http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/chemistry/ Earth and Climate Chemistry. Full text articles on organic and inorganic chemistry in the environment. Updated daily. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/chemistry/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm The global ocean covering the Earth 3.4 billion years ago was far cooler than has been thought, according to researchers who analyzed isotope ratios in rocks formed on that ancient ocean floor. Instead of a hot primordial soup, much more tepid temperatures prevailed. Cooler temperatures may have had effects on the evolution of the early atmosphere and could have opened the door to an earlier spread of photosynthetic life forms across the planet. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142518.htm Scientists have developed a more definitive and reliable tool for measuring the sun's rotation when sunspots aren't visible ---- and even when they are -- based on observations of common lightning strikes on earth. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130950.htm Green fluorescent protein has invaded thousands of research labs around the world, thanks to its versatility in labeling cells and organisms. Now, chemists have discovered why GFP is such an efficient emitter of green light. A new technique, femtosecond stimulated Ramon spectroscopy, could provide snapshots of reactions in other light-capturing molecules and allow redesign for improved photon absorption in solar cells. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130950.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121249.htm Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Spore-forming bacteria, present almost everywhere in our environment, can also cause serious infectious diseases, such as tetanus, anthrax, and botulism. Now researchers have made a breakthrough in our understanding of the molecular characteristics of spores that in the long term may lead to new methods for sterilizing food and medical equipment. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135415.htm The war between the sexes has been fought on many fronts throughout time -- from humans to birds to insects, the animal kingdom is replete with species involved in their own skirmishes. A recent study demonstrates that certain plants, with some help from fungal friends, may also be involved in this fray. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092051.htm Amphibians, for years considered a leading indicator of environmental degradation, are not uniquely susceptible to pollution, according to a new meta-analysis. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm The American health-care sector accounts for 8 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, according to a first-of-its-kind calculation of health care's carbon footprint. Researchers used expenditures from different parts of the health care sector to measure the industry's potential effect upon global warming through the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm Aerosols, very small particles suspended in the air, play an important role in the global climate balance and in regulating climate change. They are one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate change models. ESA's GlobAerosol project has been making the most of European satellite capabilities to monitor them. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145308.htm As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose nitrogen as gas, reports a new study. That could lead to deserts with even less plant life than they sustain today, say the researchers. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm A chemical culprit responsible for the rapid, mysterious death of phytoplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean has been found. This same chemical may hold unexpected promise in cancer research. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm Deep under the sea, a fossil the size of a sand grain is nestled among a billion of its closest dead relatives. Known as foraminifera, these complex little shells of calcium carbonate can tell you the sea level, temperature, and ocean conditions of Earth millions of years ago. That is, if you know what to look for. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145300.htm Researchers have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields the pathogen from oxidative stress. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132658.htm Organisms ensure the survival of their species by genetically adapting to the environment. If environmental conditions change too rapidly, the extinction of a species may be the consequence. A strategy to successfully cope with such a challenge is the generation of variable offspring that can survive in different environments. For the first time scientists have now observed the evolution of such a strategy under lab conditions in an experiment with the bacterial species Pseudomonas fluorescens. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132454.htm Scientists are making progress toward development of an "artificial leaf" that mimics a real leaf's chemical magic with photosynthesis -- but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100022.htm More than 1.2 billion lightning flashes occur around the world every year. Each of those billion lightning flashes produces a puff of nitrogen oxide gas (NOx) that reacts with sunlight and other gases in the atmosphere to produce ozone. Using data gleaned from aircraft observations and satellites, NASA scientists recently took steps toward a better global estimate of lightning-produced NOx and found that lightning may have a considerably stronger impact on the climate in the mid-latitudes and subtropics. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123032.htm Scientists in Washington, D.C. are reporting laboratory evidence supporting the possibility that some of Earth's oil and natural gas may have formed in a way much different than the traditional process described in science textbooks. