Blog Feed: Stay Informed With Comprehensive News And Events On Our Changing Planet
| Home | My Account | Directories |
Peru says 5,000 birds, nearly 900 dolphins dead
Published on 2012-05-10 15:07:00
The Peruvian government said Wednesday that 5,000 birds, mostly pelicans, and nearly 900 dolphins have died off the country's northern coast, possibly due to rising temperatures in Pacific waters. The country's northern beaches were earlier this week declared off-limits as scientists scrambled to pin down what was causing such a massive toll, with non-government organizations blaming oil exploration work. But Peru's deputy environment minister Gabriel Quijandria, disputed this and said warming [..] > read more
Warmest May to April ever for U.S
Published on 2012-05-09 10:00:00
(Reuters) - The contiguous U.S. states posted record warmth from May 2011 through April, and drought conditions spread across more than a third of this area during the first months of 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA.L said on Tuesday. The contiguous United States had a national average temperature of 55.7 F (13.2 C) from May 2011 to April 2012, 2.8 F (1.6 C) above the 20th century average, NOAA said in a statement. It was the warmest ever May-to-April peri [..] > read more
70% of Hawaii’s Beaches Eroding
Published on 2012-05-08 13:21:00
The shoreline along Makapuu Point, Oahu, Hawaii, was included in the study released today showing that 70 percent of Hawaii's beaches are eroding. CREDIT: Brad Romine, University of Hawaii Sea Grant/ Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Millions of years from now, the mighty islands of Hawaii will be mere vestiges of the grand splendor seen today, scientists say. And in the shorter term, beach [..] > read more
Rare Transit Of Venus Event Expected In June
Published on 2012-05-02 11:04:00
Rare Transit Of Venus Event Expected In June (via redOrbit) A once-in-a-lifetime event is on its way — an event that hasn’t occurred since 1882 and will not occur again until 2117 — and will be a spectacular event for millions of people all around the world. The Transit of Venus, as it is called, occurs when the planet passes across the face of the Sun… > read more
Eyeless Shrimp? Report Raises Concerns in Gulf
Published on 2012-04-19 09:55:00
Mutant creatures showing up after BP spill, says Al Jazeera English Shrimp missing their eyeballs (and even eye sockets), fish covered in lesions, deformed crabs, and other mutated sea creatures are showing up in unsettling numbers in the Gulf of Mexico two years after the giant BP oil spill, according to an investigation by Al Jazeera English. "The fishermen have never seen anything like this," says one scientist at Louisiana State University. "And in my 20 years working on red snapper, [..] > read more
Giant Sinkhole In Sweden Keeps Expanding!
Published on 2012-04-16 09:16:00
The enormous sinkhole at Malmberget is expanding. This is an image showing the giant pit from above. It looks like something taken straight from a horror movie. An enormous hole leading to hell, some would say. But this is not a movie. This is a real and dangerous phenomenon. New shocking images clearly show the enormous pit in Sweden is expanding. The 200 foot wide open pit is called the "Fabiangropen" (Fabian pit) and is in the Malmberget area is located at Gällivare, 75km from Kirun [..] > read more
Middle America Is Experiencing a Massive Increase in 3.0+ Earthquakes
Published on 2012-04-12 11:29:00
Area over which increased seismic activity has been observed A new United States Geological Survey study has found that middle America between Alabama and Montana is experiencing an "unprecedented" and "almost certainly manmade" increase in earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater. In 2011, there were 134 events of that size. That's six times more than were normally seen during the 20th century. While the changes in the area's seismicity began in 2001, the trend has really accelerated sin [..] > read more
20 million hit by drought in southeast England
Published on 2012-04-05 15:11:00
Justin Tallis / AFP - Getty Images A wooden branch lies in the dry mud at the bank of the half-full Bewl Water reservoir in the English county of Kent on Thursday. Charlie Powell, a meteorologist at the U.K.'s Met Office, told msnbc.com there was no sign of an imminent downpour over England's drought-affected areas. London has an undeserved reputation as a rainy city, with “things to do” when the U.K. capital is wet a popular topic of conversation among tourists. But this year could [..] > read more
Carbon Dioxide Linked to End of Last Ice Age
Published on 2012-04-05 11:16:00
This graph shows Antarctica warming up slightly before atmospheric carbon dioxide rose and well before global temperatures warmed. In a new study, researchers explain that a change in the Earth's orbit resulted in a change in ocean circulation that prompted the Antarctic to warm before the rest of the planet. CREDIT: Jeremy Shakun View full size image The circumstances that ended the last ice age, [..] > read more
New Comparison of Ocean Temperatures Reveals Rise Over the Last Century
Published on 2012-04-04 09:30:00
Argo's 3,500 ocean-profiling robots blanket the world's oceans. (Credit: Image courtesy of Scripps Institute of Oceanography) ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2012) — A new study contrasting ocean temperature readings of the 1870s with temperatures of the modern seas reveals an upward trend of global ocean warming spanning at least 100 years. The research led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego physical oceanographer Dean Roemmich shows a .33-degree Celsius (.59-degree Fahren [..] > read more
Mysterious Geologic Structure Seen from Space
Published on 2012-03-27 10:11:00
Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers snapped this photo of a lava crater in Mauritania from the International Space Station. CREDIT: ESA/NASA View full size image A huge, copper-toned formation in West Africa dominates a mesmerizing photo taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers snapped this hypnotic image of the so-called Richat structure in Mauritania, as [..] > read more
What Happened to Winter?
