Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Gulf oil spill: Mississippi River hydrology may help reduce oil onshore
The Gulf of Mexico: what role will the Mississippi River play in oil washing ashore and into delta wetlands?...
Q-and-A: A Pay Model for Ecosystems
"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it": a United Nations research effort suggests applying this maxim to the earth's ecosystems by assessing the value of the services they...
What Happens When Oil Collides with Coral?
As Researchers Struggle to Bring Dying Reefs Back to Life, They Worry about Threat of Approaching Oil
Consequences of being rich
A new study of biological invasions in Europe found they were linked not so much to changes in climate or land cover, but to two dominant factors - more money...
May 2010 global temperature is warmest on record; Spring and January-May also post record breaking temps
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for May, March-May (Northern Hemisphere spring-Southern Hemisphere autumn), and the period January-May, 2010, according to NOAA. Worldwide...
June Science Picks
In this edition of Science Picks, learn what the USGS is doing in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and how satellite imagery can be used to get information...
Climate changes in the Atlantic can affect drought in distant regions
Cyclical changes in atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic Ocean affect drought in the Sahel region on the southern Sahara rim. This has been revealed in...
Inbred sperm fertilise fewer eggs according to University of East Anglia research
Inbred male sperm have been found to fertilise fewer eggs when in competition with non-inbred males according to a new study by the University of East Anglia...
The secret life of water at very low temperatures
College Park, MD (June 22, 2010) — The secret life of water just got weirder. For years water has been known to exist in 15 phases — not just the...
Whale poo helps carbon burial
According to new research, sperm whales may help remove carbon from the atmosphere, because their poo causes plankton growth.
Foam breaker cleans waterways
Scientists have developed a treatment that breaks down the remnants of toxic firefighting foam – preventing water and soil pollution.
Utah Senate hopeful to file complaint about mailer
Utah Senate hopeful to file complaint about mailer By BROCK VERGAKIS 2010-06-15T23:42:00Z SALT LAKE CITY (AP)...
Water CO2 calculator goes online
A website that allows people to calculate how much CO2 is being emitted as a result of their water use goes online.
The National Geographic Archive: Antarctica's underwater algae forests
Huge mats of algal growth on the western of coast of Antarctica are being studied by marine biologists for their potential to treat cancer
Planes Create Weird Clouds—And Snow, Rain Fall Out
Airplanes, it turns out, can change the weather—at least at an extremely local scale, a new study says. ...
Strong earthquake rocks eastern Indonesia
Officials say an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 has hit eastern Indonesia.
U.S. failed to fill order for aircraft in Station fire
The agency didn't press to get tankers in the air quickly, despite its own commanders' urgent request, records and interviews show. The U.S. Forest Service failed to fill an order for air...
Arctic Summer 2010 - Hot Or Not?
Arctic Summer 2010 - Hot Or Not? Will it get very warm in the Arctic this summer? It is already so warm in many parts of the Arctic that floes which would...
ScienceShot: Whale Poop Is Ecofriendly
Iron-rich waste helps marine organisms suck carbon from the atmosphere
After Lightning, Oil Recovery is Suspended
A small fire ignited on the vessel that is collecting oil from the undersea well after lightning struck it Tuesday morning.
CCNY leads study to identify top NJ tidal power generation sites
With a coastline stretching from New York Harbor to Cape May, New Jersey stands to benefit from a new study designed to pinpoint the top 20 sites for hydrokinetic energy,...
Do Atlantic currents affect Alpine glacier melting?
Natural climate fluctuations such as variations in the Atlantic currents probably influenced glacier retreat in the Alps in the last century more than we first thought: they correlate with times...
Stanford helps to digitally preserve mountains of documents
Each year, the U.S. Government Printing Office publishes mountains of paper documents, everything from the Congressional Record to Government Accountability Office reports. But that's only a fraction of its output...
Jordan's nuclear program disturbs Israel
AMMAN, Jordan, June 15 (UPI) -- Jordan's King Abdullah has charged Israel of attempting to block his country from developing a peaceful civilian nuclear energy program.
Kazakh-Chinese energy ties deepen
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 15 (UPI) -- China and Kazakhstan have reached agreement to build and finance jointly a natural gas pipeline and strengthen atomic energy cooperation.
Images from space reveal ground-level flood threat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Satellite imagery captured hundreds of miles from the Earth's surface is being used to analyse the flood risks of some of the world's largest regions, using data that...
Tiny desert town of Ocotillo rattled by brunt of earthquakes
Ocotillo, population 296, was already on edge after a 7.2-magnitude quake struck Easter Sunday just across the Mexican border and caused minor damage in their tiny desert town.
Aerial View of a Battle for Survival
A Coast Guard captain oversees much of the coastal protection effort in the gulf, from skimming and burning vast quantities of oil near the rig site to laying chains of...