Earth
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
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EarthToppling icebergs sped breakup of Larsen B ice shelf
Scientists now think they know what accelerated the rapid disintegration of most of Antarctica's Larsen B ice shelf early this year after a strong summer storm pummeled the region.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthContrails forecast on the horizon
Studies of the contrails generated by jets flying high over Alaska may lead to improved techniques for predicting the formation of the artificial clouds, which some scientists suggest have a warming effect on Earth's climate.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthContrails forecast on the horizon
Studies of the contrails generated by jets flying high over Alaska may lead to improved techniques for predicting the formation of the artificial clouds, which some scientists suggest have a warming effect on Earth's climate.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthWarm arctic summer melted much ice
Satellite observations of the Arctic Ocean show that the amount of sea ice there this year was the lowest it's been in more than 20 years.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthWarm arctic summer melted much ice
Satellite observations of the Arctic Ocean show that the amount of sea ice there this year was the lowest it's been in more than 20 years.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthDust Up: Office bustle launches anthrax spores
The commotion of everyday business in indoor spaces contaminated with anthrax can launch the bacterium's dangerous spores into the air.
By Ben Harder -
EarthDisaster Pix
If you’re one of those people who need to see the extent of intense weather events and great natural disasters–preferably as they are developing–this Web site is for you. Satellite images, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Operational Significant Event Imagery division, portray hurricanes, dust storms, snowfall, forest fires, volcanic plumes, and much […]
By Science News -
EarthOcean View
Ocean observatories have revealed unexpected discoveries, and now scientists want to widen the lens.
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EarthSolving Hazy Mysteries
Aerosols such as smoke, soot, and sea spray make for hazy vistas and stunning sunrises, but they also play major roles in Earth's climate and atmospheric chemistry.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthChild-care sites, health threats
Federal agencies have completed the first national study of lead, pesticides, and allergens in U.S. child-care facilities.
By Ben Harder -
EarthEl Niños came more often in Middle Ages
Analyses of layered sediments from a South American lake suggest that the worldwide warm spells known as El Niños occurred more frequently about 1,200 years ago, when Europe was entering the Middle Ages, than they do today.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthTaming Toxic Tides
A growing international cadre of scientists is exploring a simple strategy for controlling toxic algal blooms: flinging dirt to sweep the algae from the water.
By Janet Raloff