Published on 2012-03-19 09:14:00
The Stidman family, Fil, Anna, and their daughters Laura, back left, and Sarah, of Raleigh, N.C. enjoy the warm Washington weather underneath a blooming magnolia tree on the Capitol grounds, March 12, 2012. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) The winter of 2011-12 might well earn the title of "the winter that wasn't" in many parts of the United States. The season has entered the books as the fourth warmest on record for the Lower 48, according to an analysis by the National Climatic Data Ce [..] > read more
Record-breaking warm weather advances beginning of growing season
Published on 2012-03-16 09:35:00
Fig 1 Recent abnormally warm weather has resulted in a very early start to the growing season across the Great Lakes Region and much of the central and eastern USA. The trend towards warmer than normal conditions is not new, with above normal mean temperatures observed across Michigan during much of the period back to the middle of last November. The winter of 2011-2012 (December through February) was the fourth mildest on record. The prolonged warm spell is the result of a very persist [..] > read more
Venus and Jupiter Dance at Dusk
Published on 2012-03-08 10:44:00
Here is the scene looking west about an hour after sunset in late March. Over four evenings, a waxing crescent Moon will move upward past Jupiter and Venus. Click on the image for a high-resolution version. Sky & Telescope diagram For the past month the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, have been an eye-catching duo in the western sky after sunset. Week by week they've been gradually sliding closer together, and their celestial performance is about to culminate. By March 9th [..] > read more
Asteroid 2012 DA14 heads for Earth next year
Published on 2012-03-06 11:38:00
Scientists are predicting that the asteroid 2012 DA14 has a small chance of colliding with Earth in eleven months. Watch the skies in February 2013! According to RT, NASA has confirmed that the 60 meter (or 197 feet) asteroid, which was spotted by Spanish stargazers in February this year, may be on a collision course to Earth. The scientists suggest confronting this asteroid with either big guns or, more strangely, with paint. The problem with either option is that there is no time [..] > read more
Climate change may increase risk of water shortages in hundreds of US counties by 2050
Published on 2012-02-28 14:47:00
More than 1 in 3 counties in the United States could face a "high" or "extreme" risk of water shortages due to climate change by the middle of the 21st century, according to a new study in ACS's Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. The new report concluded that 7 in 10 of the more than 3,100 U.S. counties could face "some" risk of shortages of fresh water for drinking, farming and other uses. It includes maps that identify the counties at risk of shortages. In the analysis, [..] > read more
Europe Hammered By Winter, Is North America Next?
