Volcanoes' Favorite Time of Year
April 30, 2004UK researchers find evidence that volcanoes all over the globe are 18 percent more likely to erupt during the northern winter months that at any other time of year. (Science)
Science in the Clouds
April 29, 2004University of Utah meteorologists are using a NASA research jet to examine the role of cirrus clouds in climate change. (Science Daily, Innovations Report)
Study: Global Warming Linked to Severe Allergies, Asthma
April 29, 2004Harvard University researchers say global warming may be increasing the severity of allergies and asthma, particularly among inner-city children. (Scripps Howard)
Most Americans Face Smog Danger
April 29, 2004More than half of the United States' population lives in counties — many in California — with hazardous smog levels, according to a new report. (Associated Press, Reuters)
New NASA Technology Helps Forecasters in Severe Weather Season
April 29, 2004NASA is providing new technology and satellite data to help forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) create the best possible forecasts of severe spring weather. (Science Daily)
Supercontinent's Breakup Plunged Ancient Earth into Big Chill
April 29, 2004The breakup of the world's original supercontinet, coupled with the breakdown of massive amounts of volcanic rock, plunged Earth into the deepest freeze it has ever experienced, new research shows. (Space Daily)
Impacts of Global Warming
April 29, 2004Two new reports from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change detail substantial impact of global warming on the U.S. economy, its natural resources, and the welfare of its citizens. (Media Wire)
Satellite Constellation Planned to Help Predict Disasters
April 28, 2004China is planning to launch eight satellites by 2010 to establish a global network for natural disaster prediction and environmental monitoring. (ChinaView.com)
Eskimos Bear Witness to Changing Climate in Arctic
April 28, 2004A four-part series examines how scientists and Eskimos are working together to better understand the climate changes affecting the North Slope of Alaska. (Anchorage Daily News)
Plane Exhaust Putting Heat on Climate, Research Suggests
April 28, 2004A NASA study finds that contrails, the thin, white clouds that planes leaves behind in the sky, are responsible for a portion of the warming recorded in the United States from 1975 to 1994. (USA Today, United Press International)
Patagonian Ice in Rapid Retreat
April 28, 2004One of South America's leading natural tourist attractions, the San Rafael Glacier in Chile, is retreating at an alarming rate, say UK scientists. (BBC)
West Faces a Sixth Year of Epic Drought
April 27, 2004In what scientists call a combination of drought cycles and global warming, nine Western states are seeing extreme dryness, that will likely persist for at least the rest of the year. (Christian Science Monitor)
Aircraft, Ground Instruments to Track Carbon Dioxide Uptake
April 27, 2004Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) will fly a C-130 research aircraft over Colorado's Front Range this May and again in July to measure how much carbon dioxide mountain forests remove from the air. (Science Daily)
New Ice Sheet Research Indicates Possible Global Climate Change
April 26, 2004A new study by a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher found significant and widespread thinning of the southeastern portion of the Greenland ice sheet, indicating climate change may be affecting the sheet. (Newswise, SpaceRef.com)
Climate Change Research Focuses on Precipitation Levels
April 26, 2004A University of California-Santa Cruz researcher believes changes in precipitation patterns caused by climate change, not rising temperatures, will be most damaging to the Western United States. (Currents, University of California-Santa Cruz)
Nations Team Up for Earth Observation
April 26, 2004Representatives from 47 nations have endorsed a 10-year plan to share Earth-observation data, identify gaps in observational efforts, and come up with ways to fill them. (Associated Press, Reuters)
Fallout from Melting Arctic Sea Ice Likely to Appear in Surprising Places
April 25, 2004A new supercomputer-driven climate study predicts that winter storms will whomp into the Gulf of Alaska more often if Arctic sea ice continues to melt away in the summer. (BBC)
Global Warming Pushing Up UK Flood Costs
April 23, 2004Britain�s annual bill for flood damage could increase 20-fold this century unless steps are taken to combat global warming, according to the government�s chief scientist. (Reuters)
Plan Near for Global Climate Monitoring
