Latest science news in Earth & Climate
ESA investigates new methods of mapping tropical forest from space
Tropical rainforests play a crucial role in Earth's carbon cycle by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in biomass. However, mapping these carbon stocks from space poses a...
Mangrove destruction threatens food supply
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Much of coastal Africa's food supply is being threatened by the destruction of swampy mangrove forests, NASA scientists warn.
Feds halt fishing expansion in Arctic
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. government won't allow commercial fishing to expand in federal Arctic waters until more is known about climate change, authorities said.
Feds to shut Fortymile hunt
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Friday marked the last day of federally allowed subsistence hunting of Alaska's protected Fortymile caribou herd, authorities said.
China’s emissions to peak early
New report suggests carbon emissions from China could peak in 2030, decades earlier than previously estimated
Seeing the tree from the forest: Predicting the future of plant communities
The ability to envisage the future may be closer than you would think. A recent paper by Sean Hammond and Karl Niklas in the August 2009 issue of the American...
'Bomber' sea worms found off Oregon
COOS BAY, Ore., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Luminescent sea worms that eject glowing green blobs have been found off the Oregon coast at depths up to 11,000 feet, scientists...
Better Prediction Sought for Devastating Floods
Weather radar and laser mapping could help warn of impending floods.
Colombian island fights climate change with rainwater
Combining ancestral practices and new technologies, a Colombian island is fighting climate change by harvesting rainwater.
Notes from the Underground at the AAAS
The Pacific Region of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, "the world's largest general scientific society") includes some of the best universities in the world, located on...
Ocean-drilling Expedition Cites New Evidence Related To Origin And Evolution Of Seismogenic Faults
New research about what triggers earthquakes shows that splay fault activity varies through time.
World's ocean temps warmest recorded
The world's oceans last month were the warmest on record — great for swimmers but possibly another sign of a warming world.
Cleaning Up Black Carbon Provides Instant Benefits Against Global Warming
(PhysOrg.com) -- The world could buy time to forestall disastrous environmental and geopolitical climate change effects by using existing technologies to curb emissions created through diesel and solid biomass fuel...
Scanning the land
Quake data analyses yield an improved model of Southern California’s crust
Rising Ocean Acidity Erodes Alaska's Fisheries
The Arctic's increased vulnerability to climate change is not limited to higher temperatures and melting permafrost. New research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks suggests Arctic oceans are particularly susceptible to acidification, with potentially...
The Rise of Algae: From Pond Slime to International Superstar
It’s too bad that algae don’t have heads on their tiny little green bodies. If they did, they’d be laughing them off after what’s happened in the past few months...
King salmon undercounted on the Yukon
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A sonar station that counts salmon traveling up the Yukon River in Alaska malfunctioned this year, resulting in a smaller allowed catch, officials...
NASA researcher nets first measure of Africa's coastal forests
Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations'...
Hiking Around in Circles? Probably, Study Says
Scientists in Germany reported Thursday that the often-described sense of lost-hiker déjà vu is real.
Floating 'Solar UFO' To Clean Osaka's Dingy Canals and Castle Moats
Oh, Japan, you never cease to amaze. From the country that brought you water powered jetpacks, robots that make dinner and tentacles that do...other things, comes a floating UFO that will dutifully...
Reconsider isotope production, doctors urge federal government
Canadian doctors have called for an independent review of the federal government's decision to back away from isotope production.
Don't sack the manager
Experts at The University of Nottingham and Loughborough University have produced research which proves that Premier League clubs who have long-term managers are more successful than those who change their...
Highest Ever Winter Water Temperatures Recorded Off Tasmania
Tasmania's east coast is recording its highest-ever winter water temperatures of more than 13 C -- up to 1.5 C above normal -- due to a strengthening of an ocean...
Massive river water transfers lacking scrutiny
Large scale transfers of water from one river basin to another are generally occurring without adequate scrutiny of their economic, environmental and social impacts, according to an analysis released to...
Climate Change Could Deepen Poverty In Developing Countries, Study Finds
Urban workers could suffer most from climate change as the cost of food drives them into poverty, according to a new study that quantifies the effects of climate on the...
Canada recalls some Sprouts Alive products
OTTAWA, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Canadians are being warned not to eat certain Sprouts Alive-brand products because of possible salmonella contamination.
Lemurs butchered in Madagascar
Shocking pictures of slaughtered lemurs killed for bush meat have been released by Conservation International.
New Zealand's Subduction Zones: To Shake The Earth Just Add Water
New Zealand is the site of one of the world's youngest subduction zones, where the Pacific Plate of Earth's crust dives beneath the Australian Plate. Now, a study shows how...