Published on 2012-02-23 09:59:00
This map shows temperature anomalies for Europe and western Russia from January 25 to February 1, 2012, compared to temperatures for the same dates from 2001 to 2011. The anomalies are based on land surface temperatures observed by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. For the first half of this year’s winter, the big news was warm temperatures and lack of snow. Ski resorts were covered in bare dirt, while January temperatures in southern California topped July highs. Then, o [..] > read more
Ancient plants back to life after 30,000 frozen years
Published on 2012-02-23 09:48:00
Scientists in Russia have grown plants from fruit stored away in permafrost by squirrels over 30,000 years ago. The fruit was found in the banks of the Kolyma River in Siberia, a top site for people looking for mammoth bones. The Institute of Cell Biophysics team raised plants of Silene stenophylla - of the campion family - from the fruit. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they note this is the oldest plant material by far to have been brought to life. Prior to [..] > read more
Believe it or not, the Sky is Falling
Published on 2012-02-10 16:22:00
A new paper just published in Geophysical Research Letters by Roger Davies and Mathew Molloy of the University of Auckland finds that over the past decade the global average effective cloud height has declined and that “If sustained, such a decrease would indicate a significant measure of negative cloud feedback to global warming.” Davies and Molloy are quick to point out that part of the decline from 2000 to 2010 in cloud height is due to the timing and variability of El Niño/La Ni [..] > read more
Arctic Is Already Suffering the Effects of a Dangerous Climate Change
Published on 2012-02-02 16:29:00
Two decades after the United Nations established the Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,” the Arctic shows the first signs of a dangerous climate change. (Credit: Image courtesy of CSIC, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2012) — Two decades after the United Nations established the Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to "prevent dangerous anthropog [..] > read more
Breathtaking Cloud Formation Shines Over Rockies
Published on 2012-01-31 13:58:00
RIchard H. Hahn snapped this stunning picture of a lenticular cloud over Rocky Mountain National Park just after sunset on Jan. 5, 2012. Credit: Richard H. Hahn This spectacular, multi-hued formation of lenticular clouds was observed soon after the sun set over Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colo., on Jan. 5. Professional photographer Richard H. Hahn was on t [..] > read more
Arctic Ocean freshwater bulge detected
Published on 2012-01-25 12:07:00
UK scientists have detected a huge dome of fresh water that is developing in the western Arctic Ocean. The bulge is some 8,000 cubic km in size and has risen by about 15cm since 2002. The team thinks it may be the result of strong winds whipping up a great clockwise current in the northern polar region called the Beaufort Gyre. This would force the water together, raising sea surface height, the group tells the journal Nature Geoscience. "In the western Arctic, the Beaufort Gyre is driven by [..] > read more
25 Indonesian Volcanoes Showing Abnormal Activity
Published on 2012-01-16 10:52:00
Twenty-five volcanoes in Indonesia, including Anak Krakatau, above, are showing signs of increased activity, a presidential aide said on Saturday. (Reuters Photo) Padang, West Sumatra. Twenty-five volcanoes in Indonesia are now showing abnormal activity or have been put on alert or watch status, presidential special aide Andi Arief said here on Saturday. “According to official data, 25 volcanoes are now under alert or watch status and they must be given priority [..] > read more
'Off the scale' smog grounds China flights
Published on 2012-01-10 09:07:00
Rider battles thick smog in Beijing on January 10, 2012. Picture: AP AP MORE than 150 flights to and from Beijing have been cancelled or delayed as a thick cloud of acrid smog shrouded the city, with US figures saying the pollution was so bad it was off the scale. The national meteorological centre said the Chinese capital had been hit by thick fog that reduced visibility to as little as 200 metres in some parts of the city, while official data [..] > read more
Bees being turned into 'zombies' by parasite
Published on 2012-01-04 13:46:00
Honey bees are abandoning their hives and being turned into “zombies” by a deadly fly parasite in their stomachs. The parasite makes the bees flee their hives and then walk round and round in circles before dying. It also makes them seek out bright lights. The parasite lays its’ eggs inside the abdomen of the honey bee. About a week after the bee dies, the pupae emerge from the throats and heads of the dead bees. Scientists discovered the parasite by accident but they believe it may [..] > read more
An island is born in the Red Sea
Published on 2011-12-30 11:08:00
