Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Leaks near BP well may be natural
Seepages on the sea floor near the leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well may be unrelated to the well itself, the government's incident commander says.
Anticipation Builds on Easter Island for Sunday's Total Solar Eclipse
The coming total solar eclipse on Sunday may only be visible to a lucky cadre of die-hard skywatchers, but tourists and scientists are flocking to Easter Island and other remote...
Despite the Best Intentions...
Even as the Bloomberg administration promoted tap water over bottled water, the city spent over $1 million on bottled water in the year that ended June 30.
The aerosols conundrum: Research shows that aerosols not only cool, but also heat the planet
Just how much warmer Earth will become as a result of greenhouse-gas emissions - and how much it has warmed since preindustrial times - is much debated. In...
Research to protect historic architecture from floods
A new interdisciplinary research project, led by the University of Bath, will monitor and predict the impact of floods and driving rain on historic buildings to try and protect them...
Diatoms as a new indicator of metal pollution?
There are thousands of species of diatoms in rivers. These microscopic, unicellular algae react to organic pollution from agricultural and industrial sources, which explains why they are used as biological...
Survival training for astronauts
At the end of June, ESA’s six astronaut candidates were thrown out of a helicopter, left to drift at sea and were abandoned under the hot Mediterranean sun – but...
Stirring it up: North Pacific circulation was radically changed by past post-glacial warming
A study in the July 9, 2010, issue of Science identifies changes in oceanic circulation that followed past glacial retreat. The article, titled, 'Deep Water Formation in the North Pacific...
Geoscientists find clues to why first Sumatran earthquake was deadlier than second
An international team of geoscientists has uncovered geological differences between two segments of an earthquake fault that may explain why the 2004 Sumatra Boxing Day Tsunami was so much more...
New evidence on sea levels and fish behaviour underlines urgency of climate action
New evidence suggesting sea levels will rise to double expected levels this century and that fewer baby fish will grow successfully to maturity in more acidified oceans underline the urgent...
Gray whale swims free from Wash. beach
(AP) -- An incoming tide has helped a young gray whale swim free off a beach along the Washington coast where it had been stranded in shallow water on...
Arctic Ice July 2010 - Update #1
Arctic Ice July 2010 - Update #1 Before I write another line about ice, I want to thank all of my readers. Whether or not you leave comments, whether or not...
Redwood forest ecosystem of northern California depends on fog to stay hydrated during rainless summers
As the mercury rises outdoors, it's a fitting time to consider the effects of summertime droughts and global warming on ecosystems. Complex interactions among temperature, water cycling, and plant communities...
New York Cracks Down on Arctic Breezes
New York City fines nine stores for propping their doors open on hot summer days.
EPA Report Adds To Dispersant Toxicity Data
Oil Spill: Dispersants show little endocrine disruption activity.
Lattice 2010 Conference
Day One Hello from the Atahotel Tanka Village Resort in Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy, where I am at the Lattice 2010 conference. The conference started this morning with a talk by Martin Lüscher...
NASA Will RescueThousands of Sea Turtle Eggs from Oil Leak Areas
NASA's latest mission doesn't have anything to do with spacecraft or satellites. The space agency is helping thousands of baby sea turtles make their successful pilgrimage to the ocean. Biologists are digging up...
WHO, Nigeria fight lead-poisoning outbreak
ABUJA, Nigeria, July 8 (UPI) -- A U.N. health agency is helping Nigerian officials contain a lead-poisoning outbreak from processing lead-rich ore in gold mining, the United Nations said. ...
Chilean oil finds a boost to economy
SANTIAGO, Chile, July 8 (UPI) -- New discoveries of oil and gas in the extreme south of Chile will boost the country's economic prospects amid extensive post-quake reconstruction and...
Merck shuts 16 sites including Quebec facility
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has announced it is closing 16 manufacturing plants and research sites, including one in the Montreal region, as a cost-cutting measure.
ORNL Researchers Win Eight R&D 100 Awards
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been honored with eight awards in the annual R&D 100 Awards by R&D Magazine. Sometimes referred to as the "Academy Awards of Science,"...
La Nina to form in July as storm, drought fears flare
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A La Nina weather anomaly, the opposite number of its more infamous cousin El Nino, will ramp up in the equatorial Pacific in July and August,...
Genetic and chemical markers to determine who contaminated the river. Was it a human, a pig or a cow?
Considerable efforts, including upgrading of water-treatment plants and farms, treatment of farm effluents, etc., have been made to limit microbial pollution, notably fecal pollution of surface waters, but their quality...
Drownings prompt Ontario pool review
The Ontario government is reviewing swimming pool regulations following a spate of drownings in the province, but those charged with saving lives say other provinces should also be concerned.
Global open access slowly growing, study finds
Around a fifth of global science papers are now freely available online, a study finds, with Latin America and India leading the pack.
Is the Earthquake Activity in Southern California Unusual?
Earthquakes don't necessarily come on a neat schedule that follows the annual calendar.
Environmental Visionaries: The Diaper Farmer
Willem van Cotthem's super-soil harnesses the power of Pampers to turn dirt into lush gardens When asked to imagine the Earth in 2040, many scientists describe a grim scenario, a landscape so...
Video: David Mitchell's Soap Box: Climate change
David discusses why tackling climate change is always presented to us as something 'cool' and 'fun', when actually it's just something we have to do, because of facts