Study: Yellowstone Air Quality Worsening
May 31 — Air quality in four of six categories is worsening at Yellowstone National Park, a new study by the National Park Service shows. (Associated Press)

Scientists Say Arctic Was Once Tropical
May 31 — First-of-its-kind core samples dug up from deep beneath the Arctic Ocean floor show that 55 million years ago an area near the North Pole was practically a subtropical paradise, three new studies show. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Threatens Baltic Sea Marine Life
May 31 — Global warming is adding new threats to marine life in the almost land-locked Baltic Sea, where fish are already struggling in polluted, brackish waters, a leading expert said. (Reuters)

Scientists Say Warming Threatening Florida
May 31 — Two researchers say global warming is threatening Florida with a long-term future of more bad storms, particularly hurricanes. (Associated Press)

Stirring Up Dust in the Desert
May 31 — In the Southwestern United States, dust storms are largely the result of tires and hooves, which are destroying natural biological barriers that once kept dust on the ground - ultimately making people more prone to sickness, worsening global coral reef health, and hastening the melt of mountain snow packs. (National Public Radio)

New Orleans Sinking Faster Than Thought
May 31 — New research suggests parts of the city are sinking even faster than many scientists imagined - at a rate of more than an inch a year. (Associated Press)

An Autopsy of Katrina: Four Storms, Not Just One
May 30 — Experts who studied the Katrina disaster say the area was battered in four different ways: a flawed levee system based on a model storm that was too simplistic; an inadequate network of levees and flood walls; poor storm gates, and weak pumps. (The New York Times)

Dutch Preparing for 14-Inch Ocean Rise by 2050
May 30 — The Dutch can expect wetter winters and a threatening rise in sea levels of up to 35 centimeters (14 inches) by 2050, said a report by the country's national weather service. (Reuters)

Expert Downplays Underwater Volcano Risk
May 30 — A Hawaii-based geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey said although "submarine" volcanoes can cause tsunamis if they erupt, the ones around the waters of the Northern Marianas Islands are not a major threat due to their small size. (Associated Press)

Mount St. Helens Shoots Steam into Air
May 30 — Mount St. Helens shot a steam and ash plume at least 16,000 feet into the air after a large rockfall from the lava dome in the volcano's crater, scientists said. (Associated Press)

Beijing Unlikely to Meet Air Quality Goal
May 30 — Smoggy Beijing is unlikely to meet its target for "blue sky" days with acceptable air quality this year, the government said, amid efforts to clean up the Chinese capital in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. (Associated Press)

Pollution Risks Yangtze's 'Death'
May 30 — The Yangtze, China's longest river, is "cancerous" with pollution, reports in the country's state media have said, and it could turn "dead" within five years. (BBC)

China Says It's Slowing Rate of Desertification
May 29 — China, with desert covering one third of its landmass, is slowing the rate at which desertification is eating up arable and other land but the problem remains serious, a government official said. (Reuters)

Volcano Spews Smoke, Lava in the Comoros
May 29 — A volcano has erupted on the main island of the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean, forcing dozens of people to flee their homes, residents said. (Associated Press)

Volcano's Lake Turns From Blue to Red
May 29 — A lake atop a rumbling volcano on the South Pacific island of Ambae has changed color from blue to bright red, puzzling scientists. (Associated Press)

Indonesian Quake Toll Jumps Past 5,000
May 29 — Following a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck two days ago, the death toll in Indonesia rose to 5,137, said government officials - the nation's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami. (Associated Press)

Study: Global Warming Boosts Poison Ivy
May 29 — The carbon-dioxide-driven vine grows faster, bigger, and also produces more of its rash-causing chemical - urushiol - conclude experiments conducted in a forest where scientists increased carbon-dioxide levels to those expected in 2050. (Associated Press)

String of Earthquakes Unrelated, Scientists Say
May 28 — While earthquakes are common and even expected along the belt that circles the Pacific Ocean, the Asian side of the rim has been struck particularly hard in the last 18 months by strong seismic activity - but experts say they are likely unrelated. (Associated Press)

U.S. Lags in Quake Warning Development
May 28 — This summer, the U.S. Geological Survey is cautiously taking another look at earthquake warnings, beginning with a three-year test to gauge how well three experimental systems perform in California - likely the first step in catching up with the rest of the world. (Associated Press)

Repeat Hurricanes Test Coastal Recovery
May 28 — Throughout the Gulf Coast region from Texas to Florida, barrier islands have been battered by recent hurricane winds and waves, leaving many fragmented and submerged, making the mainland more vulnerable in the coming hurricane season. (Associated Press)

Eastern Pacific Gets First Tropical Storm
May 28 — Aletta, the first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season, was moving slowly north, about 105 miles southwest of the Mexican resort of Acapulco. (Associated Press)

