Earth

  1. Earth

    The Sixth Extinction

    On only five occasions in Earth’s long history has a large fraction of the planet’s biodiversity disappeared in a geological instant. But, journalist Kolbert reminds us in her new book, we are well on our way to making it six.

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  2. Climate

    Biggest climate warmers

    The United States, China, Russia, Brazil, India, Germany and the United Kingdom are responsible for more than 60 percent of the 0.74 degree Celsius rise in global average temperature observed from 1906 to 2005.

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  3. Climate

    Strong winds may have waylaid global warming

    Gusts over the Pacific Ocean may have stashed heat underwater since 2001.

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  4. Climate

    Weather patterns over Southern Hemisphere have a regular pulse

    Variations in energy and rainfall over the Southern Hemisphere follow a pattern that repeats every 20 to 30 days.

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  5. Earth

    Ammonite jaws provide a window into ancient climate

    Temperature of marine environment can be determined from cephalopod fossils.

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  6. Ecosystems

    Amazon doesn’t actually go green in dry seasons

    An optical illusion in satellite data made forests appear to grow faster.

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  7. Earth

    Eye in the sky

    With its free Images of Change iPad app and online gallery, NASA makes the aerial perspective available to all, with results both stunning and disturbing.

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  8. Earth

    Eighth century carbon spike not from comet impact

    The space rock would have to have been 100 kilometers across and 100 billion to 1,000 billion tons, leaving a disastrous impact not supported by geological or written records.

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  9. Animals

    Windows may kill up to 988 million birds a year in the United States

    Single-family homes and low-rise buildings do much more damage than skyscrapers.

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  10. Earth

    Grand Canyon’s origin dated to 6 million years ago

    Even though parts of the canyon are old, the chasm could not have taken on its grand form until erosion from the Colorado River connected all of the smaller canyons, which was roughly 6 million years ago, scientists argue.

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  11. Climate

    Grape expectations

    Global warming has delivered long, warm growing seasons and blockbuster vintages to the world’s great wine regions. But by mid-century, excessive heat will push premium wine-making into new territory.

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  12. Earth

    Life’s early traces

    Tiny tufts, rolls and crinkles in 3.5-billion-year-old rocks add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that cellular life got a relatively quick start on Earth.

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