Latest science news in Earth & Climate
BP 'was told of fault on oil rig'
A Deepwater Horizon rig worker says he identified a leak in its equipment weeks before the blast that caused the Gulf oil spill.
USGS science helps disaster-struck communities understand flash flooding
The Little Missouri River in Southwest Arkansas experienced a flash flood June 11, with waters that rose over 20 feet in just 5 hours, killing 20 people. In response to...
Burning Trees for Power Worse than Burning Coal
Study: Wood-Burning Power Plants Using Biomass Found to Release More Greenhouse Gasses than Coal
Depth of Himalayan Mountain Roots Revealed
Depth of Indian continental crust from collision with Asia revealed.
Getty Trust CEO James N. Wood, 69, dies suddenly
Getty Trust President and chief executive James N. Wood died late Friday night of natural causes, board chairman Mark S. Siegel announced Saturday. Wood, 69, was reportedly in good health...
World Cup: U.S. vs. England: 1-1 at the half
England and the U.S. have played a half in their World Cup opener and thanks to a gift from England's keeper Robert Green, the teams went into the locker room...
A Vital River Is Withering, and Iraq Has No Answer
The river formed by the convergence of the Tigris and the Euphrates no longer has the strength the keep the sea at bay.
Questions for Christopher J. Brownfield: America’s Next Top Kill
The former submarine officer talks about his plan for plugging the undersea oil well.
Arkansas flash floods kill at least 16 people
Floodwaters that rose as swiftly as 8 feet an hour tore through a campground packed with vacationing families early Friday, carrying away tents and overturning RVs as campers slept. At...
Dangerous demolition failure hits YouTube
A YouTube video showing a Vancouver building collapsing onto a city street during a demolition is raising questions about safety in the construction industry.
Pictures: 8 National Parks Threatened by Oil Spill
Eight national parks lie in the trajectory of the Gulf oil spill, putting rare animals and pristine coastlines at risk, the Park Service says. ...
Finger Rafting
Finger Rafting No, it's not a new sport. It's one of many ways in which ice consolidates. In order to more fully understand what is happening to the Arctic climate we need...
Travelers have southern bias
Many people may perceive northern paths as uphill and avoid them
Grim Resolve on an Oil-Soaked Isle
On a normal summer, the town and barrier island Grand Isle, home to 1,500 people, would have been teeming with 10 times that many vacationers from elsewhere in Louisiana...
Coast Guard Adjusts After Spill Estimate Rises Sharply
BP is planning to handle 40,000 to 50,000 barrels a day of recovered oil, said Adm. Thad W. Allen.
Lobster ban sought for south New England
BOSTON, June 11 (UPI) -- An Atlantic States Marine Fisheries report recommends a five-year ban on lobster fishing between Cape Cod and Virginia to allow depleted stocks to recover.
Europe, US to see snowy, cold winters: expert
Europe, North America and east Asia can expect more cold, moist and snowy winters such as the one just passed, a top scientist said Friday.
Banks have repaid bailout debt and then some, Treasury says
Reporting from Washington -- The Treasury Department on Friday hailed what it called a milestone in the history of the controversial $700-billion bailout fund for the first time...
What the Gulf Disaster Could Tell Us About Sudden Global Warming
Could the gushing BP well help explain an ancient climate mystery? Today, a crew...
Keeping nitrogen in the soil and out of the water
(PhysOrg.com) -- Nitrogen is important for optimal crop production, but can be lost to leaching as nitrate. High amounts of nitrate in drinking water can be harmful to people, especially...
Subsurface Oil Exists: USF Researchers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Layers of degraded oil found suspended at depths of 400 meters to 1,400 meters.
Scientist's Award Allows Her To Probe the Earth's Mantle
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sandwiched between the liquid iron outer core and the thin rocky crust we live on, the Earth's mantle is more than 1,800 miles thick, and comprises more than...
Killer Tornados Spin Up from Supercell Thunderstorms
Violent twisters kill people and destroy property. Tornado chasing scientist Josh Wurman, of the Center for Severe Weather Research, explains how gigantic supercell thunderstorms spawn the funnel clouds that...
Pumping up the heat for a climate-friendly future
The chaos caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland April 2010 and the dispersal of its ash cloud across European airspace was a reminder of the tremendous forces of nature...
Congressional Briefing: Climate Change and Agriculture
Experts will present climate change impacts and agricultural adaptation strategies at two Congressional Briefings on June 16 in Washington, DC.
Apache Corp. grabs Gulf of Mexico acreage
HOUSTON, June 11 (UPI) -- U.S. oil and gas explorer Apache announced that it acquired nearly 500,000 acres of shallow-water reserves in the Gulf of Mexico from Devon Energy.
White House applauds EPA legislation
WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- The rejection of a U.S. Senate measure that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from curbing greenhouse gases is welcome news, the president said.
Earth from Space: Swirling cloud art
This false-colour Envisat image highlights a unique cloud formation, created by ‘Von Karman vortices’, south of the Canary Island archipelago, some 95 km from the northwest coast of Africa (right)...