Earth
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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.
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Earth
The Making of a Grand Canyon
Carving this beloved hole in the ground may not have been such a long-term project.
By Sid Perkins -
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.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
River Stats Trickle In: Major floods may be waning in Europe
A new analysis of historical flood records from central Europe suggests that widespread inundations in the region have been on the wane for the past century or so.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
New mantle model gets the water out
A novel notion of geophysical processes taking place deep within our planet may explain why the upper layer of Earth's mantle is relatively depleted of many trace elements.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Exposure to phthalate may shorten pregnancy
Babies exposed to a common phthalate plasticizer before birth spend a week less in the womb than do those without evidence of exposure.
By Ben Harder -
Earth
Product Health and Safety
What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Do these household products pose a potential health risk to you and your family? The National Library of Medicine’s new Household Products Database offers users information on the potential health effects of about 2,000 ingredients contained […]
By Science News -
Earth
Indonesian reefs fell prey to fires
The fires that swept through Indonesian rain forests late in 1997 apparently laid waste to some marine ecosystems, as well.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Live from the Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California offers Webcam views of its kelp forest, penguins, and sea otters, along with underwater glimpses of its open ocean exhibit and images of the ocean waters along Cannery Row, just off the aquarium’s decks. The cameras are on from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., PST, so they capture the […]
By Science News -
Agriculture
Spying Genetically Engineered Crops
Environmental Protection Agency scientists are exploring the use of satellites to monitor genetically engineered crops. At ground level, genetically modified corn plants don’t look any different from conventional ones, but data suggest that satellite sensors may be able to read different spectral signatures from the two types of the crop. USDA Most of these genetically […]
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Long Ride West: Many western sediments came from Appalachians
Much of the material in several thick layers of sandstone in the western United States originated in the Appalachians.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
A late arrival for platinum and gold?
An extraterrestrial source may explain why Earth's mantle holds more platinum, gold, and certain other elements than it should.