Earth
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Climate
Extremely Bad Weather
Teasing out global warming's role in worsening hurricanes, droughts and other extreme events.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
How the Frankenstorm came to life
Hurricane Sandy’s humble birth and growth into a monster storm hold lessons for forecasters.
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Earth
Low central pressure among Hurricane Sandy’s unusual features
After slamming the Caribbean, storm approaches landfall in mid-Atlantic states.
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Earth
Ozone hole at smallest size in decades
Warm Antarctic temperatures help preserve UV-protecting layer.
By Erin Wayman -
Climate
Gulf Stream might be releasing seafloor methane
Greenhouse gas may be flowing into ocean waters off the U.S. east coast.
By Tanya Lewis -
Earth
Spanish quake linked to groundwater pumping
Draining aquifers likely triggered 2011 tremor that killed nine people.
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Earth
Years after big quake, Turkish fault still slip-sliding
Creeping movement underscores the seismic danger threatening Istanbul.
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Environment
Elevated carbon dioxide may impair reasoning
Insufficient ventilation allows exhaled gas to build up indoors, diminishing decision-making abilities.
By Janet Raloff -
Chemistry
Depths hold clues to dearth of xenon in air
The gas doesn’t dissolve well in minerals deep inside Earth, a discovery that may explain why it’s also scarce in the atmosphere.
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Earth
Fish in mom’s diet may alter kids’ behavior
Eating fish that's low in mercury during pregnancy may reduce the risk that a woman's child shows signs of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
By Janet Raloff -
Life
Duck-billed dino could slice and dice
Ancient animal’s teeth were made of six different tissue types.
By Erin Wayman