http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ Earth Science News. From earthquakes and hurricanes to global warming and energy use, read the latest research news here. en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150522.htm An anticipated increased incidence of climate-related extreme rainfall events in the Great Lakes region may raise the public health risk for the 40 million people who depend on the lakes for their drinking water, according to a new study. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143708.htm The first ecosystem with only a single biological species has been discovered and its genome analyzed by a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary team. Living 2.8 km beneath the surface of the earth in the Mponeng gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa, the rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator exists in complete isolation, total darkness, a lack of oxygen, and 60-degree-Celsius heat. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102904.htm New research argues in favor of a "sick earth" mechanism for most extinctions, rather than external event like an asteroid strike. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm A report scheduled to be published this week in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that maintaining the proper balance of herbivorous fishes may be critical to restoring coral reefs, which are declining dramatically worldwide. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114518.htm The northern part of the Greenland ice sheet experienced extreme snowmelt during the summer of 2008, with large portions of the area subject to record melting days. This conclusion is based on an analysis of microwave brightness temperature recorded by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager onboard the F13 satellite. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930081355.htm Researchers are developing a method for creating an accurate picture of Greenland’s shrinking ice cap. On the strength of this method, it is now estimated that Greenland is accountable for a half millimetre-rise in the global sea level per year. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930081355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093458.htm Chalk up another environmental benefit for shade-grown Latin American coffee: University of Michigan researchers say the technique will provide a buffer against the ravages of climate change in the coming decades. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929093754.htm The sudden thinning in 1997 of Jakobshavn Isbræ, one of Greenland's largest glaciers, was caused by subsurface ocean warming, according to research in the journal Nature Geoscience. The research team traces these oceanic shifts back to changes in the atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic region. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929093754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143700.htm Contrary to conventional wisdom, tropical plant and animal species living in some of the warmest places on Earth may be threatened by global warming, according to ecologists. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010151121.htm Scientists have helped reconcile the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics. They have refuted a recent claim that simulated temperature trends in the tropics are fundamentally inconsistent with observations. This claim was based on the application of a flawed statistical test and the use of older observational datasets. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010151121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010135039.htm Researchers are developing wireless soil sensors that could one day help farmers maximize their production while minimizing environmental impacts. The prototype sensors are designed to collect and send data about soil moisture -- and eventually soil temperature and nutrient content -- while working completely underground. Farmers and their equipment could work right over the top of them. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010135039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010100457.htm The stickleback fish, Gasterosteus aculeatus, is one of the most thoroughly studied organisms in the wild, and has been a particularly useful model for understanding variation in physiology, behavior, life history and morphology caused by different ecological situations in the wild. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010100457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010092330.htm Hiring temporary workers and machines for the harvest, sending soil samples to the laboratory for analysis, ordering seed: Farming today involves a great deal of administrative work. A new Internet-based platform will soon make this task easier. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010092330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144101.htm Volcanoes function in a far more complex way than previously thought, making future eruptions even harder to predict. Although the Soufrière Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat exhibits cycles of eruption and quiet, magma is continuously supplied from deep in the crust but that a valve acts below a shallower magma chamber, releasing lava to the surface periodically. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144105.htm Satellite images captured before and after the Aug. 7-8 clash between Georgia, South Ossetian separatists and Russia reveal that 424 civilian structures near Tskhinvali were damaged by Aug. 19 -- although they appeared intact in images taken on Aug. 10 and earlier, researchers report. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008184822.htm Researchers have developed a new tool that uses natural "fingerprints" in coal to track down sources of mercury polluting the environment. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008184822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145114.htm An interdisciplinary group of scientists has obtained the first detailed information about the structure of the most destructive group of plant viruses known: flexible filamentous viruses. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010081652.htm Scientists have found that the UK's common or garden earthworms are far more diverse than previously thought, a discovery with important consequences for agriculture. Biologists have found that many of the common earthworm species found in gardens and on agricultural land are actually made up of a number of distinct species that may have different roles in food chains and soil structure and ecology. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010081652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144647.htm Researchers in Spain have established a method based on dynamic simulation models to define the indicators for the risk of desertification of a particular region in the long term, thus forecasting whether or not the current situation is sustainable. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144331.htm Society is in a race to find renewable sources of carbon-neutral energy. Cellulose-based biofuels hold promise, but we need to proceed cautiously and with an eye toward minimizing long-term ecological impacts. Without a sound plan, we could wind up doing more environmental harm than good. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144115.htm Wildfires can boost ozone pollution to levels that violate US health standards. A new study has found that California wildfires in 2007 tripled the number of ozone violations across a broad area. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144059.htm Will climate change exceed life's ability to respond? Biodiversity in a Warmer World, published in the Oct. 10, 2008, issue of the journal, Science, illustrates that cross-disciplinary research fostered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama clearly informs this urgent debate. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144057.htm UC Berkeley's resurvey of animal populations in California's eastern mountains kicked off in 2003 with a resurvey of Yosemite National Park, following the route of Joseph Grinnell in 1914-20. The first results show that small mammals have moved to higher elevations as a result of warming, some expanding their range upward, others moving upward and abandoning lower elevations entirely. Though biodiversity remains unchanged, the rapid rate of change sounds a cautionary note about global warming. