Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Green: California Widens Clean-Fuel Zone for Ships
After commercial ships take long detours to avoid switching to cleaner fuel, creating logistical problems in a Navy testing zone, regulators expand the clean-fuel zone farther offshore.
Harry Potter e-books plan worries bookstore owners
(AP) -- Author J.K. Rowling has joined the 21st century on her own special terms.
California mulls 'fracking' disclosure
SACRAMENTO, June 23 (UPI) -- A California bill would force oil and gas companies to reveal the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," to extract natural gas from...
Landscape coefficients prove useful for urban water conservation efforts; New strategies provide important irrigation information, promote water savings
Researchers studied the use of landscape coefficients as a tool in irrigation decision-making and resulting water savings in urban landscapes. They compared landscape crop coefficients by landscape plant treatment and...
Scientists map phase changes in quark-gluon plasma
In its infancy, when the universe was a few millionths of a second old, the elemental constituents of matter moved freely in a hot, dense soup of quarks and gluons....
GM to pay nearly $3M to cut mercury pollution
Settlement will fund removal of toxic metal from cars to be scrappedThe money will finance efforts to remove mercury-containing switches from older vehicles before they are scrapped.
Endangered species hit hard by historic Ariz. fire
(AP) -- The largest wildfire in Arizona history left a charred landscape of blackened forest, burned-out vehicle hulks and charred fireplaces as it destroyed more than 30 homes. It...
Dairy manure goes urban: Organic compost improves soil, enhances ornamental plants in residential landscapes
Researchers tested whether the addition of compost, with or without the application of shallow tillage or aeration, improves soil properties and plant growth compared with an unamended control in simulated...
Green: Fracking and Water: E.P.A. Zeroes In on 7 Sites
The agency plans case studies on natural gas drilling's effect on drinking water in Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, North Dakota and Louisiana.
Large numbers of birth defects seen near mountaintop mining operations
Birth defects are significantly more common in areas of mountaintop coal mining and are on the rise as the practice becomes more common, according to a new study.
U.S. Faces New Suits on Climate From Left and Right
Lawyers at NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are girding to defend the...
Toxic compounds in groundwater: Degrading vinyl chloride under anaerobic conditions
Vinyl chloride is a cancer-causing compound formed from solvents in groundwater systems under anaerobic conditions. These solvents are used in many industrial applications around the world and often belong to...
‘Orca ears’ inspire Stanford researchers to develop ultrasensitive undersea microphone
For most people, listening to the ocean means contemplating the soothing sound of waves breaking gently on a sandy beach. But for researchers studying everything from whale migration to fisheries...
From Florida to Amazonia: Fighting Deforestation
Adventure and research meet as Robert Walker journeys throughout the Amazon to learn about the loss of tropical forests.
Ingenious 'Flat Earth' Theory Revealed In Old Map
A map drawn in South Dakota in 1893 depicts the Earth as flat—or rather an inverse toroid—displaying a strange mix of science and religion.
Massive Fires Remain Destructive After the Burn Has Gone
This season's massive Arizona fires making headlines around the globe have destroyed dozens of structures and burned nearly three-quarters of a million acres. They also are contributing to global warming, scientists...
2010 quake led Ottawa to change policies
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck western Quebec and rattled the national capital region in 2010 led the City of Ottawa to change its policies on how people should respond...
How Gulf Spill Estimates Got It So Wrong
How much oil spilled into the Gulf last year? An engineer explains how he caused estimates to rise sharply practically overnight. Video.
Ancient lake outburst 'holds clues to climate change events'
Geologists studying the site of an ancient glacial lake outburst in the Himalayas say climate change could cause such events in the future.
Innovative anti-biofouling technologies can make shipping more eco-friendly
Organisms that stick to the lower structures of ships increase fuel consumption and costs of maintenance substantially. Currently, the organisms are killed with toxic biocides, but these chemicals need to...
Movements of thousands of loggerhead turtles 'predictable'
Satellite tracking technology has revealed in detail for the very first time the annual movements of thousands of loggerhead turtles that live off the east coast of the US.
Famous feast
Descendant's of Captain Scott's doomed Antarctic expedition mark a key anniversary
Scientists begin righting a Confederate submarine
Scientists in South Carolina began the painstaking job Wednesday of righting the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which sank on its side during the Civil War after becoming the first sub...
Country Diary: Northleach, Cotswolds
Here, in the heart of the rolling Cotswolds, the laminar yellowish limestone is the dominant landscape feature; it's in the buildings and dry-stone walls and lies in the arable fields. The calcium-rich stone...
Standing desks rising in popularity
Last year, Kerri Campbell made a decision: She would no longer sit at her desk eight hours a day. Today, the retail broker for Daymon Worldwide in Pleasanton, Calif., stands...
Potato chips are piling on the pounds, study finds
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Blame the potato chip. It's the biggest demon behind that pound-a-year weight creep that plagues many of us, a major diet study...
Green: Eureka! A Roaming Bowhead Whale
An Arctic research expedition spots its first bowhead off the Greenland coast and captures an image and acoustic recordings.
When Islands Rose, Australian Rainforests Fell
Formation of the Indonesian archipelago changed climate of Western Australia