A large iceberg was "born" early this week from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Scientists say the massive iceberg could drift to sea within the next few days. (National Science Foundation release)

Pronounced changes in the earth's climate can be tracked in cycles of ocean conditions over thousands of years, according to new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These cycles reveal that Earth is currently in a period in which a natural rise in global temperatures combined with warming from the greenhouse effect will push the planet through an era of rapid global warming. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography release)

Land use, far more than atmospheric carbon dioxide levels or the vagaries of climate, influences how much carbon is stored by ecosystems each year across the continental United States. Previous estimates of total U.S. carbon storage may have greatly overstated the actual levels, according to a new study in the journal Science. (National Center for Atmospheric Research release)

Urban and industrial air pollution can stifle rain and snowfall, according to a new study in the journal Science. The study presents satellite images and measurements of "pollution tracks" downstream from major urban areas and air pollution sources such as power plants, lead smelters, and oil refineries. (American Association for the Advancement of Science release)

A new study indicates that variations in Antarctic sea ice may have played a significant role in lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide levels during the last ice age. This study, published this week in the journal Nature, presents a new theory to explain why low carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are found during glacial periods. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography release)

A National Research Council task force released a report today validating the scientific merit of the Triana mission. Triana, the first deep space Earth-observing mission, will provide a continuous view of the entire sunlit face of the rotating Earth. The review was requested last year by members of the U.S. Congress. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography release)

A wealth of information on the physical properties and distribution of clouds soon to be collected by NASA's Terra satellite could help scientists better predict climate change, says Larry Di Girolamo of the University of Illinois. The Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer onboard Terra will be the first instrument to make global, high-resolution, multi-angle, multi-spectral radiometric measurements of Earth from space. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign release)