Earth

Earth

Smog chemicals found even in rural western plains

Analyses of the atmosphere over the south-central United States show that gases emitted from the region's oil and natural gas industries contribute to air pollution—even over remote Kansas cornfields—that can surpass the noxious mix found in urban areas.

Earth

Toxic Controversy: Perchlorate found in milk, but risk is debated

Researchers in Texas have detected the chemical perchlorate in milk, crops, and a significant portion of the state's groundwater.

Earth

When Genes Escape

The focus of the debate over transgenic crops has changed from whether genes will escape to what difference it will make when they do.

Earth

Scrutinized chemicals linger in atmosphere

The newly determined longevity in the atmosphere of certain perfluorinated chemicals indicates that they may disperse environmental contamination far and wide.

Earth

Weekend weather really is different

Analyses of more than 40 years of weather data from around the world reveal that in some regions the difference between daily high and low temperatures on weekend days varies significantly from that measured on weekdays.

Agriculture

Calling All Cows

Last May, tissues from the carcass of a North American cow turned up positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy–the ailment responsible for mad cow disease. Within hours, the Canadian government traced the animal to the Alberta farm where it had been raised for its 8 years of life. In short order, other members of its herd […]

Earth

North vs. Northwest: Lewis and Clark diaries provide directional clue

Observations from the Lewis and Clark expedition may offer insight into Earth's magnetic field.

Earth

Volcanic Legacy: Tortoises chronicle eruption in their genes

An ancient volcanic eruption in the Galápagos Islands left its legacy in the diminished genetic diversity of one subspecies of the archipelago's famed giant tortoises.

Earth

On Thinning Ice

Although some of Earth's glaciers seem to be holding their own in the face of global warming, most of them are on the decline, many of them significantly.

Earth

Mapping carbon dioxide from space

An orbiting observatory in space will sense atmospheric carbon dioxide levels around the globe, creating a detailed map of the greenhouse gas' sources and sinks.

Earth

The Making of a Grand Canyon

Carving this beloved hole in the ground may not have been such a long-term project.

Earth

Model offers grounds for midwestern quakes

A new computer model may help explain how earthquakes can happen at fault zones located far from the edges of a tectonic plate.