Record Rains Stump Weather Experts
February 28 — Santa Barbara, California has received 31 inches of rainfall since late fall, a 115-year record, and a big surprise to forecasters who had expected drought continues to persist. (Santa Barbara News Press)

NASA'S "Great Earth Observatory" Marks Five Years of Climate Discoveries
February 28 — With observations since February 2000, NASA's Terra satellite has assessed the health of the planet by providing comprehensive information about Earth's land, oceans and atmosphere. (Space Daily)

Novel Bacteria in Alaskan Ice May Be 32,000 Years Old
February 26 — NASA researchers say they have recovered bacteria that apparently lay dormant for 32,000 years in a frozen pond in central Alaska. (New York Times)

Behind Its Seawalls, Japanese Isle Debates Their Value
February 25 — The recent tsunami in Southeast Asia has raised doubts about the effectiveness of Japan's current technology in protecting them against earthquakes. (New York Times)

Environmental Change May Be Boosting Diseases
February 25 — Environmental changes wrought by population movement, destruction of habitats and other factors may be behind a resurgence of infectious diseases, a United Nations report says. (Reuters)

Wet Winter Soaks Usually Sunny California
February 25 — Rainfall, about 34 inches in downtown Los Angeles since July 1, has caused many problems this winter, including flooded freeways, mudslides, and the littering of beaches with mountains of trash and tree limbs. (Associated Press)

Germany Split over Green Energy
February 25 — Germany's government is hoping that abandoning its reliance on coal - which currently accounts for around half of the country's power needs - will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levels. (BBC)

Scientists Find Evidence of Seesaw Climate
February 24 — Weather buffs know that highs and lows swing in tandem across a continent, but a new study shows that climate extremes on one part of the planet are routinely reflected by opposite conditions a world away. (LiveScience.com)

Tsunami Devastates Turtle Conservation
February 24 — December's tsunami devastated efforts to save Indian Ocean turtles, with scores of conservation field staff killed or missing. (BBC)

Retreat of Antarctic Ice Shelves Not New
February 24 — The current retreat of ice shelves in the Antarctic due to global warming is nothing new, but this time the problem is manmade and therefore potentially more serious, according to research. (Associated Press)

Microbes Survive Deep Permafrost
February 23 — Microbes in the Alaskan permafrost have been found living in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (BBC)

Glacier Photos Reveal Climate Change
February 23 — Photos of Alaskan glaciers through time offer further proof of a warming climate. (San Diego Union Tribune)

Tsunami-Hit Beach May Become Turtle Haven
February 23 — Conservationists want to turn a popular Malaysian beach hit by the tsunami into a protected nesting area for endangered sea turtles, which hatched there for the first time in over a decade � probably because of a drop-off in tourists after the disaster. (Associated Press)

Scientists Looking at Ways to Trap Greenhouse Gases
February 22 — Researchers at Arizona State University hope current experiments succeed and will help ease the nation's greenhouse-gas problems. (Washington Post)

Brazil Vows Slow Down of Amazon Destruction
February 21 — Destruction of Brazil's Amazon rain forest will slow down in 2005 after the murder of a U.S. nun prompted the government to launch an unprecedented crackdown on illegal loggers and ranchers, the head of Brazil's environment agency says. (Reuters)

Think It's Possible to Predict Quakes? Think Again
February 20 — Most seismologists do not believe an accurate earthquake prediction system will be developed over the next five years or 10 years. (Reuters)

Hidden City Uncovered By Tsunami
February 18 — Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the December tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town. (Associated Press)

Scientists: Global Warming is Real
February 18 — Studies looking at the oceans and melting Arctic ice leave no room for doubt that it is getting warmer, people are to blame, and the weather is going to suffer, climate experts say. (Reuters)

NASA and National Park Service Partner on Earth Research
February 18 — NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service (NPS) will now collaborate on mutually beneficial Earth science programs for the preservation, enhancement and interpretation of U.S. natural resources. (Science Daily)

WWF: Chemical Waste Polluting Arctic
February 18 — The Arctic, already a dump for Russian nuclear waste from the Cold War, is also rapidly becoming a chemical sump for the globe, the World Wide Fund for Nature says. (Reuters)