April 23, 2004Nations are near agreement on the blueprint of a global climate monitoring system that would help forecast environmental threats such as rising sea levels or drought. (Associated Press)
Hurricanes Boost Nature�s Chances
April 22, 2004U.S. researchers have found that several bird species and marine organisms are helped by the effects of hurricanes. (BBC)
Rate of Ocean Circulation Directly Linked to Abrupt Climate Change
April 22, 2004A new study strengthens evidence that the oceans and climate are linked, and that rapid climate change may be related to how vigorously ocean currents transport heat from low to high latitudes. (Ascribe Newswire)
Satellites Act as Thermometers in Space, Show Earth Has a Fever
April 21, 2004A NASA study using satellite data confirms the Earth has had an increasing "fever" for decades. (United Press International, Washington Times)
Arctic Carbon a Potential Wild Card in Climate Change Scenarios
April 21, 2004An international team of scientists has determined that the carbon found in the Arctic Ocean is fairly young and will not likely affect the balance of global climate. (Science Daily)
Oceans Rising Faster Near Coasts
April 21, 2004UK oceanographers say satellite measurements confirm that sea levels appear to be rising faster near the coast than in mid-ocean. (New Scientist)
U.S. Oceans Report Says Coastal Oceans in Peril
April 20, 2004Pollution, over-fishing and poor management have put North America�s oceans in serious peril, but it�s not too late to save them, say experts. (Associated Press, Reuters)
Report Shows Smokies 'Beginning to Die'
April 16, 2004A new report by the National Parks Conservation Association on the future of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park paints a dire picture. (Associated Press)
Adding Iron to Ocean May Cool Climate
April 16, 2004Dodging icebergs on rolling seas, scientists fed tons of iron into the Southern Ocean and obtained the strongest evidence yet that a dose of nutrients can make a huge living force � tiny, free-floating plants � chemically cool the Earth's climate. (Science)
Climate Theories Run Hot and Cold
April 16, 2004Using satellites and innovative robotic underwater probes designed at the University of Washington, a group of scientists has found changes in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean that might trigger a new ice age. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer Scripps Howard News Service, Science)
Researchers: Melting Ice Pack Could Change California's Climate
April 15, 2004The melting Arctic Ocean ice pack could shrink enough over the next half century to change California's climate, reducing rain and snowfall by nearly a third, say researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz. (New Scientist)
Expert Predicts Big California Quake Soon
April 15, 2004A U.S. geophysicist has set the scientific world ablaze by claiming major quakes can be foreseen by tracking minor temblors and historical patterns in seismic hotspots and that a major quake will soon hit southern California. (Discovery.com)
Marine Deserts Could Give Clues to Understanding Climate Change
April 15, 2004Remote 'marine deserts' in the Atlantic Ocean could provide scientists with valuable clues to understanding how phytoplankton interacts with the atmosphere to affect climate. (Innovations Report, New Zealand)
By Looking Back, Scientists See a Bright Future for Climate Change
April 15, 2004Scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory say that a new climate model for the first time predicted every major change in temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean. (Space Daily)
Satellites Record Weakening North Atlantic Current
April 15, 2004A North Atlantic Ocean circulation system weakened considerably in the late 1990s, compared to the 1970s and 1980s, according to a NASA study.
El Niño Can Be Predicted Further Ahead, Scientists Say
April 14, 2004The hugely damaging El Niño weather pattern can be predicted further ahead that previously thought, giving farmers crucial time to prepare for its devastating effects, new research shows. (Reuters)
Sunlight Deemed Variable in Ozone Levels
April 13, 2004Pollution from industries and power plants along the Houston Ship Canal that forms smog during the day can turn beneficial at night, creating a nearly ozone-free zone over the metro area, a new study shows. (Associated Press)
Global Warming to Play Havoc with Plants, Birds
Global Warming to Play Havoc with Plants, Birds
April 13, 2004A new study says each degree of warming will cause flowers to bloom about 11 days early, possibly leaving some migratory birds hungry. (The Age, Australia)
Drought Still Ravages Western U.S.
