Earth

  1. Earth

    Cloud Chemistry: Atmospheric scientists dissect cirrus clouds

    Cirrus cloud formation is influenced by the particles in the atmosphere, including pollutants.

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  2. Earth

    The Next MTBE: Contamination from fuel additives could spread

    Several alternatives to the common gasoline additives methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol could create environmental problems similar to those that MTBE has already caused.

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  3. Earth

    Lake Retreat: African river valley once hosted big lake

    The valley of the White Nile in Africa may long ago have held a shallow lake that sprawled 70 kilometers across and stretched more than 500 km along the river.

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  4. Earth

    Fill ‘er up . . . with a few tons of wheat

    A new analysis suggests that the amount of ancient plant matter that was needed to make just 1 gallon of gasoline is the same amount that can be grown each year in a 40-acre wheat field—roots, stalks, and all.

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  5. Earth

    Pieces of a Pulverizer? Sediment fragments may be from killer space rock

    Scientists sifting sediments laid down just after Earth's most devastating mass extinction 250 million years ago may have found minuscule fragments of the extraterrestrial object that caused the catastrophe.

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  6. Earth

    Toxic cleanups get a boost

    Researchers have developed and field-tested a new technique that identifies specific soil microbes that can break down environmental pollutants.

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  7. Earth

    Not Just Neurotoxic: Pesticide chlorpyrifos affects heart and liver cells

    A pesticide known to be toxic to the brain may also have subtle effects on heart and liver tissues of animals exposed to this substance during early development.

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  8. Earth

    Bioengineered crops have mixed eco effects

    An unusually large test of the ecological impact of genetically modified crops finds mixed results, depending on the crop.

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  9. Earth

    Attack of the Rock-Eating Microbes!

    Geologists who examine mineral transformations increasingly see bacteria at work, leading the scientists to conclude that if microbes aren't driving the underlying chemical reactions, at least they're taking advantage of the energy that's released.

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  10. Earth

    Chemical Reaction: Two flame retardants to phase out in 2004

    The sole U.S. manufacturer of two widely used brominated fire retardants pledged to phase out its production of both products by the end of next year.

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  11. Earth

    Frosty Florida: Spread of agriculture may promote freezes

    Planting crops in south Florida may have increased the risk of the freezes farmers hoped to avoid.

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  12. Earth

    Cast-Iron Foot: Undersea snail has mineral armor

    An as-yet-unnamed species of snail living around hydrothermal vents deep beneath the Indian Ocean bears a suit of armor forged from the minerals dissolved in the hot fluids that spew from its seafloor environment.

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