First Drought Order Takes Effect
May 27 — The first drought order in England and Wales in 11 years has come into force, affecting 650,000 people. (BBC)

La Nina Threatens Thailand with More Floods
May 26 — An expected La Nina wet weather pattern is likely to bring worse than usual floods to Thailand this year, a top disaster official said, after the worst deluge in 60 years killed at least 62 people in the north. (Reuters)

Deserts May Be Creeping Closer to Cities
May 26 — Deserts in the American Southwest and around the globe are creeping toward heavily populated areas as the jet streams shift, suggesting that areas already stressed by drought may get even drier, researchers said. (Associated Press)

Rainforests 'Still at Great Risk'
May 26 — Most of the world's managed rainforests are still in great jeopardy with only five percent being treated in a sustainable way, a new report said. (BBC)

Undersea Volcano Eruption Caught on Tape
May 26 — An unmanned probe got within feet of a violent underwater eruption in the Pacific Ocean, returning with the clearest footage ever captured of seismic activity under the sea, a team of Japanese and U.S. researchers said. (Associated Press)

Chesapeake Bay Underwater Grasses Rebound
May 25 — Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay were more plentiful again last year, with the important habitat-providing plants now covering about double the acreage they did when the survey began in 1984. (Associated Press)

Satellites Can Warn of Floods, Landslides Worldwide, Scientists Say
May 25 — Using satellite instruments originally designed to monitor soil moisture and atmospheric water vapor, NASA scientists say they can spot rivers overflowing their banks�giving potentially valuable information to people living downstream while increasing warnings for floods and landslides. (National Geographic News)

Earthshine May Help Detect Warming, Alien Life
May 25 — Earthshine, the sunlight reflected by the Earth�could help scientists gauge global warming by allowing for more precise estimates of changes in the Earth's reflectivity, or albedo. (National Geographic News)

New Orleans Seen Top U.S Target for 2006 Hurricanes
May 24 — New Orleans, still down and out from last year's assault by Hurricane Katrina, is the U.S. city most likely to be struck by hurricane force winds during the 2006 storm season, a researcher said. (Reuters)

NASA Launches GOES-N Weather Satellite
May 24 — After months of delay, NASA launched a weather satellite that will allow forecasters to better pinpoint severe storms and investigate world climate change. (Associated Press)

Indonesian Volcano Spews Lava, Ash
May 23 — Mount Merapi spit out lava and a spectacular series of hot clouds, as Indonesian government observers warned that the volcano remained a danger to villagers living on its slopes. (Associated Press)

Arkansas Residents Urged to Prepare for Quake
May 22 — Federal and state emergency officials are encouraging Arkansas residents to prepare now for a possible earthquake due to activity in the New Madrid fault zone. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Risk 'Much Higher'
May 22 — Global temperatures will rise further in the future than previous studies have indicated, according to new research from two scientific teams. (BBC)

Forecasters Predict 4 to 6 Major Hurricanes
May 22 — NOAA released its 2006 Atlantic hurricane forecast, predicting 13 to 16 named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six could become 'major' hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. (Associated Press)

Hurricane Could Devastate New York, U.S. Economy, Experts Warn
May 22 — Forecasters warn that a hurricane making landfall near New York City could cause catastrophic damage, and while a storm is unlikely to make direct landfall on Manhattan, a nearby storm would cause extensive flooding and heavy storm surges. (National Geographic News)

Report: Ozone Hole May Disappear by 2050
May 20 — The ozone hole over the Antarctic is likely to begin contracting in the future and may disappear by 2050 because of a reduction in the release of chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting gases, according to a team of Japanese scientists. (Associated Press)

Seattle Has Greater Quake, Landslide Risks
May 19 — Earthquake experts say Seattle now has the nation's most precise geologic hazards map, and it indicates a greater risk of damage from quakes and landslides than was known before. (Associated Press)

3-D Images Reveal Yellowstone Plume
May 19 — Researchers have captured three-dimensional images of the gigantic plume of molten rock welling up from the depths of the Earth under Yellowstone National Park. (Discovery.com)

Rare Woodpecker Elusive as Search Season Ends
May 19 — The search for the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker in the swamps of Arkansas has ended for the season with no confirmed sighting, wildlife experts said, but they plan to start looking again in late autumn. (Reuters)

Spring Sun Brings Massive Melt
May 18 — Virtually all climate scientists say snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains will melt faster over the next several decades as a direct result of the invisible carbon dioxide that human machinery keeps pouring into the air. (ABC)

Typhoon Chanchu Slams South China Coast
May 18 — A powerful typhoon pounded China's southern coast with heavy winds and rain, killing at least 25 people and flooding scores of homes. (Associated Press)