The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captures what appears to be a plume of smoke from a new island Underwater volcanic activity has pushed an previously unseen island to the surface in a remote part of the Red Sea. Fishermen witnessed spewing lava fountains reaching up to 90ft tall on December 19 near the group of islands known as the Zubair Group, off the west coast of Yemen. Days later images released by NASA Earth Observatory show the underwate [..] > read more
Flu linked to mysterious seal deaths
Published on 2011-12-22 11:22:00
Dead harbor seals were seen on New Hampshire beaches earlier this year. A flu virus similar to one found in birds but not previously detected in harbor seals was the cause of five of 162 recent deaths of the marine animals off the New England coast, federal and state officials said yesterday. The influenza virus, known as H3N8, appears to have a low risk for transmission to humans, they said. But officials are urging the public to be cautious about approaching stranded seals to reduce [..] > read more
Hong Kong Issues Bird Flu "Serious" Alert
Published on 2011-12-21 11:00:00
Workers place dead chickens into plastic bags after they were killed in Hong Kong. Public hospitals in the city activated their “serious” response level and enhanced surveillance after the government discovered the H5N1-infected chicken carcass. Photographer: Aaron Tam/AFP/Getty Images Hong Kong culled 19,451 birds and banned the sale and import of live poultry until Jan. 12 after the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus was found in a chicken carcass at a wholesale market. The 30 chicken f [..] > read more
Extreme Weather & Climate Taking Its Toll
Published on 2011-07-03 17:33:00
New Mexico fires, photo: John Fowler/Creative Commons Three extreme weather stories to take you into the long holiday weekend in the US to which you probably should be paying attention: 1) Fire continues to threaten Los Alamos National Laboratory a > read more
Sea Level is Rising Faster Than Ever Seen
Published on 2011-06-30 10:26:00
Sea level rise is swamping coasts; Rodanthe in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is pictured. CREDIT: Andrew Kemp, Yale University Sea levels are rising faster than they have been in the last two millenn > read more
Is Extreme Weather The New Normal?
Published on 2011-06-14 11:52:00
BOSTON -- Last week temperatures in Boston neared 100 degrees in early June.Just days before, three Massachusetts residents were killed by a deadly string of three powerful tornadoes that tore across the western part of the state, inflicting tens > read more
Is Extreme Weather The New Normal?
Published on 2011-06-14 11:52:00
BOSTON -- Last week temperatures in Boston neared 100 degrees in early June.Just days before, three Massachusetts residents were killed by a deadly string of three powerful tornadoes that tore across the western part of the state, inflicting tens > read more
Is Extreme Weather The New Normal?
Published on 2011-06-14 11:52:00
BOSTON -- Last week temperatures in Boston neared 100 degrees in early June.Just days before, three Massachusetts residents were killed by a deadly string of three powerful tornadoes that tore across the western part of the state, inflicting tens > read more
S. America rattled by volcano devastation
Published on 2011-06-14 11:34:00
Add A volcano in southern Chile, some 600 miles south of Santiago, erupts for a second day on June 5, 2011, shooting out a cloud of ash six miles high. Residents evacuated from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano complex area, and there have been > read more
S. America rattled by volcano devastation
Published on 2011-06-14 11:34:00
Add A volcano in southern Chile, some 600 miles south of Santiago, erupts for a second day on June 5, 2011, shooting out a cloud of ash six miles high. Residents evacuated from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano complex area, and there have been > read more
S. America rattled by volcano devastation
Published on 2011-06-14 11:34:00
Add A volcano in southern Chile, some 600 miles south of Santiago, erupts for a second day on June 5, 2011, shooting out a cloud of ash six miles high. Residents evacuated from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano complex area, and there have been > read more
Potentially fatal infection strikes Joplin tornado victims
Published on 2011-06-10 15:53:00
Flying debris from the tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, has sparked an outbreak of a potentially fatal infection. The rare but serious – and in some cases deadly – fungal infection has affected some of the more than 900 peo > read more
Potentially fatal infection strikes Joplin tornado victims
Published on 2011-06-10 15:53:00
Flying debris from the tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, has sparked an outbreak of a potentially fatal infection. The rare but serious – and in some cases deadly – fungal infection has affected some of the more than 900 peo > read more
Potentially fatal infection strikes Joplin tornado victims
Published on 2011-06-10 15:53:00
Flying debris from the tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, has sparked an outbreak of a potentially fatal infection. The rare but serious – and in some cases deadly – fungal infection has affected some of the more than 900 peo > read more
