Earth

  1. Earth

    Mercury Rising: Natural wildfires release pollutant

    Fires in high-latitude forests and peaty soils of the Northern Hemisphere may loft hundreds of tons of mercury into the atmosphere each year.

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  2. Earth

    Holy Smoke: Burning incense, candles pollute air in churches

    Incense and candles release substantial quantities of pollutants that may harm health.

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  3. Earth

    Grand Canyon fish seem to be rebounding

    The population of humpback chub, an endangered fish found only in the Colorado River and its tributaries, may be stabilizing in some sections of the Grand Canyon.

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  4. Earth

    Air conditioning could heat the world

    Global warming predicted for the coming decades may decrease winter heating bills in some parts of the United States, but producing the extra electricity needed for summertime air conditioning will create increased emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

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  5. Earth

    Rogue alga routed

    An invasive-species action team has eradicated one of the world's worst weeds, a marine alga, from a California lagoon, its only known foothold in North America.

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  6. Earth

    Earthquake Hazards

    To keep up with the latest rumblings around the globe, the U.S. Geological Service offers a Web site with current earthquake data. The site also includes information about significant earthquakes of the past, megaquakes and Hollywood disaster movies, and a section for kids, which has games, puzzles, science project ideas, and more. Go to: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

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  7. Earth

    Macho Moms: Perchlorate pollutant masculinizes fish

    Perchlorate, a compound best known as a component of rocket fuel, can disrupt sexual development in fish.

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  8. Earth

    Obsidian artifacts can record ancient climate

    The layer of hydrated material that forms on the surface of ancient obsidian artifacts as they age can be used to estimate the temperatures that the artifacts have experienced.

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  9. Earth

    As glaciers shrink, the Alps get taller

    The melting of massive glaciers in the Alps is removing weight from those peaks and causing them to gain altitude.

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  10. Earth

    Stung Lung: Volatile chemical may cut respiratory capacity

    Para-dichlorobenzene, a chemical in some air fresheners and pest-control products, may slightly impair lung function in millions of people.

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  11. Earth

    Northern Refuge: White spruce survived last ice age in Alaska

    Genetic analyses of white spruce trees at sites across North America suggest that some stands of that species endured the harsh climate of Alaska throughout the last ice age.

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  12. Earth

    What’s New in the Water? Survey tallies emerging disinfection by-products

    By analyzing drinking-water samples from U.S. treatment plants, a multi-institute research team has identified some unexpected by-products of disinfection processes.

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