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009072718.htm German and American researchers have for the first time identified complete gene sequences and function of two proteins in mussels that play a key defensive role against environmental toxicants. These proteins form part of an active, physiological barrier in mussel gills that protects them against environmental toxicants. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009072718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091129.htm Frozen arctic soil contains nearly twice the greenhouse-gas-producing organic material as was previously estimated, according to new research. The research team discovered a previously undocumented layer of organic matter on top of and in the upper part of permafrost, ranging from 60 to 120 centimeters deep. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091123.htm Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered, according to a new study. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102847.htm Scientists have found a way to genetically enhance the scent of flowers and implant a scent in those that don't have one. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091133.htm Miles below us, deep within Earth's crust, life is astir. Organisms there are not the large creatures typically envisioned when thinking of life. Instead, thriving there are microbes, the smallest and oldest form of life on Earth. Researchers are using a novel approach to uncover the source of organic compounds found deep within Earth's crust; in the process, new ideas will be tested about how petroleum forms from deeply buried organic matter. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093024.htm One of the smallest seals -- the Caspian -- has joined a growing list of mammal species in danger of extinction. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114516.htm A new study finds that pollution from livestock facilities is associated with an increase in infant mortality. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006170753.htm Researchers in Iran are publishing what they describe as the first study on a fungus that can remove sulfur -- a major source of air pollution -- from crude oil more effectively than conventional refining methods. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006170753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007132552.htm Scientists filming in one of the world's deepest ocean trenches have found groups of highly sociable snailfish swarming over their bait, nearly five miles beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean. This is the first time cameras have been sent to this depth. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007132552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006170710.htm In what may be an unintended consequence of efforts to make furniture safer and less flammable, residents of California have blood levels of potentially toxic flame retardants called PBDEs at levels nearly twice the national average, scientists from Massachusetts and California are reporting. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006170710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm A new report lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081641.htm Authors explore how ground motion measures scale with magnitude and explore the question: How many earthquakes are there? Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151106.htm A growing international consensus to formally recognize and protect people uprooted by environmental problems is expected to accelerate at a major conference. Featured at the conference: early results of the first comprehensive empirical study gauging the extent to which environment problems influence migration decisions. Experts warn human trafficking could worsen in step with environmental problems. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151106.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151104.htm New research suggests that the edge of the Tibetan plateau might have been preserved for thousands of years by ice and glacial debris at the mouth of many tributaries to the Tsangpo River. Those deposits appear to have acted as dams that prevented the rapidly traveling Tsangpo from carving upstream into the plateau. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150459.htm Researchers are homing in on the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to assess the likely changes, between now and the middle of the century, in the frequency, intensity, and tracks of these powerful storms. Initial results are expected early next year. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008095708.htm When reef fish get a mouthful of sand, coral reefs can drown. "We've known for a while that having a lot of sediment in the water is bad for corals and can smother them. What we didn't realize is how permanent this state of affairs can become, to the point where it may prevent the corals ever re-establishing." Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008095708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091125.htm Tropical wetlands are able to absorb and hold onto about 80 percent more carbon than can wetlands in temperate zones, according to a new study. The scientists extracted soil cores from wetlands in Costa Rica and in Ohio and analyzed the contents of the sediment from the past 40 years. Based on their analysis, they estimated that the tropical wetland accumulated a little over 1 ton of carbon per acre per year, and the temperate wetland accumulated .6 tons of carbon per acre per year. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930094653.htm The roadmap to the future of the gorgeously-decorated fish which throng Australia’s coral reefs may well be written in their genes. Of particular importance may be to protect ‘pioneer’ fish populations which are able to re-colonize regions of reef devastated by global warming and other impacts or settle new areas as the corals move south. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930094653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102853.htm The 2008 ozone hole -- a thinning in the ozone layer over Antarctica -- is larger both in size and ozone loss than 2007 but is not as large as 2006. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102537.htm Could there be a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of appendicitis? New research suggests a novel connection. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145032.htm The connection between geology and the history of the Civil War has fascinated some researchers. Now they take history, military history in particular, a step deeper -- into the geology beneath the soldiers' feet. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930081357.htm New North African climate reconstructions reveal three ‘green Sahara’ episodes during which the present-day Sahara Desert was almost completely covered with extensive grasslands, lakes and ponds over the course of the last 120.000 years. Reconstructing the climate of the past is an important tool for scientists to better understand and predict future climate changes that are the result of the present-day global warming. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930081357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102541.htm During October and November 2008, some 150 scientists from 40 institutions in eight nations will take part in an international field experiment designed to make observations of critical components of the climate system of the southeastern Pacific. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001125958.htm Recent study results have shown have shown that using nitrogen fertilizer on off-season cover crops can not only increase the biomass of these crops, but can also have a beneficial effect on the nitrogen levels in the soil for the cash crop planted during the summer season. The results could significantly aid in preventing soil erosion in vulnerable agricultural regions. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001125958.htm