Ocean Life Depends on Single Circulation Pattern in Southern Hemisphere
December 31 — A study has shown that marine life around the world is surprisingly dependent on a single ocean circulation pattern in the Southern Hemisphere, suggesting ocean life may be more sensitive to climate change than previously believed. (Princeton University press release) More

Researchers Explore the Ocean Floor with Rare Instrument
December 30 — Researchers are using a unique sea instrument to determine if it's possible to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it on the ocean floor. (Washington University press release) More

Stable Isotope Data Provide Evidence for Huge Global Methane Release About 600 Million Years Ago
December 17 — The Earth’s most severe ice coverings are thought to have occurred about 600 million years ago and a new study says the release of the powerful “greenhouse gas” methane, not carbon dioxide, caused the planet to warm. (National Science Foundation press release) More

Studies Show Global Warming is Likely to Drive Big Changes in California’s Coastal Waters
December 17 — Global warming could have profound effects on the intensity and seasonal timing of wind-driven upwelling of deep ocean water along the California coast, impacting many coastal ecosystems, according to recent studies by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. (University of California-Santa Cruz press release) More

New Study Reports Large-scale Salinity Changes in the Oceans
December 17 — Scientists say tropical ocean waters have become dramatically saltier over the past 40 years, while oceans closer to Earth’s poles have become fresher, suggesting recent climate changes, including global warming, may be altering the water cycle. (National Science Foundation press release) More

NCAR Scientists Investigate Air Above Antarctica
December 10 — Four scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are studying the chemistry of sulfur and nitrogen in the air above Antarctica to better understand ice cores, which provide information on past climates. (National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research press release) More

Atmospheric Compound is Double-edged Sword in Climate Change
December 8 — Researchers at Ohio State University say that while sulfuric acid normally cools the Earth's atmosphere, in some instances the chemical may actually warm the planet by combining with other compounds in the atmosphere to form clouds. (Ohio State University press release) More

Study Reveals Complex Changes in West Antarctic Ice Streams
December 8 — Scientists using data from NASA's ICESat satellite say each of the ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet have changed in a unique and substantial manner during the past five years. (Ohio State University press release) More

Major Greenland Glacier, Once Stable, Now Shrinking Dramatically
December 8 — Contrary to findings in the early 1990s, researchers find the Jakobshavn Glacier, off the southwest coast of Glacier, is speeding up and retreating rapidly. (Ohio State University press release) More

Plate Boundary Observatory will Map Seismic Processes across North America
December 8 — A five-year, $100 million effort to sprinkle seismic sensors in Alaska and throughout the western United States, known as the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), will attempt to determine the structure and evolution of the entire North American continent. (Stanford University press release) More

NCAR Model Shows Decrease in Global Dust by 2100
December 8 — One of the first global-scale simulations of dust and climate from pre-industrial times to the year 2100 projects a worldwide decrease in airborne dust of 20 to 63 percent by the end of this century, impacting future climate predictions. (National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research press release) More

Mercury in Ocean Fish may Come from Natural Sources, Not Pollution
December 3 — A new study finds mercury levels in yellowfin tuna off the coast of Hawaii have not changed in 27 years, despite a considerable increase in atmospheric mercury, suggesting natural sources, not pollution, is responsible for the high levels of mercury found in tuna and other ocean fish. (American Chemical Society press release) More

Utah's Redrock May Have Changed Global Climate
December 3 — A University of Utah study concludes that redrock in southern Utah may have once harbored vast amounts of hydrocarbons, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and warming Earth's ancient climate. (University of Utah press release) More

Nutrient-poor Oceans Generate Their Food 'Hot Spots'
December 3 — Recent satellite observations of the southern Pacific Ocean indicate unusually high concentrations of chlorophyll, the green pigment contained in phytoplankton, in zones poor in nutrients. (Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement press release) More

'No Doubt' Human Activity is Affecting Global Climate
December 2 — Two of the nation's top atmospheric scientists, using atmospheric observations and computer models conclude there is no doubt human activities are having an increasing impact on the global climate, likely to lead to warming and more extreme weather in the future. (UCAR press release) More

U. of Colorado's 'Little Satellite that Did' Set for Re-entry in Coming Days
December 1 — Following a successful six-year mission, the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE), is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere soon, after determining the influence of the sun on the Earth's atmosphere by measuring the amount of nitric oxide in the atmosphere. (University of Colorado at Boulder press release) More

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