Rare American Chestnut Trees Discovered
May 18 — A stand of American chestnut trees that somehow escaped a blight that killed off nearly all their kind in the early 1900s has been discovered along a hiking trail not far from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Little White House at Warm Springs. (Associated Press)

Indonesia's Mount Merapi Erupts Violently
May 17 — Mount Merapi shot a large cloud of searing hot ash and gas into the sky, ending two days of relative calm and underscoring the dangers still facing thousands of people living on the volcano's slopes. (Associated Press)

Scientists Test Tsunami-Warning System
May 17 — Dozens of Pacific-rim nations joined the first widespread test of a tsunami-warning system since killer waves in the Indian Ocean claimed more than 200,000. (Associated Press)

Scientists Study Potential Arkansas Quake
May 16 — Using a fat-tired truck to vibrate the ground and create small waves that are reflected by layered sediment and recorded by seismometers; researchers hope to produce an image of a fault zone. (Associated Press)

New Eye on Hurricanes Could Improve Forecasts
May 16 — A new NASA study, relying on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite finds that hurricanes usually intensify if persistent rains fall from clouds soaring to 9 miles or higher. (LiveScience.com)

Warming Set to 'Devastate' Coral
May 15 — Rising ocean temperatures look set to cause lasting devastation to coral reef systems, a study suggests. (BBC)

New Hampshire Floods Force 100 People from Homes
May 14 — Torrential rain washed out roads and forced about 100 people from their homes, after some areas of central New Hampshire had seen 7 inches of rain. (Associated Press)

Tropical Storm Leaves Trail of Destruction in Philippines
May 14 — The Philippines has begun cleaning up after Tropical Storm Chanchu claimed 32 lives, left large parts of the country underwater and forced thousands to flee their homes. (AFP)

Thousands Flee Lava of Indonesia Volcano
May 13 — Thousands of people fled the fertile slopes of Indonesia's most dangerous volcano as glowing lava oozed down the side and ash and rock spewed from the mountaintop. (Associated Press)

Ecuador Volcano Shows Sign of Activity
May 13 — Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano is emitting its loudest and most frequent explosions since it rumbled back to life nearly seven years ago after eight decades of inactivity, scientists said. (Associated Press)

Study Details Quake at San Andreas Fault
May 12 — A powerful earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault, which hasn't ruptured in over three centuries, is capable of producing prolonged periods of strong shaking in the Los Angeles region, a new study finds. (Associated Press)

Beijing Suffering Worst Drought in 50 Years
May 11 — China's capital is suffering its worst drought in 50 years, prompting the government to monitor rainfall at sites to be used during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, state media reported. (Discovery.com)

Magnetic Field Weakening in Stages
May 11 — Earth's magnetic field is weakening in staggered steps, a new analysis of centuries-old ships logs suggests, a finding that could help scientists better understand the way Earth's magnetic poles reverse. (National Geographic News)

Hurricane Center Chief: Technology is Good
May 11 — The science and technology used to predict hurricane paths are good, but they leave wide margins for error, National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said at the Governors' Hurricane Conference. (Associated Press)

Climate Change Evidence Stronger
May 11 — Global temperatures may be increasing more quickly than first thought, and evidence is stronger that humans are causing the rise, the World Bank's chief scientist Robert Watson said. (Reuters)

Climate, Not Humans, Said to Have Killed Off Mammoths
May 10 — Climate shifts were probably responsible for the extinction of the mammoth and other species more than 10,000 years ago, not over-hunting by humans, according to new research. (Reuters)

China Expecting Hot and Stormy Summer: Report
May 10 — China's summer could be hotter and stormier than normal and the country could be hit with up to nine typhoons, state media said. (Reuters)

Earth Safe from Gamma Ray Bursts
May 10 — Scientists say Earth is at far lower risk than previously believed from potentially devastating gamma ray bursts, the flashes of extremely high-energy radiation that occur as a massive star collapses and explodes. (Associated Press)

New York Warned to Prepare for Hurricanes
May 9 — A hurricane with only moderate intensity could wreak havoc in New York City because it has been years since the nation's financial center faced severe weather, government forecasters warned. (Reuters)

Experts See Weaker 2006 Hurricane Season
May 9 — Some early signs are beginning to roll in suggesting the 2006 hurricane season will not be the record that 2005 was. (Discovery.com)

Officials Prep for Red Tide Outbreak
May 9 — Officials in Massachusetts are preparing for the possibility of a new outbreak of red tide even as the state continues to deal with the effects of last year's devastating bloom. (Associated Press)

