Latest science news in Earth & Climate
NASA satellites see Typhoon Megi poised for southeastern China landfall
Typhoon Megi has run into winds that are weakening the storm, but it is forecast to make landfall in southeastern China late at night (EDT) on Oct. 22 (11 a.m....
Worst coral death strikes at SE Asia
International marine scientists say that a huge coral death which has struck Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean reefs over recent months has highlighted the urgency of controlling global carbon emissions...
Arctic warming at near record pace
The temperature is rising again in the Arctic, with the sea ice cover dropping to one of the lowest levels on record, climate scientists say.
Japan's rare earth minerals may run out by March: govt
Japan's stockpile of rare earth minerals could dry up by March or April without fresh imports from China, which has stopped shipping them, a senior Japanese government official said Thursday.
Scientist at Work: Leaving Kolombangara
As a team of scientists ends its expedition in the Solomon Islands, thoughts turn to island conservation.
Are they good or evil? Jellyfish spark debate
Reports of the havoc caused by jellyfish have sparked speculation that these creatures are capitalizing on changes we have brought to ocean ecosystems. But is their dark reputation deserved?
National Briefings | West: Nevada: Lake Mead Dips to a Low
The water level in the massive reservoir that fills the taps of millions of people across the Southwest, has reached a record low, the federal Bureau of Reclamation says.
Iraqi oil exports hinge on pipelines
BASRA, Iraq, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Increased oil exports through southern Iraq could be affected by what a U.S. study describes as excessive corrosion on oil pipelines.
Lunar Greenhouse Could Grow Food For Future Moon Colonies
A new collapsible "greenhouse" could be the key to growing fresh and healthy food to sustain future lunar or Martian colonies, a recent project found.
Bruce Power nuclear waste ruling delayed
Bruce Power will have to wait a bit longer to see if it has permission to ship 16 radiation-contaminated steam generators through the Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence...
China a surprise leader in clean energy: study
The world's top polluter, China, is a surprise leader in clean energy efforts, a study showed Tuesday, outstripping the United States and Japan and leaving Australia lagging far behind.
Argentina protects its glaciers by law
Argentina has launched a law that bans mining activities in glacier zones.
Underwater robot to explore ice-covered ocean and Antarctic ice shelf
Researchers in Canada are deploying an underwater robot to survey ice-covered ocean in Antarctica. The mission will study the effect of ice shelves on the mixing of sea water.
Chile to measure water 'footprint'
SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Chile says it has embarked on a program to determine the "water footprint" of some of its export products to assess both the...
Flower Power: Genetic Modification Could Amply Boost Plants' Carbon-Capture and Bioenergy Capacity
Human activities currently add about nine gigatons of carbon to the atmosphere yearly. Photosynthetic organisms on land and in the ocean absorb about five of those gigatons through the natural...
Tropics in decline as natural resources exhausted at alarming rate
New analysis shows populations of tropical species are plummeting and humanity's demands on natural resources are sky-rocketing to 50 per cent more than the earth can sustain.
End of the Earth Postponed
The conversion between Mayan and modern calendars may be off by a decade or ten. Oops.
In Studying Haiti, a New Angle on an Earthquake’s Intensity
A new study finds that in addition to the underlying geology, the geometry of local surface features contributed to the temblor’s intensity.
Algae cause a stir in the local environment
Researchers study fluid dynamics in the near vicinity of common algae
Don’t blame dairy cows for (greenhouse) gas emissions
Forget all the tacky jokes about cow flatulence causing climate change. A new study reports that the dairy industry is responsible for only about 2.0 percent of all US greenhouse...
Farming practices can ease impact of climate change on wetlands
Climate change in the Prairie Pothole Region poses problems for wetland-dependent organisms such as ducks, but farmers could help ease the impact by the way they farm.
Israel to tap controversial gas field
JERUSALEM, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Exploratory drilling in deep waters off the coast of Israel could confirm that natural gas reserves are plentiful enough to last a century, executives...
Haiti quake has surprising lesson about Earth's surface
Scientists have found that the Haiti earthquake's energy spread in an unusual way. It turns out that the topography of the Earth's surface is just as important as the ground...
Consortium: Higher ed curricula not keeping pace with societal, tech changes
The structure of the university in the 21st century is changing rapidly after its evolution into a multiversity in the 20th century. But as universities are being restructured to best...
Study of Haiti quake yields surprising results
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused more than 200,000 casualties and devastated Haiti's economy in January resulted not from the Enriquillo fault, as previously believed, but from slip on multiple...
Dot Earth: Is There an Effective Climate 'Narrative'?
Is there a way to build a new narrative conveying the challenge of human-driven climate change?
Shuttered Astronaut Hangout Destroyed By Fire
The Outpost Tavern, a former astronaut hangout that closed in January, has burned to the ground in an Oct. 15 fire.
Superhighway for wind power proposed for Mid-Atlantic Coast
Investors on Oct. 12 proposed to build an underwater electricity superhighway that would carry wind power generated off the Mid-Atlantic Coast to land.