Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Problem for Containment Dome in Gulf
BP is forced to move containment dome because gas hydrates were turning to ice sooner than they expected.
Coyotes in New York City Lead Surge in Urban Wildlife
Coyotes, raccoon, deer and other forms of urban wildlife are popping up across Manhattan.
US oil spill testing ground for dispersants
The possibility of using surfactants to treat oil on the ocean floor, at the source of the leak in BP’s well in the Gulf, is being tested
Deforestation failure sounds climate alarm
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australia's failure to accurately measure and predict emissions from deforestation, and the difficulty it has had in reducing deforestation, should send a warning signal to the world, according...
Interest grows in Iraqi gas, minister says
BAGHDAD, May 7 (UPI) -- There is a strong indication that international bidders are interested in tapping natural gas reserves in Iraq, the Iraqi oil minister said in Baghdad.
ORNL technology raises bar, lowers cost for groundwater contaminant sensors
Long-term continuous monitoring of groundwater where contaminants are present or suspected could be streamlined with a technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory...
Peruvian tectonic plates move by earthquakes and non-seismic slip
Just a few years ago, Dan Farber happened to be doing field work in Peru with students when the 8.0 Pisco earthquake struck. As a scientist working in the active tectonics...
Researchers create software for robot to improve rescue missions
In disaster emergencies, such as the recent West Virginia mine explosion or the earthquake in Haiti, it is often unsafe for responders to enter the scene, prolonging the rescue of...
Leading international climate experts build food security in the face of climate change
Climate and agricultural researchers, policy makers, donors, and development agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, from all over the world just met in Nairobi for a one-day conference, 'Building Food Security...
Ancient leaves help researchers understand future climate
Potential climate change caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide might be better understood by examining fossil plant remains from millions of years ago, according to biogeochemists. The types of...
Nuke reactor cores simulated on iPhones
SALT LAKE CITY, May 6 (UPI) -- University of Utah scientists say they're using an iPhone application they designed to display medical scans to view simulations of nuclear reactor...
From Air, BP’s Chief Sees Progress in Containing Spill
A 98-ton steel box standing four stories tall will soon be lowered to the ocean floor. The goal is to redirect the oil to a drill ship.
ARS scientists in North Dakota help improve potato storage capabilities
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in North Dakota are evaluating the storage properties of promising new potato varieties that could greatly improve potato quality for growers throughout the United States.
Listening to Earthquake Faults 'Talk' in Haiti
Andrew Freed recently returned from Haiti, where he has been studying the stresses in Earth's crust before, during and after the earthquake.
New York State, a Recycling Reprobate
Urging a shift in practices, New York State environmental officials have released a proposed plan to get New Yorkers to reduce their waste by 15 percent every two years.
Experiences to learn from the volcanic eruption
On May 2-7, 7,000 researchers from all of Europe gather in Vienna for European Geosciences Union. This is a great opportunity to exchange information and experiences on the ash cloud...
UNHCR takes water to Somali refugees
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 6 (UPI) -- More than 10,000 refugees in the Somali region of Ethiopia are receiving water through electricity upgrades in drought-prone areas, a U.N. agency...
British summer is coming earlier each year, study finds
Scientists say onset of British summer has become increasingly early in the last 50 years, consistent with global warmingBritain is broke and the bank holiday weekend was a washout, but scientists at Sheffield...
TNK-BP makes move into Iraq
MOSCOW, May 6 (UPI) -- Russian energy company TNK-BP has the expertise needed to exploit the oil reserves in Iraq, the company's chief executive officer said in the wake...
BP shuts valve at Gulf of Mexico site
NEW ORELANS, La., May 6 (UPI) -- A valve attached to a broken drill pipe associated with the sunken oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico is closed but...
Tsunami alerts 'confuse public'
Tsunami warnings need to convey information that is more meaningful to the public, a top researcher says.
Ash pushes case for new sensors
Iceland's ongoing eruption is likely to press the case for new satellite instruments to monitor volcanic ash thrown into the atmosphere.
Beetle-infested forests pose water threat
DENVER, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. forest managers say threats to watersheds from fire-prone dying forests are so severe they need help from local water utilities, ski resorts and...
Fraudulent recyclers allegedly shipped in cans and bottles from out of state
A ring of recycling thieves trucked cans and bottles filled with sand to increase their weight from Arizona to California, prosecutors said Wednesday.
SwRI researchers design and build gas bearing test rig
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Southwest Research Institute have designed and built a 60,000 rpm gas bearing test rig to test the rotordynamic stability of gas bearings.
Breaking Up Can Be Hard
Laura Townsend '10 eases a soggy lump of concrete out from what looks like a gigantic pizza oven. "Come on, whoa! -- This bad boy is going to fall apart,"...
Whatever Happened to the Ozone Hole?
Twenty-five years later, the lingering "hole" over Antarctica is close to closing—but that may not be entirely a good thing.
Rising seas, raising hopes
(PhysOrg.com) -- By the end of this century, sea levels in the Netherlands may rise more than 4 feet, a troubling prospect in a country where 70 percent of GNP...