Yellowstone National Park is moving
Published on 2011-05-25 14:41:00
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming (ABC 4 News) - The nation's oldest park is also one of the most studied. The interest is not just in it's amazing vistas and wildlife, but in the volcanic beast below the park. Yellowstone sits atop one of th > read more
Yellowstone National Park is moving
Published on 2011-05-25 14:41:00
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming (ABC 4 News) - The nation's oldest park is also one of the most studied. The interest is not just in it's amazing vistas and wildlife, but in the volcanic beast below the park. Yellowstone sits atop one of > read more
Yellowstone National Park is moving
Published on 2011-05-25 14:41:00
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming (ABC 4 News) - The nation's oldest park is also one of the most studied. The interest is not just in it's amazing vistas and wildlife, but in the volcanic beast below the park. Yellowstone sits atop one of > read more
Japanese superquake moved ocean floor 79 feet sideways and 10 feet up
Published on 2011-05-24 14:08:00
The tsunami comes crashing towards Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. Researchers say the area is at risk of further serious quakes The ocean floor shifted sideways by 79 feet in the Japanese earthquake in March - much further than scienti > read more
Japanese superquake moved ocean floor 79 feet sideways and 10 feet up
Published on 2011-05-24 14:08:00
The tsunami comes crashing towards Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. Researchers say the area is at risk of further serious quakes The ocean floor shifted sideways by 79 feet in the Japanese earthquake in March - much further than scien > read more
Japanese superquake moved ocean floor 79 feet sideways and 10 feet up
Published on 2011-05-24 14:08:00
The tsunami comes crashing towards Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. Researchers say the area is at risk of further serious quakes The ocean floor shifted sideways by 79 feet in the Japanese earthquake in March - much further than scien > read more
Joplin Tornado the 9th Deadliest of All Time
Published on 2011-05-24 10:26:00
(Sunrise on May 24th in Joplin, MO where officials say people may still be alive under the rubble, and rescue operations continue) JOPLIN, MO AND FLINT, MI -- Sunday's killer tornado in Joplin was rated an EF-4, but the lives it has claimed al > read more
Joplin Tornado the 9th Deadliest of All Time
Published on 2011-05-24 10:26:00
(Sunrise on May 24th in Joplin, MO where officials say people may still be alive under the rubble, and rescue operations continue) JOPLIN, MO AND FLINT, MI -- Sunday's killer tornado in Joplin was rated an EF-4, but the lives it has claimed al > read more
Joplin Tornado the 9th Deadliest of All Time
Published on 2011-05-24 10:26:00
(Sunrise on May 24th in Joplin, MO where officials say people may still be alive under the rubble, and rescue operations continue) JOPLIN, MO AND FLINT, MI -- Sunday's killer tornado in Joplin was rated an EF-4, but the lives it has claimed al > read more
2,300-year climate record suggests severe tropical droughts as northern temperatures rise
Published on 2011-05-12 09:59:00
The study compared the record in the Pumacocha sediment core (PC) to various geological records from South America -- Cascayunga Cave (CC), the Quelccaya ice Cap (QIC), and the Cariaco... Click here for more information. A sedim > read more
2,300-year climate record suggests severe tropical droughts as northern temperatures rise
Published on 2011-05-12 09:55:00
The study compared the record in the Pumacocha sediment core (PC) to various geological records from South America -- Cascayunga Cave (CC), the Quelccaya ice Cap (QIC), and the Cariaco... Click here for more information. A > read more
2,300-year climate record suggests severe tropical droughts as northern temperatures rise
Published on 2011-05-12 09:55:00
The study compared the record in the Pumacocha sediment core (PC) to various geological records from South America -- Cascayunga Cave (CC), the Quelccaya ice Cap (QIC), and the Cariaco... Click here for more information. A > read more
The Sun-Earth Connection
Published on 2011-05-03 17:16:00
Article By Louis Baker for Zen College Life If you’ve watched news in the last few years, you probably remember hearing a thing or two about NASA’s theories on solar activity, and how it relates to the climate on Earth. While there were many t > read more
The Sun-Earth Connection
Published on 2011-05-03 17:16:00
Article By Louis Baker for Zen College Life If you’ve watched news in the last few years, you probably remember hearing a thing or two about NASA’s theories on solar activity, and how it relates to the climate on Earth. While there were many > read more
The Sun-Earth Connection
Published on 2011-05-03 17:16:00
Article By Louis Baker for Zen College Life If you’ve watched news in the last few years, you probably remember hearing a thing or two about NASA’s theories on solar activity, and how it relates to the climate on Earth. While there were many > read more
