Earth & Environment - Jan 13, 2010 17:38 - 0 Comments

Stirring up question of PCBs

U. IOWA—The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and scientists are unsure whether planned dredging in the next few years will help or hurt the situation. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 13, 2010 16:19 - 0 Comments

Future Forests: Beyond 2200

U. ILLINOIS—The composition of some U.S. forests might be quite different 200 to 400 years from today, a new study suggests. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 13, 2010 13:26 - 0 Comments

On video: Seafloor volcano spews magma

U. WASHINGTON—For the first time molten lava has been observed flowing from a deep ocean volcano. In video footage, clouds of milky-yellow sulfur gas billow, molten red lava explodes into the icy ocean water and turns almost instantaneously to black rock, while water vapor creates huge, glowing lava bubbles several feet across. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 12, 2010 12:07 - 4 Comments

Track climate change with tennis balls

U. WASHINGTON—Measuring snowmelt is as easy—and economical—as launching a tennis ball into a tree. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 12, 2010 10:48 - 1 Comment

Western butterflies—nowhere to go but up

UC DAVIS—California butterflies are reeling from a one-two punch of climate change and land development, suggest the results of a study led by butterfly expert Arthur Shapiro. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 8, 2010 15:21 - 0 Comments

Warmer temps stifle trees’ carbon uptake

U. COLORADO—As the climate warms and growing seasons lengthen, subalpine forests are likely to soak up less carbon dioxide. The result will be more greenhouse gas left to concentrate in the atmosphere, new research shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 7, 2010 16:43 - 8 Comments

Pulling the plug on hybrid myths

U. CHICAGO—What’s the real deal with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles? Vehicle systems engineer Forrest Jehlik from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory would like to dispel some commonly held myths. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 30, 2009 11:35 - 6 Comments

Race to replace gas with green batteries

U. CHICAGO (US)—Researchers are exploring the promise of lithium-air battery technology as an environmentally sound way to fuel the world’s ever-growing transportation needs. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 23, 2009 16:13 - 3 Comments

Some fish are born to be caught

U. ILLINOIS (US)—In an experiment spanning more than 20 years, researchers have found that vulnerability to being caught by anglers is a heritable trait in largemouth bass. (more…)

Earth & Environment, Science & Technology - Dec 23, 2009 11:59 - 2 Comments

Bacteria crank microgears to power machines

U. CHICAGO (US)—Scientists have discovered that common bacteria can turn microgears when suspended in a solution, providing insights for designs of bio-inspired dynamically adaptive materials for energy. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 21, 2009 15:35 - 0 Comments

Greener way to build ski runs

UC DAVIS (US)—Building a new ski run by bulldozing a mountainside rather than only cutting its shrubs and trees is far more damaging ecologically, yet might offer only a week’s earlier start to the downhill season. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 21, 2009 14:59 - 3 Comments

From space, daily snapshot of CO2 levels

TEXAS A&M (US)—Researchers studying climate now have a new tool at their disposal that yields daily global measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor in a key part of Earth’s atmosphere. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 18, 2009 17:18 - 18 Comments

Like humans, wild chimps ‘get’ fire

IOWA STATE (US)—Humans were thought to process a unique ability to use fire, but now anthropologist Jill Pruetz reports that savanna chimpanzees in Senegal have a near human understanding of wildfires and change their behavior in anticipation of fire’s movement. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 17, 2009 15:41 - 11 Comments

Little global warming goes a long way

PRINCETON (US)—The planet’s polar ice sheets are vulnerable to large-scale melting even under moderate global warming scenarios. Such melting would lead to a large and relatively rapid rise in global sea level, submerging many coastal areas. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 17, 2009 15:13 - 0 Comments

Why strong faults keep slip, slidin’ away

PENN STATE (US)—Some geologic faults that appear strong and stable, slip and slide like weak faults. Researchers at Penn State believe the angle is to blame. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 17, 2009 12:27 - 1 Comment

Arctic rivers as climate change forecasters

TEXAS A&M (US)—Scientists may be able to gauge the effects of climate change in the polar regions by monitoring bacterial communities in six large Arctic rivers, new research shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 15, 2009 16:39 - 0 Comments

‘Triple whammy’ takes toll on Arctic erosion

U. COLORADO (US)—The combined effect of declining sea ice, warming seawater, and increased wave activity is causing the northern coastline of Alaska to erode by up to one-third the length of a football field each year. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 15, 2009 10:48 - 0 Comments

Atlantic Coast sea level rises at faster pace

U. PENN (US)—Sea level along the Atlantic Coast is rising faster now than at any time in the past 4,000 years. (more…)

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