Earth

  1. Earth

    Seasonal Weather

    The Aboriginal people of Australia had their own way of defining the seasons, based on local weather patterns. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has created a Web site that illustrates several of these seasonal weather calendars, established thousands of years ago. Unlike the European and American spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the indigenous versions often include […]

    By
  2. Earth

    Ash Clouds: Severe storms can lift smoke into stratosphere

    New field observations, satellite images, and computer models suggest that a severe thunderstorm, enhanced by heat from forest fires, can boost soot, smoke, and other particles as far as the lower stratosphere, an unexpected phenomenon.

    By
  3. Earth

    Ash Clouds: Severe storms can lift smoke into stratosphere

    New field observations, satellite images, and computer models suggest that a severe thunderstorm, enhanced by heat from forest fires, can boost soot, smoke, and other particles as far as the lower stratosphere, an unexpected phenomenon.

    By
  4. Earth

    Slowing Puberty? Pesticide may hinder development in boys

    Long-term exposure to the pesticide endosulfan may delay the onset of puberty in boys.

    By
  5. Earth

    Gemstone Geography: New technique discerns emeralds’ beginnings

    Water molecules trapped inside the minuscule channels of an emerald harbor telltale signs of the gem's geographic origin.

    By
  6. Earth

    When Drought Reigns, Diets Can Turn Poisonous

    This time of year, most of the Western world is focusing on holiday indulgences: how many presents to buy, how many lights and candles to festoon the home, and how many sweets and feasts to offer family and friends. However, for many people in drought-stricken Africa, food and water will be in perilously short supply […]

    By
  7. Earth

    Leaden Gardens

    Soils in many cities of the United States carry a poisonous legacy: heavy concentrations of lead. The metal was deposited for years as fallout from flaking leaded house paint and the emissions of cars burning leaded gasoline. Recognizing the threat posed by tainted soil, environmental scientists have warned that growing edible plants in soils near […]

    By
  8. Earth

    Cloud Chemistry: Atmospheric scientists dissect cirrus clouds

    Cirrus cloud formation is influenced by the particles in the atmosphere, including pollutants.

    By
  9. Earth

    The Next MTBE: Contamination from fuel additives could spread

    Several alternatives to the common gasoline additives methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol could create environmental problems similar to those that MTBE has already caused.

    By
  10. Earth

    Lake Retreat: African river valley once hosted big lake

    The valley of the White Nile in Africa may long ago have held a shallow lake that sprawled 70 kilometers across and stretched more than 500 km along the river.

    By
  11. Earth

    Fill ‘er up . . . with a few tons of wheat

    A new analysis suggests that the amount of ancient plant matter that was needed to make just 1 gallon of gasoline is the same amount that can be grown each year in a 40-acre wheat field—roots, stalks, and all.

    By
  12. Earth

    Pieces of a Pulverizer? Sediment fragments may be from killer space rock

    Scientists sifting sediments laid down just after Earth's most devastating mass extinction 250 million years ago may have found minuscule fragments of the extraterrestrial object that caused the catastrophe.

    By