Tornadoes devastate South, killing at least 214
Published on 2011-04-28 11:06:00
Residents search through what is left of their homes in Pleasant Grove, just west of downtown Birmingham, Ala. More Photos PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. – Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South, flattening homes and businesses and ki > read more
Tornadoes devastate South, killing at least 214
Published on 2011-04-28 11:06:00
Residents search through what is left of their homes in Pleasant Grove, just west of downtown Birmingham, Ala. More Photos PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. – Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South, flattening homes and businesses a > read more
Tornadoes devastate South, killing at least 214
Published on 2011-04-28 11:06:00
Residents search through what is left of their homes in Pleasant Grove, just west of downtown Birmingham, Ala. More Photos PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. – Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South, flattening homes and businesses a > read more
Climate change is melting Arctic coastlines by 30 metres each year
Published on 2011-04-19 17:07:00
Meltwater icicles: Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice fringing the coastlines and leaving them more exposed to the elements, a study said Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice are leaving coastlines 'more exposed to th > read more
Climate change is melting Arctic coastlines by 30 metres each year
Published on 2011-04-19 17:07:00
Meltwater icicles: Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice fringing the coastlines and leaving them more exposed to the elements, a study said Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice are leaving coastlines 'more exposed to t > read more
Climate change is melting Arctic coastlines by 30 metres each year
Published on 2011-04-19 17:07:00
Meltwater icicles: Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice fringing the coastlines and leaving them more exposed to the elements, a study said Rising temperatures are melting protective sea ice are leaving coastlines 'more exposed to t > read more
Yellowstone Supervolcano Plume Is Bigger Than Thought
Published on 2011-04-12 09:23:00
This image, based on variations in electrical conductivity of underground rock, shows the volcanic plume of partly molten rock that feeds the Yellowstone supervolcano. Yellow and red indicate higher conductivity, green and blue indicate lower cond > read more
Radiation Detected In Drinking Water In 13 More US Cities,
Published on 2011-04-11 14:06:00
Radiation from Japan has been detected in drinking water in 13 more American cities, and cesium-137 has been found in American milk—in Montpelier, Vermont—for the first time since the Japan nuclear disaster began, according to data released by > read more
Scientists give chilling warnings on climate
Published on 2011-04-05 14:56:00
New Zealanders have been issued with a stark warning to expect "surprises" by scientists who say they cannot keep up with extreme weather events linked to climate change. Scientists opened a climate change conference in Wellington yesterday by > read more
Cities ignore climate change at their peril
Published on 2011-03-30 16:21:00
In industrialised nations, urban living demands more water, natural resources and energy Urban areas are set to become the battleground in the global effort to curb climate change, the UN has warned. The assessment by UN-Habitat said that the world's > read more
Official death toll tops 10,000 in Japan
Published on 2011-03-25 15:35:00
Debris litters a railroad track March 17, 2011, six days after an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. UPI/Keizo Mori TOKYO, March 25 (UPI) -- The death toll from Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami crossed the 10,000 mark Friday, with p > read more
Anti-radiation tablet sales soar in US amid Japan nuclear crisis
Published on 2011-03-16 10:06:00
Anti-radiation tablets have been selling fast in the US, despite advice that potassium iodide only works for those close to a 'nuclear event'. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The fires and explosions at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have > read more
Massive 8.9 earthquake and tsunami hits Japan
Published on 2011-03-11 09:26:00
Houses are destroyed by tsunami floods following the Tohoku Earthquake in near Iwaki town, Fukushima prefecture. Photo: EPA TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese police say 200 to 300 bodies have been found in a northeastern coastal area where a massive earth > read more
Chandler's Wobble' may usher in a new ice age
Published on 2011-03-01 09:57:00
Last week in 'Gems,' it was reported that NASA has discovered 'cracks' in the fluctuating earth's magnetic field. This is worrisome, because this magnetic field affects the ionosphere, and particularly the winds in the lower troposphere. These 'crack > read more
Planet could be 'unrecognizable' by 2050
Published on 2011-02-23 08:35:00
