Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Greenland ice variation appears normal
Changes in snowfall observed in parts of southern Greenland between 1978 and 1988 appear to be normal if gauged against the variations recorded in ice cores over the past 400 years.
- Earth
Cooking up a key chemical of life
Researchers have simulated the conditions and ingredients found at hydrothermal vents to create pyruvic acid, an organic chemical vital for cellular metabolism.
- Earth
Protective Blanket: Atmosphere blocks many small stony asteroids
A new computer model that more realistically simulates the aerodynamic forces on an object as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere suggests that the thin layer of air is an even better shield than previously thought.
- Earth
National Atlas
Provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, this Web site features an interactive map generator that allows users to view and download custom maps of the United States. The maps access a database that includes information about the nation’s agriculture, biological resources, climate, environment, geology, history, transportation, watersheds, population distribution, county boundaries, and other […]
- Earth
Digging for Fire: Burning peat underlies Mali’s hot ground
Superheated ground and smoking potholes in northern Mali are evidence not of volcanic activity but of a layer of peat that is burning 2 feet below the desert surface.
- Earth
More Than a Miner Problem: Asbestos exposure is prevalent in mining community
A new study of the residents of Libby, Mont., confirms that even people who don't work with asbestos can have lung abnormalities caused by the mineral.
- Earth
Double Trees: City trees grow bigger than country cousins
Clones of an Eastern cottonwood grow twice as well in the New York metropolitan sprawl as in rural New York State.
- Earth
Antimosquito coils release toxic fumes
Researchers have measured several pollutants in smoke emitted from so-called mosquito coils, which people burn at night to fend off insects.
- Earth
Satellites show Earth is greener
Daily observations from space for nearly 2 decades indicate that our planet is getting greener.
- Earth
Second cancer type linked to shift work
Women who have worked at least a few nights a month for many years appear to face a somewhat increased risk of colorectal cancer.
- Earth
Suspended Drugs: Antibiotics fed to animals drift in air
Borne on dust floating in and around farm buildings, antibiotics given to animals may later be inhaled by people—with possibly detrimental health effects.
- Earth
Girls may face risks from phthalates
The high incidence of premature breast development in Puerto Rican girls has been linked with phthalates, a family of ubiquitous pollutants found in plastics, lubricants, and solvents.
