
Farmers in many parts of the world, like this one in the Peruvian Amazon, routinely use fire to clear land. Over past decades, many areas of the forested Amazon basin have become...
Want Conservatives To Take Action On The Environment? Frame It As A Moral Issue
Public opinion on environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, and toxic waste seems to fall along predictable partisan lines but they have little to do with science. People who deny...
Characteristics of US science and engineering doctorates detailed in new report
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics yesterday released a report titled Doctorate Recipients from US Universities: 2010 that unveils important trends in US doctoral education.
US energy experts say drilling can be made cleaner
In the Colorado mountains, a spike in air pollution has been linked to a boom in oil and gas drilling. On the plains of north Texas, there's a drilling boom,...
How Fast Is Earth Losing Its Forests? | Video
Deforestation can result from natural or human-started forest fires, poor logging practices, conversion to other uses or climate change. European GMES satellites are analyzing timber tracts to determine the real...
EU condemns Israel over settlements
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union warned Israel of unspecified consequences Monday if it goes through with plans to build thousands of new settler homes in...
Scientists probe Canadian sulfide ore to confirm microbial activity in seawater 2.7 billion years ago
An analysis of sulfide ore deposits from one of the world's richest base-metal mines confirms that oxygen levels were extremely low on Earth 2.7 billion years ago, but also shows...
Combating Dry Skin? SLU Dermatologist Offers Basic Tips for Hydration
SLU dermatologist suggests easy ways to hydrate your skin and prevent it from getting dry during winter.
Onion soaks up heavy metal: Bioremediation with waste food
Onion and garlic waste from the food industry could be used to mop up hazardous heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead, mercury and tin in contaminated materials, according to...
'Public ecology' could help resolve mountaintop mining issues
Mountaintop mining is the practice of using huge machines to remove layers of soil and rock to reach thin seams of coal.
Climatologist suggests Arctic Circle be a no-fly zone
A climatologist in the United States says the Arctic Circle should be a no-fly zone for major commercial flights because they could be a major cause of Arctic melting.
Prospectus addresses most pressing marine science questions
A 'Prospectus for UK marine science' has been published by the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. The themed issue, which includes contributions from scientists based at the National...
Elk bones tell stories of life, death, and habitat use at Yellowstone National Park
Concentrations of elk bones and antlers provide baseline ecological data complementary to aerial counts Yellowstone National Park, adding a historical component to live observation. Because bones can last decades to...
Space History Photo: Plum Brook's Lake Erie Pumping Station
One of two pumps used to retrieve the daily one million gallons of water necessary for the Plum Brook reactor.
Researchers model behavior of stream flow
Eighty billion metric tons is an unfathomable amount to the human brain. Yet that number is the estimation of the global amount of sediment eroded on a yearly basis over...
Frankincense collection can damage trees, and threaten the livelihoods of villages who depend on them
Frankincense is harvested by wounding the bark of trees and collecting the resin that is subsequently released from the wound, a process known as tapping. Tapping is carried out at...
Hurricane forecast team reviews influencing factors for 2013 Atlantic season
The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University today released its initial outlook for the 2013 Atlantic basin hurricane season. For its December forecast only, the team relies on probabilities...
Can gray water keep Texas landscapes green?
With water resources throughout Texas becoming scarcer, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist is working with others to determine the feasibility of using gray water to irrigate home landscapes.
Pay Dirt: How to Turn Tar Sands into Oil [Slide Show]
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta--Where does the U.S. get the bulk of the imported petroleum to support its oil addiction? Contrary to popular belief, it's not Saudi Arabia--it's Canada, which...