http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/water/ Learn about Earth's water resources. Read current research on the water cycle, water pollution, groundwater depletion and lake protection. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/water/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124829.htm A key question in the origin of biological molecules like RNA and DNA is how they first came together billions of years ago from simple precursors. Now, researchers have reconstructed one of the earliest evolutionary steps yet: generating long chains of RNA from individual subunits using nothing but warm water. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134132.htm Rising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114640.htm Amphibians like frogs and toads have existed for 360 million years and survived when the dinosaurs didn't, but a new aquatic fungus is threatening to make many of them extinct, according to a new article. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124093537.htm New research on bacterial communities throughout six large Arctic river ecosystems reveals predictable temporal patterns, suggesting that scientists could use these communities as markers for monitoring climate change in the polar regions. The study shows that bacterial communities in the six rivers shifted synchronously over time, correlating with seasonal shifts in hydrology and biogeochemistry. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124093537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095413.htm Biogeochemistry and geology and geophysics scientists have returned from Arctic expedition exploring methane hydrate deposits in the Beaufort Sea and spatial variation of sediment contribution to Arctic climate change. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120135212.htm Scientists have found a clever way to use traditional GPS satellite signals to measure snow depth as well as soil and vegetation moisture, a technique expected to benefit meteorologists, water resource managers, climate modelers and farmers. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120135212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123132630.htm Scientists have developed a new modeling methodology for determining the capacity and assessing the risks of leakage of potential underground carbon-dioxide reservoirs. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123132630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161736.htm Understanding mixing in the ocean is of fundamental importance to modeling climate change or predicting the effects of an El Niño on our weather. Modern ocean models primarily incorporate the effects of winds and tides. However, they do not generally take into account the mixing generated by swimming animals. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161127.htm A new study finds that a species of sea star stays cool using a strategy never before seen in the animal kingdom. The sea stars soak up cold sea water into their bodies during high tide as buffer against potentially damaging temperatures brought about by direct sunlight at low tide. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161127.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. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103447.htm In a new study, measurements were made during three Austral summers to study the optical properties of the Antarctic system and to produce radiation information for additional modeling studies. The system has an important part in the global climate due to its size, its high latitude location and the negative radiation balance of its large ice sheets. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103447.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124013.htm Convincing experimental evidence has finally been found for directed percolation, a phenomenon that turns up in computer models of the ways diseases spread through a population or how water soaks through loose soil. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111327.htm Fossils of five ancient crocs, including one with teeth like boar tusks and another with a snout like a duck's bill, have been discovered in the Sahara. The five crocs, three of them newly named species, were part of the bizarre world of crocs that inhabited the southern land mass known as Gondwana some 100 million years ago. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000709.htm The MIRAS instrument on ESA's SMOS satellite, launched earlier this month, has been switched on and is operating normally. MIRAS will map soil moisture and ocean salinity to improve our understanding of the role these two key variables play in regulating Earth’s water cycle. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151621.htm Some 500 years ago there was a change in the circulation in the atmosphere over Scandinavia. This probably led to increased amounts of winter precipitation in northern Sweden for a period. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029152301.htm A self-amplifying effect presently sustains monsoon winds, but it could also disrupt the circulation over land and sea. The periodical rainfall could stop from one season to another or for months within seasons. High air pollution could lead to the disruption. Global warming increases the risk of abrupt monsoon transitions from high-precipitation to dry periods. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029152301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm Nine research challenges and four research initiatives that are poised to advance the study of how Earth's landscapes change were unveiled by the National Research Council. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112113421.htm Continued improvement of climate forecasts is resulting in better information about what rainfall may look like months in advance. A researcher has now developed an innovative water management framework that would take advantage of these forecasts to plan for droughts or excess rain in order to make the most efficient use of an area's water resources. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112113421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103419.htm The calculation of variations in the sea level is relatively simple. It is by far more complicated to then determine the change in the water mass. A team of geodesists and oceanographers have now, for the first time succeeded in doing this. The researchers were able to observe short-term fluctuations in the spatial distribution of the ocean water masses. Their results are, amongst others, important for improved climate models. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143619.htm It's the year 2060, and 75 percent of drivers in the Greater Los Angeles area have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that emit only water vapor. Look into Shane Stephens-Romero's crystal ball -- a computer model called STREET -- and find that air quality has significantly improved. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 60 percent lower than in 2009, and levels of microscopic soot and ozone are about 15 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131820.htm A dangerous level of carbon dioxide and methane gas haunts Lake Kivu, the freshwater lake bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The volatile mixture at the bottom of the lake could remain still for another 1,000 years or explode without warning. In a region prone to volcanic and seismic activity, the fragility of the lake is a serious matter. Scientists will meet in January in Gisenyi, Rwanda, to grapple with the problem. