Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Not so fast! Andes rise was gradual, not abrupt
Trailing like a serpent's spine along the western coast of South America, the Andes are the world's longest continental mountain range and the highest range outside Asia, with an average...
Iceland Volcano Pictures: Eruption Sparks Tourist Boom
A cascading "lavafall," hikes to cooling flows, and fiery fountains have helped boost tourism around Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
TNK-BP yields up at fire-damaged refinery
MOSCOW, April 2 (UPI) -- One of the oldest refineries in Russia has returned to full production yields following fire damage to a crude distillation unit, oil company TNK-BP...
Comet trail may have caused last ice age
CARDIFF, England, April 2 (UPI) -- A thousand-year freeze that began in 11,000 B.C. may have been caused by thousands of atomic-force chunks from a disintegrating comet, a British...
Thousands of Quakes Strike Glaciers Every Day
Icequakes shake glaciers in Alaska every day, sending out seismic waves similar to earthquakes.
To be sustainable, China must implement bold innovations
Complex issues have hampered China's environmental protection efforts, but bold innovations can help it become a global sustainability leader, says a noted Michigan State University environmental scientist...
Despite Mild Winter and Few Hunters, Seal Pups Face Threats
The same warm weather that has kept hunters’ boats in harbors has also reduced the amount of ice, a main habitat for harp seals.
E.P.A. Moves to Limit Water Pollution From Mining
The new guidelines will benchmark the permissible levels of runoff introduced into Appalachian waterways as a result of an aggressive form of coal extraction.
Desert spreading like 'cancer,' Egypt conference told
The desert is making a comeback in the Middle East, with fertile lands turning into barren wastes that could further destabilise the region, experts said at a water conference on...
U.S. Bid to Combat Climate Change Starts with Cars and Trucks
The nation's first mandatory attempt to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions is now a fact--and it will show up in a driveway near you in 2012.
How Fast Did The Andes Rise?
How quickly the Andes Mountains reached their current height, an average elevation of 13,000 feet, has been a contentious debate in geological circles. Some researchers claim the mountains rose abruptly...
Hot Mantle May Prop Up the Seafloor
New findings may help settle mystery of a shallower-than-expected sea bottom
'Historic' agricultural conference wraps up with roadmap
The first GCARD conference was generally regarded a success, but some NGOs remain sceptical.
Probing Question: How fast are the polar ice sheets melting?
The massive ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica are shrinking. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, summer melt on the Greenland ice increased by 30 percent...
Oil finds shift focus on Latin America
BOGOTA, April 1 (UPI) -- A series of unrelated oil industry developments in Latin America are shifting focus away from the Middle East to the South American continent as...
Glaciers and Ice Caps: How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge of the cold, hard facts about Earth’s ice and its link to climate change with our brain freezer teaser.
U.S. worries as Iran slips in backyard
BEIRUT, Lebanon, April 1 (UPI) -- The United States is concerned about Iran's bridge-building with Latin American regimes as the confrontation with Tehran over its nuclear ambitions gets sharper.
NASA Radar Developed for Mars Could Find Water Hiding Deep Beneath Earth Deserts
With 884 million people lacking a reliable source of clean drinking water, droughts throughout Africa and the Middle East exacerbating already tense situations, and global warming only making those problems worse, finding water...
Duck Winter Survival Rates Stabilize More than a Decade After Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Although thousands of birds and mammals were killed immediately following the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, the long-term effects of oil exposure on the region's wildlife remain a concern.
EHP Celebrates Earth Day Anniversary with Podcast Featuring Environmental Science Pioneer Theo Colborn
In celebration of this month's 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) today posted a new podcast featuring preeminent zoologist Theo Colborn describing her work...
Bolivia, China team up on communications satellite
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales signed an agreement on Thursday that paves the way for the acquisition of a $300 million Chinese telecommunications satellite, the latest...
Now in broadband: Acoustic imaging of the ocean
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have developed two advanced broadband acoustic systems that they believe could represent the acoustic equivalent of the leap from black-and-white television to high-definition...
Researchers develop new method to detect melamine in milk
CORAL GABLES FL (April 1, 2010)-- University of Miami assistant professor in the College of Engineering, Na Li and her collaborators have developed a fast, economical and easy method to...
Toxic N.L. mine hasn't harmed residents: tests
Relief has replaced anxiety for people in central Newfoundland who were worried about lead contamination from old mines near their community.
Instant insight: Catalysis for coal conversion
Yvonne Traa discusses how converting coal to energy and fuel can be made more environmentally friendly
Total tapping shale gas in France
COURBEVOIE, France, April 1 (UPI) -- French supermajor Total announced it was awarded a permit to exploit shale gas in a 1,670 square-mile area in the south of France.
U.N. frustrated by climate efforts
BONN, Germany, April 1 (UPI) -- Though 75 nations signed commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, it isn't enough to limit global warming, U.N. officials said in...
New test assesses gas drilling effects on soils
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have developed the Cornell Soil Health Test to evaluate soil response to management on different types of land. It's intended to assess changes due to gas drilling...