Chinese Traffic Restrictions Yield Quick Air Cleansing
April 30 — Chinese government restrictions on motorists during a three-day conference last fall cut Beijing�s emissions of an important class of atmospheric pollutants by up to 40 percent, satellites show.(American Geophysical Union press release) More

First Genome Comparison of Plankton Species Yields Surprises Underlying Key Ocean Processes
April 30 — A team of scientists has peered into the genetic makeup of phytoplnakton and come away with new ideas about the role a chemical element may play in the world's oceans. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography press release) More

Models Underestimate Loss of Arctic Sea Ice
April 30 — Arctic sea ice is melting at a significantly faster rate than projected by the most advanced computer models, a new study concludes. (National Snow Ice and Data Center press release) More

Seeing the Trees for the Forest
April 30 — Scientists are completing a national biomass and carbon dataset for assessment of carbon stock in U.S. forest vegetation to improve current methods of determining carbon flux between vegetation and the atmosphere. (Woods Hole Research Center press release) More

Ocean's 'Twilight Zone' May Be a Key to Understanding Climate Change
April 27 — A major study sheds new light on the role of carbon dioxide once it's transported to the oceans' depths. (National Science Foundation press release) More

Plants Do Not Emit Methane
April 27 — Scientists disprove a recent study that suggests plants emit the potent greenhouse gas methane. (Blackwell Publishing press release) More

Scientists Link Volcanic Eruptions That Formed North Atlantic Ocean to Ancient Global Warming
April 26 — Scientists examining a spike in worldwide ocean temperatures 55 million years ago have linked it to massive volcanic eruptions that pushed Greenland and northwest Europe apart to create the North Atlantic Ocean. (Rutgers University press release) More

Global Warming, Antarctic Ice is Focus of Multi-National Workshop
April 25 — The Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility houses the premier collection of Antarctic sediment cores and offers the best look yet at the impact of global warming on oceans worldwide. (Florida State University press release) More

Researchers Forecast 1 in 3 Chance of Record Low Sea Ice in 2007
April 19 — Scientists are forecasting a one in three chance that the 2007 minimum extent of sea ice across the Arctic region will set an all-time record low. (University of Colorado at Boulder press release) More

Scientists Track Impact of Asian Dust and Pollution on Clouds, Climate Change
April 19 — Scientists using one of the nation's newest and most capable research aircraft are launching a field project to study plumes of airborne dust and pollutants that originate in Asia and journey to North America. (National Science Foundation press release) More

Scientists and Polar Explorers Brave the Elements in Support of Cryosat-2
April 19 — Scientists and polar scientists are coming together to collect vital data on the ground and from the air in support of ESA's ice mission CryoSat-2. (European Space Agency press release) More

New Undersea Vent Suggests Snake-Headed Mythology
April 17 — A new "black smoker" -- an undersea mineral chimney emitting hot, iron-darkened water that attracts unusual marine life -- has been discovered off the Costa Rica coast. (Duke University press release) More

A Change in the Wind
April 17 — Climate model simulations for the 21st century indicate a robust increase in wind shear in the tropical Atlantic due to global warming, which may inhibit hurricane development and intensification. (University of Miami press release) More

Climate Change Could Trigger 'Boom and Bust' Population Cycles Leading to Extinction
April 16 — Climate change could trigger "boom and bust" population cycles that make animal species more vulnerable to extinction, a researcher finds. (University of Chicago Press Journals press release) More

Argonne Helps Improve Air Quality for 2008 Beijing Olympics
April 13 — Researchers are studying the local and regional contributors to Beijing's air quality, leading to a greater understanding of regional air quality management and new emission control strategies. More

Prepare Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Now for Greater Environmental Benefit Later
April 13 — Carbon dioxide capture and storage can contribute in a major way to carbon dioxide reduction in the Netherlands, a researcher finds. (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research press release) More

Zeppelin Expedition Will Survey Sea Ice in the Arctic
April 12 — In 2008, scientists will for the first time create a continual profile of ice thickness in the Artic, extending from the Canadian coast across the North Pole to Siberia. (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research press release) More

Earthshaking Images
April 11 — Scientists are using visualizations and building structures fitted with sensors to study the effects of a computer-generated earthquake. (University of California-San Diego press release) More

Study of Coastal Disasters Yields Surprising Findings, Arresting Images
April 11 — Two of the world's worst natural disasters in recent years stemmed from different causes on opposite sides of the globe, but actually had much in common, researchers conclude. (Princeton University press release) More

University of Colorado Instruments to Launch on NASA Cloud Mission
April 10 — A satellite carrying two University of Colorado instruments to study silvery-blue clouds above Earth's polar regions is slated to launch on April 25. (University of Colorado at Boulder press release) More

Trees to Offset Carbon Footprint?
April 9 — A new study suggests that the location of new trees is an important factor when considering carbon offset projects. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory press release) More

High-Resolution Images Herald New Era in Earth Sciences
April 6 — High-resolution images that reveal unexpected details of the Earth's internal structure are among the results reported in the March 30 issue of Science. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology press release) More

Snowmelt Monitored in the Baltic Sea Watershed Region in Near Real Time
April 5 — As spring melt of winter snow is underway in the Baltic Sea watershed region, satellites are monitoring and mapping the snow melting process to help local authorities manage water supplies and predict floods. (European Space Agency press release) More

Arctic Sea Ice Narrowly Missed Record Low in Winter 2007
April 4 — The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice in winter 2007 was the second lowest on satellite record, narrowly missing the 2006 record, according to a team of researchers. (University of Colorado-Boulder press release) More

The Global Carbon Budget -- Proper Accounting Means Paying Attention to Inland Waters
April 3 — A new study reveals inland water bodies are important areas of terrestrial carbon transformation that deserve inclusion in global carbon cycle assessments. (Institute of Ecosystem Studies press release) More

Want to Monitor Climate Change? Pick Up a Penguin!
April 3 — Scientists are trying out an alternative bio-indicator -- the king penguin -- to investigate whether they can be used to monitor the effects of climate change. (Society for Experimental Biology press release) More

Experts Develop Technology to Increase Effectiveness of Tsunami Warning Systems
April 2 — Scientists are involved in new efforts to better determine whether an earthquake is big enough to generate an ocean-wide tsunami. (University of Nevada, Reno press release) More

University of Alaska-Fairbanks Scientist to Lead Sea Ice Expedition
April 2 — A team of researchers will spend the next two weeks at the U.S. Navy ice camp in the Beaufort Sea studying the relationship between ice movement, stress and the overall mass of sea ice. (University of Alaska-Fairbanks press release) More

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