Greenhouse Gases 'Do Warm Oceans'
February 17 — Scientists say they have "compelling" evidence that ocean warming over the past 40 years can be linked to the industrial release of carbon dioxide. (BBC)

Study: Some Islands Can Handle Higher Seas
February 17 — Some coral reef islands may not be as threatened by global warming and sea level rise after all, say Australian and New Zealand researchers. (Discovery.com)

Natural Disaster Death Toll Jumps to 320,000 in '04
February 17 — The Indian Ocean tsunami has caused the annual death toll from natural disasters to soar to 320,000 worldwide, more than four times the toll from the previous year, a research institute says. (Reuters)

New Global Network Aims for Tsunami Warning System
February 16 — A global tsunami warning system to get critical information to people in the path of the potentially deadly waves is approved as a top priority for the world's climate experts. (Reuters)

Do Cows and Tennis Balls Stoke Global Warming?
February 16 — Cows and sheep grazing in fields, joggers' shoes or even the kitchen fridge could all be targeted under a new U.N. pact meant to rein in global warming. (Reuters)

Study: Pollution May Affect Babies' Genes
February 15 — A study of New York City newborns suggests that prenatal exposure to air pollution may be linked to genetic changes associated with an increased risk of cancer, researchers say. (Associated Press, Reuters)

Shark Bites Drop Due to Florida Hurricanes
February 15 — Sharks and humans both fled the coast as hurricanes battered Florida last year, causing a dramatic drop in shark attacks in the state that usually has a third of the world's annual total, scientists say. (Reuters)

Spain Could Lose Beaches to Global Warming
February 15 — Global warming may cost Spain many of its famous beaches and could push summer temperatures over 122 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, according to new research. (Reuters)

U.S. Cities Eye Ocean Waves for Power Supplies
February 14 — Energy companies and coastal cities like New York and San Francisco are aiming to tap ocean waves and tidal currents as abundant sources of electricity. (Reuters)

Study: Northwest Endured Worse Droughts
February 14 — The low snowpack in the Cascade Range is raising the specter of water shortages this summer, but a new study of tree-ring data indicates the Northwest has endured far worse droughts over the past 250 years -- and is likely to again. (Associated Press)

False Alarms Plague Pacific Tsunami System
February 13 — The Pacific Ocean early warning system's high false alarm rate -- estimated at 75 percent -- is getting more attention these days as experts and nations work to extend similar protection to the Indian Ocean following the tsunami disaster in southern Asia. (Associated Press)

Floods, Avalanches Kill at Least 260 in Pakistan
February 12 — Pakistan launched a huge relief operation for some 20,000 people affected by torrential rains in the southwest, as floods and avalanches pushed the death toll over 260 nationwide, officials say. (Reuters)

Last Earth Warming More Than Thought
February 11 — The northern hemisphere experienced a prolonged heat wave a thousand years ago, but was plunged into a chill some 500 years later, according to research that throws light on a key aspect of global warming. (Discovery.com)

It's a Warmer World, But Does That Mean Armageddon?
February 11 — Some scientists believe recent anomalies in the world's climate are signs of impending doom, while others say the Earth's climate has always been chaotic. (Reuters)

NASA: 2005 Could Be Warmest Year Recorded
February 10 — A weak El Nino and human-made greenhouse gases could make 2005 the warmest year since records started being kept in the late 1800s, NASA scientists say. (Reuters, Associated Press)

Scientists Discover New Species of Coral
February 10 — Scientists have discovered a new species of coral off the southern California coast that flames like a pink and white Christmas tree as well as a new species of worm that lives off it. (Associated Press)

46 Killed in Flash Floods, Rains in Pakistan
February 10 — The death toll in Pakistan has risen to at least 46, as people were swept away by flash floods caused by the heaviest rain and snowfall to hit the country in more than a decade, witnesses and officials say. (Reuters)

Villagers Chase Off Wolves in Deadly Balkan Freeze
February 10 — Snowbound villagers fought off starving wolves and the River Danube iced over as a Siberian frost gripped much of the Balkans for the second straight week, killing at least a dozen people. (Reuters)

Jet Pollution: Drawing a Line in the Sky
February 10 — Although cars generate more greenhouse gases, airliner exhaust has an exaggerated effect, scientists say. (Christian Science Monitor)

