Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Yosemite Losing Its Big Trees
Yosemite National Park has lost many of its large trees during the last century, possibly due to a warmer climate, a new study found.
Dry weather lowers beach closings number
WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- A 10 percent decline in U.S. beach closing or advisory days was due to dry conditions, not ecological improvement, an environmental watchdog said Wednesday.
Humans 'damaging the oceans'
Mounting evidence that human activity is changing the world's oceans in profound and damaging ways is outlined in a new scientific discussion paper released today...
The nightingale of the ocean in Disko Bay
It wasn't that many years ago that the bowhead whale was written off as extinct in the waters around Greenland and especially in Disko Bay in northwest Greenland where University...
Forest response project FACEs the end
After 12 years, an experiment focused on forest growth and climate change comes to an end, and researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are eager to collect and analyse data...
Dot Earth: U.N. Chief Poleward Bound
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon plans to head toward North Pole to make case for action on climate.
Antikythera clockwork computer may be even older than thought
New detective work suggests that the ancient mechanism for simulating planetary motions and predicting lunar eclipses was built in the 2nd century BC
Arctic seabed mapping renewed by Canada, U.S.
Researchers for Canada and the United States are working together again this summer to map more of the Arctic seabed, gathering scientific data toward bolstering their own sovereign claims.
Thinning cloud cover over oceans speeds global warming, study finds
New research dents hopes that clouds could act as brake on climate change Thinning clouds over the ocean exacerbate global warming by leading to more rapid temperature increases, according to the results of a...
Seasonal weather forecasting: Still uncertain despite leaps in technology
Long-range forecasts are limited by the chaotic nature of weather systems Weather forecasting has been transformed by the advent of Earth-observing satellites, leaps in computing power and more advanced models of the atmosphere and...
Scientists Expect Wildfires To Increase As Climate Warms In Coming Decades
As the climate warms in the coming decades, atmospheric scientists expect that the frequency of wildfires will increase in many regions. The spike in the number of fires could also...
Seattle area could see record-setting high temperatures this week
(PhysOrg.com) -- Western Washington is braced for unusually hot weather this week, but University of Washington scientists say this could be one for the record books, with Seattle experiencing historic...
Tidal energy farms influence the natural transport of sands
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tidal stream farms, in which electricity is generated by turbines from regions of strong tidal flow, may influence the natural balance of marine sands, according to research at...
B.C. heat wave heats up
High temperatures scorching B.C. will reach 40 C in some areas of Vancouver Island on Tuesday, and go into the low to mid-30s elsewhere in the south of the province...
ASME Releases Roadmap for Water Management
ASME will bring diverse partners together to find multidisciplinary solutions to water management technology issues that protect public health and the environment, while conserving precious water supplies and the infrastructure...
Global warming may have aided Inca empire
A 400-year warm spell helped the ancient Inca to build the largest empire ever to exist in the Americas, a new study has established.
Dot Earth: Era of Trans-Arctic Shipping Nigh
A German ship is poised to make the first commercial passage from Asia to western Europe via the Arctic.
China restores internet after ethnic riots
Life in China's Xinjiang region was slowly returning to normal with the restoration of some internet services after deadly ethnic riots earlier in July, officials said Tuesday.
Mayors say Canada has no swine flu plan
SUMMERSIDE, Prince Edward Island, July 28 (UPI) -- Canada has no plan to keep essential services going if a swine flu pandemic becomes a plague, a key national group...
B.C. heat prompts worries
More hot weather forecast for B.C. is raising concerns about the water supply, air quality and even more forest fires, but it's not an official heat wave yet, according to...
Corn waste converted to chemicals
Biofuel waste could be turned into building blocks for industrial chemicals
Jade sheds light on Guatemala's geologic history
A new analysis of jade found along the Motagua fault that bisects Guatemala is underscoring the fact that this region has a more complex geologic history than previously thought. Because...
Late-blight fungus ruining crops in 13 states
A fungus that caused the infamous 1840s Irish potato famine has hit this summer's commercial and homegrown tomato crop in 13 states, putting farmers and agricultural experts on edge.
Battle against ash borers engaged
ST. PAUL, Minn., July 27 (UPI) -- Scientists say there will be no easy victory over the emerald ash borer but the battle to save North America's 8 billion...
Humans Emulate Volcanoes in the Stratosphere
Surge in coal burning may be noticeably dirtying the upper atmosphere
Major Arctic Sea-ice Formed Earlier Than Thought
Significant sea ice formation occurred in the Arctic earlier than previously thought in Earth's geological history. "The results are also especially exciting because they suggest that sea ice formed in...
El Nino, La Nina Happened in Eastern U.S. Earlier Than Previously Thought
A Baylor University study has found the weather patterns of El Nino and La Nina, which brings drier and wetter conditions to certain parts of the country, happened thousands of...
New study sheds light on earthquake hazard along San Andreas Fault
New research by a team of scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers new insight into the San Andreas Fault...