Earth

Earth

Geyser Bashing: Distant quake alters timing of eruptions

A powerful earthquake that struck central Alaska on Nov. 3, 2002, changed the eruption schedule of some geysers in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park, more than 3,100 kilometers away.

Earth

Killer weather on Mount Everest

An analysis of weather patterns around Mount Everest in May 1996, when eight climbers died, suggests that a sudden drop in barometric pressure may have played a significant role in the deaths.

Earth

Dead Waters

Coastal dead zones—underwater regions where oxygen concentrations are too low for fish to survive—are mushrooming globally, threatening to transform entire ecosystems.

Earth

Big Thaw Coming: Climate change may slam Arctic

If the changes in climate predicted for this century come to pass, the people and creatures of the Arctic will face some of the largest challenges.

Earth

Global Vineyard

Recognizing that continued climate change may leave some renowned grape-growing regions too hot or too dry to support vineyards, growers may turn to new technology and techniques to produce consistently better fruit.

Earth

A Portrait of Pollution: Nation’s fresh water gets a checkup

Virtually all of America's fresh water is tainted with low concentrations of chemical contaminants, according to a new nationwide study.

Earth

Filtered air cuts down mutations

Microscopic particles in the air may mutate the DNA of sperm.

Agriculture

Rethinking Refuges? Drifting pollen may bring earlier pest resistance to bioengineered crops

Pollen wafting from bioengineered corn to traditional varieties may be undermining the fight to keep pests from evolving resistance to pesticides.

Earth

Underwater Pavement: Asphalt deposits cover parts of Gulf of Mexico

Explorations of the seafloor in the southern Gulf of Mexico have revealed lavalike flows of asphalt that are home to a thriving ecosystem of microbes, mussels, tubeworms, and crabs.

Earth

Marsh Farming for Profit and the Common Good

A move is now afoot to get farmers to embrace wetlands as part of their business.

Earth

Boats puff up outdoor carbon monoxide risk

Large congregations of motorboats can produce enough carbon monoxide gas in open air to be hazardous to people.

Earth

Tracks of dust devils spotted from space

Scientists scanning satellite images of the southern Sahara have detected trails left on the landscape by the whirlwinds commonly known as dust devils.