Earth

Earth

Hurricane Season

The U.S. Geological Survey offers a Web site devoted to the impact of hurricanes and extreme storms on coastal regions of the United States. Historical information reviews the effects of such hurricanes as 2003’s Isabel and 1996’s Fran. Another section looks at erosion along the U.S. West coast caused by El Niño-induced changes. The site […]

Earth

PCBs can taint building caulk

Long-banned, toxic polychlorinated biphenyls in some building caulk applied in the 1960s and 1970s may still pose an exposure risk.

Earth

Parting Shots

Data collected during an 18-day barrage of major solar flares late last year—including a record-setting coronal mass ejection on Nov. 4—will help scientists refine models of flare formation and behavior.

Earth

Dangerous Dust? Chemicals in plastics are tied to allergies

Elevated risks for developing multiple allergies, including asthma, eczema, and rhinitis, appear to be associated with household exposure to synthetic chemicals called phthalates.

Earth

Quick Bite: Some gorges carved surprisingly fast

Analyses of rock samples from two river gorges along the Atlantic seaboard suggest that the largest parts of those chasms were carved during a geologically short period at the height of the last ice age.

Earth

Skin proves poor portal for arsenic in treated wood

Direct contact with old-style pressure-treated lumber should pose little risk that arsenic will penetrate the skin.

Earth

Sea Change: Carbon dioxide imperils marine ecosystems

Almost half the carbon dioxide produced by human activity in the past 2 centuries is now dissolved in the oceans, resulting in chemical changes that, if unchecked, could threaten some marine ecosystems.

Earth

Bacteria found to release arsenic into groundwater

Arsenic gets into groundwater largely through the action of bacteria residing in aquifer sediments.

Earth

Treaty enacted to preserve crop biodiversity

The United Nations enacted a new international treaty to halt the erosion of genetic diversity of crops.

Earth

City Heat: Urban areas’ warmth affects plant growth

Satellite observations of eastern North America show that plants in and around urban areas bud earlier in the spring and retain their foliage later in the fall than do plants in nearby rural settings.

Agriculture

Plastic vs. Plants: Mulch method changes tomato’s gene activity

A suite of at least 10 genes in a tomato plant behaves differently depending on the farmer's mulch-and-fertilizer routine.

Earth

Just a Tad Is Too Much: Less is worse for tadpoles exposed to chemicals

The herbicide atrazine is more likely to kill developing amphibians when it is highly diluted than when it's much more concentrated in aquatic environments.