Plankton Blooms Linked to Quakes
May 9 — Concentrations of the natural pigment chlorophyll in coastal waters have been shown to rise prior to earthquakes, reports a U.S.-Indian research term. (BBC)

Shivering and Unsung, Scientists Monitor the Arctic Year after Year
May 8 — Researchers are back at the North Pole to retrieve a two-mile-long strand of instruments that for a year had been anchored to the sea floor recording shifting currents, temperatures, salinity, ice thickness and other vital signs. (The New York Times)

Tonga Quake Reveals Tsunami Challenges
May 8 — The powerful earthquake that shook Tonga islanders last week and brushed their island with a small, harmless tsunami has underscored the biggest challenge facing any tsunami warning system: getting people closest to the epicenter to take action. (Discovery.com)

Cell-Phone Towers Double as Weather Forecasters
May 8 — A new study uses signal strength at cell-phone towers to provide data for weather forecasters. (National Public Radio)

Utah's Growth Leading to Landslide Risks
May 7 — As the population surges in Utah, new housing developments are being built in geologically unstable areas, significantly increasing the risk of landslides, say geologists. (Associated Press)

No Need to Raise Alert Status for Indonesian Volcano
May 7 — Geologists said there was no need to raise the alert status for Indonesia's Merapi volcano or to evacuate tens of thousands of residents on its slopes despite the continuing lava flows. (AFP)

Everest Weather's Ups And Downs
May 6 — Already experiencing melting glaciers and a receding snowline, the Everest region of Nepal has seen some very unusual weather patterns during the past few months. (BBC)

La Nina Shouldn't Affect Atlantic Hurricanes: NASA
May 4 — La Nina, a Pacific Ocean phenomenon that can help form Atlantic hurricanes, is not expected to be a factor this season, good news after last year's disastrous storm season. (Reuters)

Lava Flowing from Indonesian Volcano
May 4 — Red-hot lava began flowing from the crater of Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi as volcanologists warned residents an eruption may be imminent. (Associated Press)

Rock Slab Growing at Mount St. Helens
May 4 — A large mass of rock is jutting up from a crater at Mount St. Helens and is now growing four to five feet a day. (Associated Press)

Ozone Layer Shows Signs of Recovery, Scientists Claim
May 4 — The ozone layer is showing signs of recovering, thanks to a drop in ozone-depleting chemicals, but it is unlikely to stabilize at pre-1980 levels, researchers said. (Reuters)

Experiment on Monsoon Season Rainfall Lives Up to Its 'Name'
May 4 — NASA scientists recently published research findings from the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) that gathered data to improve the ability to observe monsoons that affect large areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico from July to mid-September. (Science Daily)

Global Warming Cited in Wind Shift
May 3 — Global warming caused by human activity has begun to dampen an important wind circulation pattern over the Pacific Ocean, and that could alter climate and the marine food chain in that area, a new study suggests. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Differences Resolved with Corrections in Readings
May 3 — A nagging difference in temperature readings that had raised questions about global warming has been resolved, a panel of scientists reported. (Associated Press)

Large Earthquake Hits Tonga Region, Tsunami Warning Issued
May 3 — A strong earthquake struck the Tonga region of the South Pacific, with a magnitude at 7.8, but initial reports indicated that no tsunami was generated by the quake. (LiveScience.com)

Scientists Worry about Solar Superstorm
May 2 — Researchers say a geomagnetic solar blast like one recorded in 1859 could do tens of billions of dollars in damage in our more tech-dependent age. (Space.com)

Toxic Algae Bloom Returns to Maine Coast
May 2 — The red tide, which shut down much of the Maine coast to shellfish harvesting last year, is back. (Associated Press)

China: Global Warming is Melting Glaciers
May 2 — Glaciers in western China's Qinghai-Tibet plateau, known as the "roof of the world," are melting at a rate of 7 percent annually due to global warming, the country's official news agency said. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Differences Resolved
May 2 — A new report shows clear evidence of human influences on climate due to changes in greenhouse gases, aerosols and stratospheric ozone. (Associated Press)

Greenhouse Gases Continue to Rise
May 1 — The greenhouse gases widely blamed for raising the planet's temperature are still building up in the atmosphere, a federal agency reports. (Associated Press)

Evolution Happens Faster in the Tropics
May 1 — Plants and animals living in warm, tropical climates evolve faster than those living in more temperate zones, a new study suggests. (LiveScience.com)

16,000 Species Said to Face Extinction
May 1 — Polar bears and hippos are among more than 16,000 species of animals and plants threatened with global extinction, the World Conservation Union said. (Associated Press)

Explosive Wildfire Season Predicted for U.S. West, South
May 1 — Persistent drought could create one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in the U.S., officials warn, with the greatest danger zones in the West and South. (National Geographic News)

Back to: News