Latest science news in Earth & Climate
It's a smaller moon we see
Newly found cliffs on its surface suggest it has shrunk in the past and may still be shrinking, though not dramatically, researchers say.Newly discovered cliffs on the moon indicate that...
Coral reefs threatened by climate change
JAKARTA, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A dramatic rise in the surface temperature of Indonesian waters has devastated local coral populations, research shows. ...
WHOI scientists map and confirm origin of large, underwater hydrocarbon plume in Gulf
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have detected a plume of hydrocarbons that is at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of...
Forum: Can Science Balance Cooperation and Competition?
Science has a long history of crossing borders, bridging cultures and balancing the public good with private gain. That tradition, the focus of the upcoming Kavli Prize Science Forum, may...
Countries agree to monitor shared river
BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Argentina and Uruguay have agreed to environmental monitoring to determine whether a paper mill is polluting a river along their common border, officials...
Puzzle of Antarctic ice solved?
ATLANTA, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Arctic sea ice is shrinking due to climate change but the extent of Antarctic sea ice has grown slightly and U.S. researchers say they...
Australia looks to ocean waves for energy
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Researchers say ocean waves off the southern coast of Australia have the potential to generate as much as half of the country's current electricity...
Data storage: World record data density for ferroelectric recording
Scientists in Japan have recorded data at a density of 4 trillion bits per square inch, a world record for the experimental "ferroelectric" data storage method. This density is about...
BP takes stronger position in Azerbaijan
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The acquisition of a stake in a Caspian Sea oil field lays the foundation for a strategic position in Azerbaijan, officials at British...
A Fuel That Doesn’t Go to Waste
In the ultimate "closed loop" energy project, a garbage truck fleet near San Fransisco runs on the methane produced by decomposing landfill trash. ...
A Greenland Glacier Has Lost a Behemoth Chunk of Ice. What Does That Mean?
Petermann Glacier Breakup NASAIs the August 5 breakup of the Petermann Glacier a symptom -- or just a symbol -- of climate change? Earlier this month, a city-sized ice island broke off...
Vancouver tree trimmings to heat B.C. campus
New biomass generating technology will be installed at the University of British Columbia to convert tree trimmings from Vancouver residents into heat and electricity.
Coal Executive Pushes Back
Don Blankenship, the chief executive of one of the nation's largest coal companies, Massey Energy, spoke with reporters about global warming, renewable energy and the environmental impact of the coal...
High-tech poachers who target rhinos
The South African wildlife service says poaching of rhinos is escalating at an unprecedented rate.
Too hot to handle: Impacts of climate change on mussels
Climate change is causing higher air and water temperatures along the east coast of the United States. These changes have shrunk the geographic region where blue mussels are able to...
Grant to study effects of oil and dispersants on Louisiana salt marsh ecosystem
As oil and dispersants wash ashore in coastal Louisiana salt marshes, what will their effects be on these sensitive ecosystems?
Scientists Urges Changes in Cleanup of Hudson River
Scientists recommended seeking better data about the river and extending a project to remove toxins from it.
Levels Plummet in Crucial Reservoir
Water levels in Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir, fell sharply again this summer and are nearing an elevation that would trigger the first-ever official water shortage on the river,...
Final well-killing procedure is pushed back
A federal official says experts need more time to mitigate any potential problems with increased pressure when the relief well operation begins. ...
Petermann Ice Island (2010) - The Mörner Version
Petermann Ice Island (2010) - The Mörner Version The world of climate science according to wishful thinkers. I was raised at the seaside. I lived through the 1953 floods which resulted from...
Beyond the Congo: Fishing for Different Species in Smaller Rivers and Tributaries
As scientists traveling up the Congo explore smaller rivers and tributaries for species similar to those in the lower Congo, the work is intense, but the fishing is good.
Toad hordes march in Washington state
PORT ANGELES, Wash., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Washington lake mostly known for its fish is the center of attention for another animal as "millions" of tiny toads emerge...
Heat surge, not suffocation, may have killed Mt. Vesuvius victims
A new study from the Naples Observatory in Italy shows that the residents killed in Pompeii and the neighboring towns located on the slopes of the volcano died from an...
U.S. to Tighten Reviews for New Offshore Drilling Plans
The Obama administration said it would require more review before approving new offshore drilling permits, ending a practice in which regulators essentially rubber-stamped projects.
Fires Can Create "Volcanic" Thunderclouds
A strong blaze can create thunderclouds that funnel smoke and particulates into the stratosphere, scientists say. Until now, the clouds had been mistaken for volcanic ash clouds. ...
Russia Wildfires Not Due to Climate Change, Scientists Say
Scientists say not-so-fast to Kremlin's claim.
August 2010 Lithosphere highlights
Boulder, CO, USA -- The August LITHOSPHERE studies large igneous provinces through examination of the South Mountain region, Pennsylvania; structural style across the Kaiparowits Basin, Utah; timing...
Tropical Glaciers in Indonesia May Disappear by the End of the Decade
Glaciers in one of the world's last tropical ice caps will be gone within a matter of years , rather than the decades thought previously, according to an Ohio...