Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Ice age hit Missouri 2.4 million years ago
Analyses of a soil sample from central Missouri suggest the date of onset of North America's most recent spate of ice ages.
- Earth
Ozone saps toads’ immune systems
In amphibians, ozone damages immune function in the lungs, suggesting a possible new contributor to worldwide amphibian declines.
- Earth
When Mountains Fizz
Scientists are finding that the driving force behind a volcanic explosion is the same thing that propels spewing soda pop: bubbles.
- Earth
Early Warning: United States to deploy 32 more buoys for sensing tsunamis
On Jan. 14, the Bush administration announced a $37.5 million program to expand the nation's tsunami-warning capabilities.
- Earth
Air pollution trims fetal growth
Pregnant women who breathe polluted air deliver babies that are typically slightly smaller than those born to other mothers.
- Earth
Living in a Fog: Secondhand smoke may dull kids’ wits
Millions of U.S. children may have reading deficits because of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.
- Earth
Really hot water
Hot-water tanks can accumulate radioactive deposits from naturally occurring radioactive material.
- Earth
Landscaping stones may pose risks to the environment
Chemical analyses suggest that planting ornamental rock gardens in some cases may not be doing the environment any favors.
- Earth
Big quakes can free grounded icebergs
Data gathered by equipment installed on an immense iceberg off Antarctica suggest that the ground motions spawned by large, distant earthquakes can free such bergs to float again.
- Earth
Seismic vibes gauge Earth’s crust
New seismic observations are adding to scientists' knowledge of the thickness of Earth's crust, especially in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Earth
Reflections on Insecticides: Mirror forms of agrochemicals set risk
The toxicity of an insecticide or how long it persists in the environment depends on which mirror-image form of the chemical is present.
- Earth
Tsunami Disaster: Scientists model the big quake and its consequences
Scientists are modeling the immediate and long-term effects of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck west of Indonesia the morning of Dec. 26, 2004, and triggered tsunamis that killed tens of thousands of people.
