Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Farmers could help heal Gulf of Mexico
Farm-derived nutrients in the Mississippi River that create a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico could probably be substantially reduced if farmers simply used a little less fertilizer.
- Earth
Uranium recorded in high-altitude ice
An international team of scientists has analyzed a lengthy core of ice and snow drilled from atop Europe's tallest mountain to produce the first century-long record of uranium concentrations in a high-altitude environment.
- Earth
Grape-harvest dates hold climate clues
The vintner's habit of picking no grapes before their time may give scientists a tool that could help verify reconstructions of European climate for the past 500 years.
- Earth
Bottled Water for All?
U.S. households are water hogs. On average, each man, woman, and child uses an average of 100 gallons of tap water per day. What faucet did this water come from? In some Wisconsin homes, that could be an important question if a proposed change to the plumbing code goes into effect. PhotoDisc In fact, the […]
- Earth
Researchers confirm sea change in oceans
A new analysis of ancient seawater shows that the ocean's chemistry has fluctuated over the last half-billion years.
- Earth
How polluted is a preschooler’s world?
Preliminary data from a new study show that children may ingest traces of atrazine, a common herbicide, in their drinking water.
- Earth
Kitchen tap may offer drugs and more
Excreted drugs and household chemicals are making their way through community waste-treatment and drinking-water plants.
- Earth
Composting cuts manure’s toxic legacy
Composting manure reduces its testosterone and estrogen concentrations, limiting the runoff of these hormones, which can harm wildlife.
- Earth
Photo Treasures
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers an amazing library of more than 16,000 spectacular images, organized into a variety of topical sets. You can browse image collections devoted to coastlines, fisheries, ships, polar regions, severe storms, undersea research, nature reserves, flight, geodesy, coral reefs, and many other subjects. Go to: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/ .
- Earth
Lowland tree loss threatens cloud forests
Changes in regional climate brought about by large-scale deforestation in the eastern lowlands of Central America are affecting weather in the mountains downwind, imperiling ecosystems there.
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- Earth
Rain of foreign dust fuels red tides
Soil particles from Africa, raining out from clouds over the Americas, may trigger the first steps that lead to toxic red-tide algal blooms off Florida.