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140814.htm Conserving water and reducing the environmental impact of runoff are two important issues confronting container nursery operations. Current regulations in five states limit water consumption and/or nutrient concentrations in runoff. Researchers investigated whether irrigation scheduling based on daily water use (DWU) -- the combined loss of water from plant transpiration and substrate evaporation -- could conserve water. According to the study, "scheduling irrigation according to plant DWU substantially reduced the amount of irrigation applied. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104111725.htm New research examines some of the potential problems with current prediction methods and calls for the use of a range of approaches when predicting the impact of climate change on organisms. The study uses examples from recent paleoecological studies to highlight how climate variability of the past has affected the distributions of tree species, and even how events that occurred many centuries ago still shape present-day distributions patterns. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104111725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143815.htm The impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172243.htm Most land use changes occurring in the continental US result in raised regional surface temperatures, according to new research. The study found that almost any change that makes land cover less "green" contributes to warming. A perhaps less intuitive finding is that conversion of any land to agricultural use results in cooling, even land that was previously forested. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172243.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145611.htm Following the launch of ESA's SMOS satellite on Nov. 2, the French space agency CNES, which is responsible for operating the satellite, has confirmed that the instrument's three antenna arms have deployed as planned, and that the instrument is in good health. During launch and the first few orbits around Earth, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) instrument's antenna arms remained safely folded up. Today, these three arms folded-out and now form a large three-pointed star shape. With its unusual shape, measuring eight metres across, SMOS can be dubbed a 'star in the sky'. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122526.htm Is there such a thing as "weather" on Mars? There are some doubts, considering the planet's atmosphere is only 1 percent as dense as that of the Earth. Mars, however, definitely has clouds, drastically low temperatures and out-of-this-world dust storms. A professor of atmospheric sciences now hopes to analyze and forecast Martian weather. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalized solar energy," in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101555.htm In Bangladesh cholera epidemics occur twice a year. Scientists have tried, without much success, to determine the causes -- and advance early detection and prevention efforts. Now, researchers have proposed a link between cholera and fluctuating water levels in the region's three principal rivers -- the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171559.htm Deep-sea ecosystems occupying 60 percent of the Earth's surface could be vulnerable to the effects of global warming, warn scientists. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085819.htm Moose eat plants; wolves kill moose. What difference does this classic predator-prey interaction make to biodiversity? A large and unexpected one, say wildlife biologists. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112237.htm Large-scale distributions of two important nutrient pools -- dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorus have been systematically mapped for the first time over the Atlantic Ocean in a new study. The findings have important implications for understanding nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles and the biological carbon pump in the Atlantic Ocean. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095519.htm Scientist have constructed for the first time a synthetic cellulosome in yeast, which could make the production of bioethanol from biomass more efficient and economical. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121628.htm Scientists have discovered that interactions between iron supply, transported through the atmosphere from deserts, and large-scale oceanic circulation control the availability of a crucial nutrient, nitrogen, in the Atlantic. Their findings have potentially important implications for understanding global climate, both past and future. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112056.htm Scientists have identified biomarkers in rice -- 17 markers thus far that can follow changes in metabolism rapidly across a large number of plant samples. The technique is called metabolite screening. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100020.htm For decades, climate scientists have worked to identify and measure key substances -- notably greenhouse gases and aerosol particles -- that affect Earth's climate. And they've been aided by ever more sophisticated computer models that make estimating the relative impact of each type of pollutant more reliable. Yet the complexity of nature -- and the models used to quantify it -- continues to serve up surprises. The most recent? Certain gases that cause warming are so closely linked with the production of aerosols that the emissions of one type of pollutant can indirectly affect the quantity of the other. And for two key gases that cause warming, these so-called "gas-aerosol interactions" can amplify their impact. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111911.htm A researcher said that developing bio-based adhesives to replace environmentally hazardous materials also could produce high-value products needed to sustain the biofuels economy. