Latest science news in Earth & Climate
NASA infrared imagery hinted Darby would become a hurricane
Infrared imagery provides forecasters with a look at the temperature of cloud tops in tropical cyclones, sea surface and land surface temperatures and more. NASA infrared imagery from the morning...
LAPD cancels training trip to Arizona out of 'respect' for council's boycott
In a move that has angered police union leaders, Los Angeles Police Department officials decided Thursday that four officers who were scheduled to attend a conference and training session in...
Skimmers Move at Slow Pace Taking Oil from Gulf
Coast Guard Ships Must Move Around 2 Miles per Hour so Oil Doesn't Slip Away; Ship Captain Says He's Found Faster Way
110-foot concrete bridge withstands 8.0 earthquake simulation
After a succession of eight separate earthquake simulations, a 110-foot long, 200-ton concrete bridge model withstood a powerful jolting, three times the acceleration of the disastrous 1994 magnitude 6.9 Northridge,...
How to improve the IPCC
Code of conduct and rapid communication are key, scientists tell review panel.
Earthquake activity remains at 'elevated level' amid more aftershocks, USGS says
The California-Mexico border continued to rattled by what the U.S. Geological Survey called an "elevated level" of earthquake activity as hundreds of aftershocks to Monday's 5.7 temblor were recorded.
Afghanistan's Kabul Basin faces major water challenges
In the next 50 years, it is estimated that drinking water needs in the Kabul Basin of Afghanistan may increase sixfold due to population increases resulting from returning refugees. It...
LSU professor uses volcanic emissions to study Earth's atmospheric past
On March 20, Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano woke from its nearly 200-year slumber to change the way the world viewed volcanoes forever. Bringing almost all transatlantic air travel to a halt...
Sea creatures flee oil spill, gather near shore
(AP) -- Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an...
In Nigeria, Oil Spills Are a Longtime Scourge
As the U.S. reels from its oil spill, the Niger Delta region continues to endure spills due to poor regulation, insufficient maintenance and sabotage.
Understanding critical nucleus in haze formation
Haze -- scientifically known as atmospheric aerosols, microscopic particles suspended in the Earth's atmosphere -- represents a major environmental problem because it degrades visibility, affects human health and influences the...
Questioning the effectiveness of oil dispersants in Gulf oil spill
The widespread belief that chemical dispersants will enhance the breakdown of oil from the Gulf of Mexico disaster is based on weak scientific data, according to a new article.
Mercury in N.W.T. lakes sparks health advisory
Higher than normal mercury levels in four lakes has the Northwest Territories top health official warning people to be careful about how much fish they eat from them.
Israel drills successful oil well
JERUSALEM, June 16 (UPI) -- Israel's Givot Olam Oil Exploration said its drilling explorations at its Meged 5 well near Rosh Ha'Ayin have been very successful.
Afghanistan’s Lithium Wealth Could Remain Elusive
Afghanistan may be the Saudi Arabia of lithium—a key energy storage medium—but prosperity will not flow easily. ...
Great Lakes groundwater threats assessed
WINDSOR, Ontario, June 16 (UPI) -- The Great Lakes Science Advisory Board issued a bi-national assessment Wednesday of threats to groundwater in the Great Lakes basin.
Would you put a tree in your gas tank?
Putting a tree — figuratively speaking — into your car’s gas tank may be the way of the future. Dr. In-Gyu Choi, associate professor in the department of...
Europe Sounds Alarm on Minerals Shortage
The European Commission warns of looming shortage of minerals that are critical to cutting-edge technologies.
Fungi adapted to mines boost plant growth
(PhysOrg.com) -- Repopulating the moon-like terrain around abandoned mines is slow, plodding work, but a new Indiana University Bloomington report in Applied Soil Ecology suggests symbiotic fungi specifically adapted to...
Motorola Introduces Cost-Effective Single RAN Solution for WiMAX Evolution
The Networks business of Motorola today introduced its WiMAX Evolution solution for operators to upgrade existing WiMAX 802.16e / 802.16e Enhanced networks to 802.16m or TD-LTE or to add LTE...
It's Raining Lawyers in the Gulf
A cavalcade of lawyers are homing in on what is shaping up as one of the worst environmental disasters in the nation's history.
Israeli gas boom could ignite trouble
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 16 (UPI) -- Israel's natural gas bonanza in the eastern Mediterranean just keep getting bigger, with reserves currently pegged at around 25 trillion cubic feet.
Chemicals that eased one environmental problem may worsen another
Chemicals that helped solve a global environmental crisis in the 1990s — the hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer — may be making another problem ...
Global warming makes plants 'sweat' less
Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming not only as a greenhouse gas but also by its effect on plant transpiration.
Climate Change and Agriculture:Food and Farming in a Changing Climate
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and Council on Food,...
On Our Radar: A New Minerals Chief
A former federal prosecutor and Iran-contra investigator is named to head the scandal-plagued Minerals Management Service.
Security, Geography Could Hinder Mining Investment in Afghanistan
Afghanistan's political instability, geography and poor infrastructure will likely impede the nation's development into one of the world's leading mining centers, say two mining engineering experts from Missouri University of...
Alps to Become More Dangerous in Warming World
Floods, avalanches may occur more in Alps due to climate change.