Earth

  1. Earth

    Volcanic activity convicted in Permian extinction

    Precision dating confirms that Siberian volcanic eruptions could have triggered the Permian extinction.

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  2. Climate

    Hurricane’s tiny earthquakes could help forecasters

    Hurricane Sandy set off small earthquakes under its eye as it moved up the U.S. East Coast in 2012. The tiny tremors could help researchers track the behavior of future storms, researchers propose.

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  3. Climate

    Katrina’s legacy: Refining hurricane forecasting

    Ten years following Hurricane Katrina’s formation, the storm’s devastating legacy in New Orleans and beyond continues to drive storm forecast improvements.

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  4. Earth

    Millions of dollars’ worth of gold and silver found beneath volcanoes

    A jackpot of dissolved gold and silver discovered in reservoirs of hot water beneath New Zealand’s Taupo Volcanic Zone.

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  5. Climate

    Carbon cuts could save U.S. farmers billions of dollars

    Reducing carbon emissions could save U.S. agriculture industry billions of dollars annually by curtailing droughts.

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  6. Microbes

    Bacteria in flowers may boost honeybees’ healthy gut microbes

    Honeybees may deliver doses of probiotics to the hive to help feed baby bees’ microbiome.

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  7. Earth

    Nepal quake’s biggest shakes relatively spread out

    The seismic rumblings of the April 25 Nepal earthquake were mostly in low frequencies that are more likely to collapse large structures, new research suggests.

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  8. Oceans

    Ocean current simulations could narrow Flight 370 search

    Aircraft debris found on Réunion Island in the western Indian Ocean could originate from the northern half of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370’s search area, ocean simulations show.

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  9. Environment

    Dust components may promote obesity

    Fat dust bunnies may contain obesity-boosting chemicals.

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  10. Climate

    Iceless Arctic summers now expected by 2050s

    The Arctic Ocean will have its first ice-free summer in the 2050s, nine years earlier than previously forecast, according to improved simulations.

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  11. Climate

    Desert dig uncovers caches of missing CO2

    Irrigation water may wash significant amounts of carbon into groundwater systems beneath Earth’s deserts, researchers propose.

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  12. Neuroscience

    Global warming unpaused, how space affects the brain and more reader feedback

    A reader shares a story about Stephen Jay Gould, while others discuss how to protect the brain from radiation in space and whether 2014 was the hottest year on record.

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