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141217.htm Geoscientists have corroborated evidence that oxygen production began in Earth's oceans at least 100 million years before the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). The researchers analyzed 2.5 billion-year-old black shales, which revealed that episodes of hydrogen sulfide accumulation in the oxygen-free deep ocean occurred nearly 100 million years before the GOE. Scientists have long believed that the early ocean was characterized by high amounts of dissolved iron. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111907.htm A new European Earth observation satellite will be launched in the early hours of Monday November 2 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The European Space Agency Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite will measure moisture levels in the Earth's soils and the saltiness of the world's oceans from space for the very first time. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160106.htm Bacteria commonly used to indicate health risks in recreational waters might not be so reliable after all. Pathogenic E. coli were pervasive in stream-water samples with low concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria. This is one of the unexpected findings that may affect how we rely on indicator bacteria to determine if water is contaminated with bacteria that can make people sick. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160106.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152810.htm Globalization and industrialization are causing diseases to spread from humans to animals, a study has shown. Researchers have shown that a strain of bacteria has jumped from humans to chickens. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162546.htm Relatively minor increases in ocean acidity brought about by high levels of carbon dioxide have significant detrimental effects on the growth, development, and survival of hard clams, bay scallops, and Eastern oysters, according to researchers. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162929.htm An analysis of sediment cores indicates that biological and chemical changes occurring at a remote Arctic lake are unprecedented over the past 200,000 years and likely are the result of human-caused climate change, according to a new study. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122835.htm A new report examines and, when possible, estimates "hidden" costs of energy production and use -- such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health -- that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152944.htm New technologies and policies that save energy, remove atmospheric carbon and limit greenhouse gas emissions are needed to fight global climate change -- but face daunting technological, economic and political hurdles, a scientist said. The good news: Basic actions taken by everyday people can yield fast savings at low cost. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114321.htm Geologists are finding that the most important tools in their fieldwork on groundwater arsenic pollution are women and children armed with pamphlets and testing kits. The research examines arsenic levels in the groundwater in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. While trying to understand how the naturally occurring arsenic gets into groundwater, the researchers are helping Bengalis identify contaminated water sources so they can make more informed decisions about where to dig wells. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132932.htm Researchers here have discovered the pivotal role that volcanoes played in a deadly ice age 450 million years ago. Perhaps ironically, these volcanoes first caused global warming -- by releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When they stopped erupting, Earth's climate was thrown off balance, and the ice age began. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141128.htm While carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas and the focus of climate treaties, other pollutants that stay in the atmosphere for only days or months also contribute to global warming. Researchers argue that policymakers should plan a summit now to look at these pollutants, which range from soot to ozone and methane, because they will be more complicated to regulate than is the case with carbon dioxide. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141117.htm A report examining the impact of a global biofuels program on greenhouse gas emissions during the 21st century has found that carbon loss stemming from the displacement of food crops and pastures for biofuels crops may be twice as much as the carbon dioxide emissions from land dedicated to biofuels production. Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153635.htm An Israeli researcher's "hyperspectral remote sensor" combines sophisticated sensors in orbit with sensors on the ground and in the air to give advance warnings about contamination, pollution and weather disasters. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101542.htm Polluting industrial processes can be made safer with enzymes. But only a short range of enzymes have been available for the chemical industry. Researchers in Denmark have recently succeeded in producing an artificial enzyme that points the way to enzymes tailor-made for any application. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101655.htm The Mediterranean fruit fly is a world plague which represents one of the most serious problems for agriculture. However, the control methods currently present in the market for this plague are ineffective. Scientists have now isolated and identified bacteria that is extremely toxic for Mediterranean fruit fly larvae. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141121.htm The expansion of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) affects the processes by which carbon is captured and sequestered on the seafloor. Researchers describe the metagenome of an abundant but uncultivated microbe from a fjord on the coast of British Columbia, Canada that is silently helping to shape the ecology of OMZs worldwide. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141121.htm