Asia Quake, Tsunami Moved Islands, Shortened Days
February 10 — The massive earthquake that triggered the Asian tsunami wobbled the Earth on its axis, forced cartographers back to the drawing board and changed time by a fraction, but there's no need to adjust your clocks. (Reuters)

Seabed 'Scarred' By Tsunami Quake
February 10 — The first images of the seabed battered by the quake that triggered Asia's catastrophic tsunami have revealed huge ruptures spanning several miles. (Associated Press)

Navy Releases Tsunami Images
February 9 — UK scientists have released images of the ocean floor near the epicenter of December's giant Asian earthquake. (BBC)

Dipping Shorelines May Predict Tsunamis
February 9 — Scientists think they may have found a precursor to the kind of earthquake that sent a devastating tsunami crashing into wide areas along the northern Indian Ocean, killing at least 200,000 people. (ABC)

2004 Was Fourth-Warmest Year Ever Recorded
February 9 — Last year was the fourth warmest since systematic temperature measurements began around the world in the 19th century, NASA scientists say. (New York Times)

Bear Study Sparks Climate Fears
February 9 — A pioneering study by Scottish experts has highlighted the dangers posed to polar bears from global warming. (BBC)

Storm Damage Cripples Giant Sequoia
February 8 — A giant sequoia believed to be the second-largest tree in the world may not live much longer after suffering damage from heavy snow and strong wind, according to officials at Sequoia National Park. (Associated Press)

Both Coasts of Americas Seen Vulnerable to Tsunamis
February 8 — Both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas are vulnerable to tsunamis like the one that devastated Indian Ocean shorelines in December and experts say they are scrambling to get a warning system in place. (Reuters, Associated Press)

Mexico to Study Creating Tsunami Warning System
February 8 — Mexico, jolted into contemplating its risk of a killer wave after the devastation in Asia, is studying setting up its own tsunami warning system, the government says. (Reuters)

Chilly Winter May Widen Ozone Hole Over Europe
February 7 — Record cold temperatures this winter could create a bigger hole in the ozone layer over parts of northern Europe, leading to damaging ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer, the European Commission says. (Reuters)

Researchers Work on Red Tide Sensor
February 7 — Researchers at the University of South Florida have been working on a biological sensor that would test waters off Florida for red tide, hoping to eventually track the harmful algae blooms. (Associated Press)

Amazon Forest Breathing Uneasily
February 7 — For South America's rain forests, steady decomposition of dead vegetation and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere could accelerate global warming. (CNN)

Experts Baffled by Finch Die-Off in Alaska
February 7 — An increasing number of redpolls are dying off in the Fairbanks area this winter, baffling wildlife biologists. (Associated Press)

Glaciers Shrinking in a Warming World
February 7 — Up and down the icy spine of South America, the glaciers are melting, the white mantle of the Andes Mountains washing away at an ever faster rate. (Associated Press)

Antarctica's Shifting Ice
February 7 — Scientists looking southward from the tip of South America, over steel-gray waters toward icy Antarctica, see only questions on the horizon about the fate of the planet. (Associated Press)

Climate: The Sensitivity Question
February 7 — How the climate will respond to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, called climate sensitivity, is still being refined by scientists. (United Press International)

Coral Reefs Create Clouds to Control the Climate
February 6 — When the temperature soars, coral reefs might cool off by creating their own clouds. (New Scientist)

Ancient Beasts Raise Questions About Climate Change
February 5 — The resilience of turtles, one of the oldest reptilian orders, stretching back 200 million years raises questions about the impact of climate and sea level change on biodiversity. (Reuters)

U.S. Exports Its Air Pollution to Europe
February 4 — A study finds that one-fifth of European ozone violations would not occur in the absence of pollution from North America. (LiveScience)

Crops Face Extinction in Global Warming
February 4 — Australia faces an ever-shrinking water supply, the extinction of plant and animal species and the loss of billions of dollars from a less productive agriculture sector, says a submission to an international global warming conference. (Sydney Morning Herald)

NASA Installs Climate-Observation System
February 4 — NASA has installed a climate-observation system at a former U.S. military base bordering the Panama Canal that will allow scientists to monitor forest fires, earthquakes and tropical storms. (Associated Press)

