Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Obama chooses global warming activists for science posts
Physicist John Holdren will be the president-elect's top science advisor; marine biologist Jane Lubchenco will lead NOAA. Both advocate more action to fight climate change. ...
Canada recalls Old Style-brand products
OTTAWA, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to eat Old Style-brand pork loin chops or chicken breasts due to possible contamination.
New Explanation For Migration Of Volcanic Activity On Mars
A new study indicates a moving, shell-like plate encapsulating Mars may explain explains the volcanic activity in the Tharsis Rise region of the 'red planet.'
Opinion: Australia's climate change plan needed to aim higher
In order to avoid devastating climate change we need to reduce global emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020, and Australia should be leading the way, according to...
Science Must Evolve to Tackle Global Warming
SAN FRANCISCO--As the science of climate change matures and the need to prepare for its consequences presses, scientists must change their focus to advise local and regional leaders on how...
Goose eggs may help polar bears weather climate change
As polar bears adapt to a warming Arctic—a frozen seascape that cleaves earlier each spring—they may find relief in an unlikely source: snow goose eggs. New calculations show that changes...
Tiny MIT ecosystem may shed light on climate change
MIT researchers have created a microbial ecosystem smaller than a stick of gum that sheds new light on the plankton-eat-plankton world at the bottom of the aquatic food chain.
3D map could save Australia's water
Australian scientists have created a 3D model of Australia's surface topography that will help improve the management of the country's water resources.
Opinion: Climate change and water from the sea
Seawater is an unlimited resource that could help to quench many vulnerable systems, if carbon neutral desalination could be achieved, writes Brian Sadler.
Hurricane protection system in New Orleans 'a system in name only'
The failure of the New Orleans' levees after Hurricane Katrina struck the coastal city in 2005 is now labelled 'the worst engineering disaster of the United States' by a professional...
Warming climate signals big changes for ski areas
Rocky Mountain ski areas face dramatic changes this century as the climate warms, including best-case scenarios of shortened ski seasons and higher snowlines and worst-case scenarios of bare base areas...
Toxic Brown Recluse Spiders Pose Danger As They Look To Move In For The Winter
As the cold weather creeps in, so do brown recluse spiders. True to their name, the brown recluse is a shy, reclusive spider looking for a warm home. Drawn to...
Greenland's Glaciers Losing Ice Faster This Year Than Last Year, Which Was Record-setting Itself
Researchers watching the loss of ice flowing out from the giant island of Greenland say that the amount of ice lost this summer is nearly three times what was lost...
Slide show: The Mekong’s hidden treasures
See some of the 1,000 new species that have been discovered over the past decade in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong region.
As ice melts, Antarctic bedrock is on the move
As ice melts away from Antarctica, parts of the continental bedrock are rising in response - and other parts are sinking, scientists have discovered...
Carbon monoxide detectors sell quickly in wake of Ont. deaths
The carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of six people from two Ontario families in the past month have led to a spike in some stores' sales of devices to detect the...
Does global warming lead to a change in upper atmospheric transport?
Most atmospheric models predict that the rate of transport of air from the troposphere to the above lying stratosphere should be increasing due to climate change. Surprisingly, Dr. Andreas Engel...
Ocean observations reap climate science rewards
Long-term observations of the oceans around Australia are providing the nation's climate scientists with significant benchmarks for seasonal forecasts and monitoring future climate change...
Geologist suspects wastewater facilities in increase in Yosemite rockfalls
For thousands of years, slabs of the Glacier Point cliff have broken loose, roared down at more than 100 mph and blasted the forest in nature's version of bunker bombs....
Opinion: Only a whole system approach can save our rivers
We need to take a whole system approach to caring for our rivers if we want to avoid serious impacts on not just ecosystems, but industries and towns, believes Peter...
Opinion: Water: forgotten in the food crisis
Australia is not the only country in the world whose economy and environment are threatened by water shortages, writes Colin Chartres.
More food at lower cost
In the face of climate change, being able to increase crop yields by enabling plants to take up nutrients and water more efficiently becomes increasingly important, as fertiliser and water...
Dune And Dirty: Hurricane Teaches Lessons Through Ecosystem Research
Dr. Rusty Feagin was managing several ecosystem research projects on Galveston Island when the 2008 hurricane season began. Then he got an unexpected visit from a research assistant named Ike....
Seeds of hope: Freezing vaults guard Earth's flora
ARDINGLY, England (AP) -- The underground bunker can block nuclear fallout, withstand a direct hit by a jetliner, and is cooled to a deathly chill....
TOP TEN PHOTO GALLERIES: Most Viewed of 2008
See National Geographic News's most popular photo galleries of 2008, starring an "alien" squid with "elbows," an electric eruption, a welcoming whale, and other natural wonders.
Nearly frozen sea turtle heading to rehab
BOSTON (AP) -- His name is Herb, and he was very, very cold when he was found on a Cape Cod beach....
Why Atmospheric Pressure Peaks At 10am And 10pm In The Tropics
For over two centuries, meteorologists were puzzled by the observation that atmospheric pressure in the tropics peaks at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. nearly every day.
Climate change: A dark future for migratory fish
In Europe, most migratory fish species completing their cycle between the sea and the river are currently in danger. Although restoration programmes have been set up, the future distribution of...