Earth & Environment Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

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		In Industrial Manufacturing, Efficiency Falls as Technology Advances A comprehensive study of old and new manufacturing processes, from machining metal to making carbon nanofibers, shows that the more advanced technologies are less efficient in their use of energy and materials per kilogram of output Released  May 1, 2009
		Students Venture Into the Hearts of Violent Storms Texas Tech grad student and IGERT trainee Tanya Brown describes conducting research amid thunderstorms and hurricanes Released  April 22, 2009
		Changes in Altitude/Changes in Attitude: Scientists and Policymakers Share Views in the Treetops Excursion to a rainforest canopy creates a communication bridge between scientists and policymakers Released  April 13, 2009
		Caves Reveal Evolution of Ancient Microbes Jenn Macalady's geomicrobiology group is discovering the rules that enable microbes living in dark, oxygen-free environments to adapt and evolve Released  March 27, 2009
		Taking the Pulse of the Forest Michael Loranty describes 'wiring' a forest for research to determine how much water the trees use Released  March 18, 2009
		More and More Scientists Serve Up Science for Mass Consumption Scientists use innovative, barrier-busting methods to educate the public and decision-makers about cutting-edge science Released  March 16, 2009
		2008: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities that made news last year Released  March 13, 2009
		Saving Hawaii From Alien Plants Graduate student Joshua Atwood talks about analyzing state environmental policies and participating in surveys to detect non-native plant species on O’ahu during his NSF-supported internship Released  February 13, 2009
		Water Plays Surprising Role in Climate Change From Hawaii's Mauna Loa, climate scientists measure oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in water vapor to better understand changes in the water cycle Released  February 6, 2009
		Amazon Deforestation: Earth's Heart and Lungs Dismembered NSF-supported researchers explore the links between globalization, deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon region and the country’s dynamic cattle economy Released  January 23, 2009
		Crimes to Climate History: Tiny Diatoms Offer Big Clues NSF-supported botanist Peter Siver of Connecticut College studies microorganisms that shed light on climate change dating back millions of years Released  January 7, 2009
		Jellyfish Researcher Explains How and Why Jellyfish Swarms Form Why are large swarms of jellyfish and other gelatinous animals being reported in many of the world's popular fishing and vacation spots? Released  December 16, 2008
		Volcanoes, Not Asteroid, May Have Taken Out the Dinosaurs New theory of dinosaurs’ demise looks to India Released  December 8, 2008
		Placing a Dollar Value on Services Provided by Bats Advanced imaging and information technology reveals economic and ecological impact of agricultural pest control Released  November 12, 2008
		'Gone Bats' Over Aeroecology New scientific discipline studies bats, birds and other animals in atmosphere closest to Earth's surface Released  October 28, 2008
		The Bizarre Creatures of Madagascar Paleontologist David Krause describes his search for the ancestors of mammals that live in Madagascar today Released  September 24, 2008
		Glacier Movement Limits How Fast Sea Level Can Rise Study finds 3 to 6 feet by 2100 possible Released  September 18, 2008
		Bones in Lava Tubes Reveal Hawaii's Natural History Michigan State University's Matthew Cimitile describes a Hawaiian adventure exploring lava tubes in search of bird bones from endangered and extinct species Released  August 22, 2008
		Crumbling Walls of Ancient Chesapeake Bay Crater Threaten Regional Groundwater Supplies Saltwater intrusion into collapsing crater also allows microbes to flourish Released  August 12, 2008
		Supercapacitors Could Be Key to a Green Energy Future John Chmiola, a doctoral student at Drexel University, is doing groundbreaking work on supercapacitors Released  July 30, 2008
		Atlantic Coral Reefs Are No Match for This Lion Scientists detail the extensive damage to coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean caused by invasive lionfish species, warn of potential catastrophe Released  July 29, 2008
		Methane Formation in the Oceans: New Pathway Discovered Significant importance for study of greenhouse gas production on Earth Released  July 10, 2008
		Environmental Programs in China Successful, Study Finds Key reforms could turn them into world models Released  July 10, 2008
		Long Wait Before Next China Quake? May 12 earthquake rare and unexpected, geologists discover Released  July 10, 2008
		Fossil Feathers Preserve Evidence of Color Organic material reveals remnants of color pigments Released  July 10, 2008
		Scientists See Squid Attack Squid Oregon State oceanographer Kelly Benoit-Bird and colleagues succeed in using sonar to track Humboldt squid Released  June 27, 2008
		My Research: I Burn Stuff U.S. graduate student Abigail Watrous on her research studying energy technologies and seeking practical and affordable alternatives to help developing communities reduce pollution Released  June 5, 2008
		Hunt for Fossils Finds Warning for Warming Earth Graduate student Ellen Currano provides a glimpse of paleontological fieldwork, describing how she collects fossil leaves for research studying the effects of climate change on plants and insect herbivores Released  May 27, 2008
		How Desert Dust Feeds the World's Oceans Scientists sample dust and trace metals in seawater to learn more about climatic change Released  May 9, 2008
		For Better or Worse, Modern Ocean Explorers Stay Connected Improvements in shipboard communications mean scientists can keep in constant touch, even when their research takes them to remote locations Released  April 28, 2008