Book: Arizona Mountains Face Endangerment
February 4 — 2005-02-04Some southern Arizona mountains were placed on a short list of places around the world where biological resources are at risk. (Associated Press)

Best Way to Make Mars Habitable: Inject Greenhouse Gas
February 3 — The best way to make Mars habitable would be to inject synthetic greenhouse gases into its atmosphere, researchers say. (Space.com)

Climate Change Triggers Said Unclear
February 3 — Scientists at a global warming conference say they see potential triggers for runaway climate change, but admit that when and how these notional doomsdays may be unleashed are debatable or quite unknown. (Discovery.com)

Scientists Grim Climate Report
February 3 — The risks from global warming are more serious than previously thought, a major climate conference has concluded. (BBC)

Carbon Burial is 'Climate Option'
February 3 — The UK's chief scientist says petroleum companies should be looking more closely at the storage of carbon dioxide in aging oil wells. (BBC)

Updated North America Geologic Map Debuts
February 3 — The first definitive geologic map of North America in 40 years has just been unveiled by the Geological Society of America. (Discovery.com)

Scientists Worry About Red Tide, Manatees
February 3 — An unseasonable outbreak of red tide has scientists worried that migrating manatees may swim into the potentially deadly algae. (Associated Press)

Food Scarcity Predicted With Rising Temperatures
February 3 — Global warming will reduce farm yields and make food supplies scarcer over the next century, an environmental group says, citing data from the United Nations and the National Academy of Sciences and trends in the world rice market. (Associated Press)

States See High Levels of Air Pollution
February 3 — Air pollution is at unhealthy levels around the upper Midwest, a wintertime rarity caused by the absence of strong wind, and problems are expected to continue for children and other sensitive groups. (Associated Press)

Lava from Hawaii Volcano Drops Into Ocean
February 3 — Lava from Kilauea volcano began dropping into the ocean at two new points this week, treating visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to a fiery show. (Associated Press)

Climate Threat to Moorland Birds
February 3 — Scientists at Newcastle and Manchester universities have found that golden plover chicks now hatch on average nine days earlier than 20 years ago. (BBC)

Guards, Governments Seek to Save African Forests
February 3 — Stretching across 190 million hectares and six states, the Congo Basin forests are home to half the continent's wild animals -- including gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants -- as well as more than 10,000 plant species, and now there's a new push to protect this precious land. (Reuters)

U.S. Tsunami Warning System Needs Repairs
February 2 — The United States needs serious repairs to its tsunami warning system, including the replacement of three warning buoys off Alaska, officials say. (Reuters)

Climate Warming Spells Species Wipeout
February 2 — Whole species of animals from frogs to leopards, living in vulnerable areas and with nowhere else to go, face extinction due to global warming, scientists say. (Reuters)

Scientist: Global Warming Hurts Africa
February 2 — Rising global temperatures will hit Africa's poor the hardest, reducing their ability to deal with disease, feed themselves and earn a living, says scientist. (Associated Press)

NASA Research to Aid Federal Invasive Species Council Efforts
February 2 — NASA, in a research capacity, will assist 12 other federal agencies' efforts to combat invasive species across the country. (Science Daily)

NASA's Education Program Joins Forces to Study Wetlands
February 1 — A collaboration of innovative educational programs is merging space age and down-to-Earth field research to help students develop a better understanding of disappearing wetlands. (Science Daily)

Scientists Keep Eye on Alaska Volcanoes
February 1 — Scientists continue to monitor two volcanoes that the Alaska Volcano Observatory says could send dangerous ash into the air at any time. (Associated Press)

Ecuador Trembles After Hundreds of Tremors
February 1 — Hundreds of tremors off the coast of Ecuador in the past 11 days have sparked fears that a bigger quake could strike soon. (Reuters)

Sri Lanka's Beaches Will Recover but Coral Damaged
February 1 — Most of Sri Lanka's golden beaches battered by the Asian tsunami are expected to take up to six months to return to normal, but their fragile coral reefs will take longer, a global environment group says. (Reuters)

139 Missing After Madagascar Cyclone Kills 17
February 1 — Almost 140 people are still missing a week after storms hit south-west Madagascar, killing 17, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says. (Reuters)

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