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134130.htm Researchers believe they have pinpointed a pathway by which arsenic may be contaminating the drinking water in Bangladesh, a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists, world health agencies and the Bangladeshi government for nearly 30 years. The research suggests that human alteration to the landscape, the construction of villages with ponds, and the adoption of irrigated agriculture are responsible for the current pattern of arsenic concentration underground. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085057.htm Small amounts of oil leave a fluorescent sheen on polluted water. Oil sheen is hard to remove, even when the water is aerated with ozone or filtered through sand. Now, an engineer has developed an inexpensive new method to remove oil sheen by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing ozone gas, creating microscopic bubbles that attack the oil so it can be removed by sand filters. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106120807.htm The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable according to a new report. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106120807.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. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143617.htm A new paper examines the potential of a REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism to provoke ecological damage and/or promote ecological cobenefits. Such analysis is key as negotiations and discussions continue between now and early December when the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change holds its 15th Conference of the Parties, where an agreement on REDD may emerge. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103703.htm A new way to access and reuse environmental data from diverse sources has been devised by European researchers. They foresee a future where environmental data and services are offered on the open market. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110141840.htm Researchers have created a glacier in a freezer that could help scientists understand how glaciers slide across their beds. That could help researchers predict how climate change accelerates glacier sliding and contributes to rising sea levels. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110141840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171741.htm California experienced centuries-long droughts in the past 20,000 years that coincided with the thawing of ice caps in the Arctic, according to analysis of stalagmites from a cave in the Sierra Nevada. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111257.htm Carbon is usually typecast as a villain in terms of the environment but researchers have now devised a novel way to miniaturize a technology that will make carbon a key material in some extremely green heating products for our homes and in air conditioning equipment for our cars. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112085025.htm In an advance that could help ease health and environmental concerns about the emerging nanotechnology industry, scientists are reporting development of technology for changing the behavior of nanoparticles in municipal sewage treatment plants -- their main gateway into the environment. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112085025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112141311.htm Satellite observations and a state-of-the art regional atmospheric model have independently confirmed that the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate, according to a new study. This mass loss is equally distributed between increased iceberg production, driven by acceleration of Greenland's fast-flowing outlet glaciers, and increased meltwater production at the ice sheet surface. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112141311.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. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121249.htm 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. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123027.htm Scientists have used images compiled over a decade to study volcanic activity in the African Rift. A new article focuses on the section of the rift in Kenya. Surface deformation of four active volcanoes underscore possibility for human hazard, as well as the potential of geothermal resources. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110045.htm Contrary to preconceived notions, the atmosphere and the oceans were perhaps not formed from vapors emitted during intense volcanism at the dawning of our planet. Scientists now suggest that water was not part of the Earth's initial inventory but stems from the turbulence caused in the outer solar system by giant planets. Ice-covered asteroids thus reached the Earth around one hundred million years after the birth of the planets. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm For the insects called water striders, the pushiest guys don't always get the girls. New research provides support for the theory of multi-level selection and contradicts previous laboratory experiments that suggested that the most aggressive males are the most successful at reproducing. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211333.htm Researchers have identified a key component that increases the toxicity of golden algae which kills millions of fish in the southern U.S. every year. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202859.htm The lush, tropical Congo Basin was much different 150 million to 200 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed Gondwana, the single continent formed by Africa and South America. Geochemical analysis of rare ancient soils from Central Africa suggests the land was arid, with a small amount of seasonal rainfall, and few bushes or trees. There's very little data for the paleoclimate of the Late Jurassic, but it's important because climate determines plant communities. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101356.htm NOAA has deployed the seventh in a series of "smart buoys" to monitor weather conditions and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The buoy, located at the mouth of Severn River near Annapolis, Md., will be used by commercial and recreational boaters to navigate safely and provide data for educators and scientists to monitor the Bay's changing conditions. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121117.htm Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid melting of ice shelves and glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula. This remarkable colonization is having a beneficial impact on climate change. As the blooms die back phytoplankton sinks to the sea-bed where it can store carbon for thousands or millions of years. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.htm Climate models that predict heavy rainfall don't give the whole picture, according to the results of a new study. Researchers examined climate changes that have taken place over the past 800,000 years, and discovered that the melting icebergs in the North Atlantic and changes in the El Niño Southern Oscillation have a great influence on the intensity of monsoon rains. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.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/2009/11/091110105353.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/2009/11/091108131442.htm New research demonstrates that deep creep may mean milder, more frequent earthquakes along SoCal's San Jacinto fault, making it a less likely candidate for a major earthquake than its neighbor to the east, the Southern San Andreas fault. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September of 2009 was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106140757.htm Despite the fact that summer 2009 had more sea ice than in 2007 or 2008, scientists are seeing drastic changes in the region from just five years ago and at rates faster than anticipated. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106140757.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