April 12, 2004From the brittle hillsides of southern California to the drying fields of Idaho, from Montana to New Mexico, a relentless drought is worsening across most of the West, water supplies are dwindling and the threat of wildfires is rising. (Associated Press)
Climate: Unraveling the Borehole Riddle
April 12, 2004New research led by a NASA scientist examines how snow cover can affect the temperatures that get transmitted to deep boreholes. (United Press International)
Global Warming Cited in Turtle Nesting
April 11, 2004Loggerhead sea turtles along Florida's Atlantic coast are laying their eggs about 10 days earlier than they did 15 years ago, a change that a University of Central Florida researcher thinks was caused by global warming. (The Indianapolis Star)
Scientists Develop New Tool for Ozone
April 9, 2004Due to the work of two JPL scientists and their colleagues, air quality predictors have a new tool to help them determine the origin of ozone in the atmosphere. (The Ames Daily Tribune)
Global Warming Could Melt Greenland
April 9, 2004Greenland's ice sheet could melt within the next 1,000 years and swamp low-lying areas around the globe if emissions of carbon dioxide and global warming are not reduced, scientists say. (Reuters)
Cloud Seeding to Fight Global Warming Approved for Australian Ski Region
April 9, 2004Cloud seeding is going to be used to keep Australia's Snowy Mountains true to their name: snowy. (Associated Press)
Shorter Winters, Drier Summers Hint at Climate Change
April 8, 2004University of Montana scientists believe shorter winters and drier summers are a sign of climate change, that will likely accelerate in the coming years. (The Billings Gazette)
Climate Problems for Breeding Birds
April 8, 2004Unpredictable weather has shortened the breeding season for endangered dotterel in the Bay of Plenty. (The New Zealand Herald)
Freak Brazilian Hurricane Categorized
April 8, 2004Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration�s Hurricane Research Division in Miami have officially classified the storm that struck Brazil last week as a category 1 hurricane. (Discovery.com)
Global Warming May Bring More Rain, Snow
April 8, 2004Warming global temperatures mean more rain and snow for Iowa over the next 40 years, according to new research from an Iowa State University scientist. (The Ames Daily Tribune)
Sandstone Buildings under Serious Threat from Climate
April 8, 2004Scotland�s sandstone buildings will decay more rapidly over the next 50 years as predicted climate changes cause 20 percent more rainfall over the country, according to a leading geologist. (The Scotsman)
Waterbirds Desert Britain as Climate Change Takes Its Toll
April 8, 2004Scientists say more frequent mild winters are causing many migratory bird species to move east due to the effects of climate change. (The Scotsman)
Global Warming Could Melt Greenland Ice Sheet
April 7, 2004Greenland�s huge ice sheet could melt within the next 1,000 years and swamp low-lying areas around the globe if emissions of carbon dioxide and global warming are not reduced, scientists say. (Reuters, BBC, CNN, National Geographic News)
Using Weather to Predict Water Use
April 6, 2004Local officials in some California districts are now using the latest weather models to project water demand in the future. (Marin Independent Journal)
Technology Boots Tornado Forecasting
April 5, 2004Improved technology has pushed average warning times for tornadoes to between 12 and 14 minutes, a critical period for people to get out of harm�s way and to find shelter, weather experts say. (Associated Press)
Amazon Drought Measured from Space
April 5, 2004Satellites can accurately tell scientists about the effects of drought on the ground, which in turn can help them further understand and predict climate change, say researchers. (Reuters, Scientific American)
Grant Will Expand Weather Collection System
April 5, 2004South Dakota�s state climatologist is using grant money to purchase 20 additional automated weather systems and to upgrade 13 others, to obtain real-time weather data across the entire state. (Associated Press)
Global Warming May Mean Drier Planet
April 5, 2004Climate researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York say increased airborne pollutants could make warming planet a drier one. (United Press International)
Bermuda Airborne Study May Explain Climate Change
April 2, 2004A study says a surprising number of microorganisms have reached Bermuda in air that has traveled across the Atlantic and may be responsible for some diseases in marine organisms and even people. (The Royal Gazette)
Three Intense Hurricanes Forecasted in 2004
April 2, 2004The Atlantic will probably see 14 names storms this year, eight of them hurricanes and three of them intense hurricanes, according to a leading hurricane researcher. (Associated Press)
Scientists Pinpoint Helpful Wheat Genes
April 2, 2004Researchers have identified the genes that give wheat the ability to cross climates, a discovery that could aid humanity�s ancient effort to make the world�s most popular grain more productive, faster to mature and able to survive more extreme conditions. (Associated Press)
Project Looks at Earthquake Strength
April 2, 2004Geologists are launching a study of soils in parts of Illinois, Missouri and Indiana to chart how strongly earthquakes could shake different areas. (Associated Press)
Sand Deposits Studied along South Carolina Coast
April 1, 2004Scientists in South Carolina are working to understand ocean processes that redistribute sand once it has been poured on the beaches. (Associated Press)
Climate Scientists Use the World's Largest Supercomputer
April 1, 2004British meteorologists are using the world's largest and fastest supercomputer to help them predict the evolution of the Earth's climate in the 21st century with unprecedented accuracy. (Innovations Report)
Reef Robot Monitors Global Warming
April 1, 2004 University of Sydney scientists plan to launch a submarine off Queensland later this year to monitor the effects of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef. (The Age, Australia)