Undated image of Earth's city lights released by NASA. A growing, more affluent population competing for ever scarcer resources could make for an "unrecognizable" world by 2050, researchers warned at a major US science conference Sunday. (AFP/NAS > read more
Mysterious Noctilucent Clouds As Seen from Space
Published on 2011-02-11 08:14:00
Polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura satellite. Maps by Robert Simmon. Credit: NAS Mysterious “night shining” or noctilucent clouds are beautiful to behold, and are usually seen during t > read more
Oysters disappearing worldwide
Published on 2011-02-06 10:02:00
AFP/Getty Images/File – A survey of oyster habitats around the world has found that the succulent mollusks are disappearing fast … WASHINGTON (AFP) – A survey of oyster habitats around the world has found that the succ > read more
'James Bond' Volcano Menaces Japan Island
Published on 2011-02-03 10:01:00
Mount Shinmoedake spews volcanic ash in the background on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011. The 4,662-foot (1,421-meter) volcano burst back to life last week covered wide areas in ash, shot boulders onto distant > read more
Authoritarian governments start stockpiling food to fight public anger
Published on 2011-02-03 09:43:00
Riots started in Tunisia initially over the price of staple food like sugar, salt and grain Photo: AP Authoritarian governments across the world are aggressively stockpiling food as a buffer against soaring food costs which they fear may stoke > read more
Super Cyclone Yasi strikes North Queensland
Published on 2011-02-02 13:55:00
A satellite image shows cyclone Yasi approaching the coast of northern Australia. Photograph: US Naval Research Laboratory The residents of North Queensland are counting the cost after cyclone Yasi, the largest tropical storm > read more
Birds vanishing in the Philippines
Published on 2011-02-01 13:07:00
The number of birds flying south to important wintering grounds in the Philippines has fallen sharply this year, with experts saying the dramatic demise of wetlands and hunting are to blame. Despite some harsh, cold weather across the Eurasian land > read more
Canadian arctic basks under record mildness
Published on 2011-01-25 09:48:00
Over the last month, the high Arctic in Canada has been experiencing record warmth -- with the average temperatures over a 29-day period more than 21 degrees above normal. A year ago, during the winter of 2009/10, Canada experienced its warmest and > read more
Greenland Ice Sheet Experiences Record Melt
Published on 2011-01-24 17:29:00
Last year's melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet was the worst ever recorded, according to research from the City College of New York. "This past melt season was exceptional, with melting in some areas stretching up to 50 days longer than averag > read more
Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells
Published on 2011-01-21 10:41:00
Steam rises from Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park Published January 19, 2011Yellowstone National Park's supervolcano just took a deep "breath," causing miles of ground to rise dramatically, scientists report. The simmering volcano has p > read more
Strange Rock Mass Emerges Off Arakan Coast
Published on 2011-01-17 12:52:00
An amazing rock mass has emerged from the seawater near the offshore islands of Pharonga, located 20 miles south of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, report numerous witnesses. A fishing boat owner said, "We have never seen a rock mass before > read more
Australia: Queensland Residents On Edge As Floodwaters Rise
Published on 2011-01-10 15:51:00
A car is engulfed by floodwaters in Toowoomba Sodden Queensland continues to battle its week-long flood crisis, with one town facing its second inundation since Christmas, residents forced to evacuate in several areas and waters receding ever so sl > read more
Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport
Published on 2011-01-07 09:44:00
A computer simulation shows the Earth's magnetic field lines and two poles, with blue lines directed inward and yellow lines directed outward. The planet's northern magnetic pole is drifting slowly but steadily towards Russia -- and it's throwin > read more
US sees massive drop in bumblebees
Published on 2011-01-04 11:19:00
WASHINGTON — Weakened by inbreeding and disease, bumble bees have died off at an astonishing rate over the past 20 years, with some US populations diving more than 90 percent, according to a new study. The findings are of concern because bees pla > read more
2010: A Year of Extreme Weather
Published on 2011-01-03 08:16:00
Satellite image of the blizzard over the northeastern US on Dec. 27, 2010, CREDIT: NASA/GISS Earth's atmosphere showed a mean streak in 2010, and there may be more to come. Along the East Coast of the United States, buried under the avalanche of thi > read more
More than 1,000 dead birds fall from sky in Arkansas
Published on 2011-01-02 10:46:00
An environmental services worker picks up a dead bird in Beebe, Arkansas, after more than 1,000 dead birds fell from the sky. Photograph: Warren Watkins/AP Officials are investigating why more than 1,000 birds - most of them dead - fell out of t > read more