Eruption Gave Several Weeks' Notice; May Aid Forecasts
August 29, 2008Scientists have determined that a 1925 volcanic eruption on Santorini island in Greece was preceded by an influx of hot magma into the volcano's lava chamber several weeks beforehand, and the insight may lead to better warnings of similar eruptions in the future, researchers say. (National Geographic News)
A Blow to the Oxygen Theory of Extinction
August 29, 2008New research deals a blow to the hypothesis that a decrease in atmospheric oxygen contributed to a mass extinction 250 million years ago. (The New York Times)
Sponges Feel the Heat from Climate Change
August 28, 2008New research finds that marine sponges suffer at the same elevated water temperatures that cause corals to bleach, suggesting that coral reef ecosystems may experience broad effects in a warming ocean. (Discovery News)
The Weekends are More Rainy – and it May be Our Fault
August 28, 2008Researchers say they have evidence that in some parts of Europe the weather follows a weekly cycle – in winter there is a tendency for more rain during the week than on weekends, while in summer the effect is opposite and less pronounced. (National Geographic News)
Arctic Sea Ice Drops to Second Lowest Level on Record
August 27, 2008More ominous signs have scientists saying that a global warming "tipping point" in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes as sea ice in the Arctic Ocean hits its second lowest level in about 30 years. (Associated Press)
Arctic Sea Ice Drops to Record Levels
August 27, 2008Arctic Ocean sea ice has melted to the second lowest minimum since satellite observations began, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. (Discovery News)
Not-So-Permafrost: Big Thaw of Arctic Soil May Unleash Runaway Warming
August 26, 2008New estimates show that frozen Arctic soil contains far more potential greenhouse gas than previously recognized – and could speed climate change as it melts. (Scientific American)
Arctic Tundra Holds Global Warming Time Bomb
August 25, 2008Researchers sampled tundra soils across North America and estimate there may be almost 100 billion tons of carbon in the first meter of soil alone – equivalent to about a quarter of the amount currently in Earth's atmosphere, or 10 years' worth of global emissions from human activity. (Discovery News)
Earth's Air in Four Big Cells
August 25, 2008Previous theories pointed to two large circular systems – air rises at the warm equator and then travels toward either pole, where it chills and falls, but a new study suggests there are actually four distinct air masses, two north of the equator and two south. (Scientific American)
Alpine Archive
August 24, 2008Melting alpine glaciers are revealing clues to Neolithic life in the high mountains, and the finds are also providing key indicators to climate change. (BBC News)
Corrosive Oceans: Carbon Emissions Threaten Ecosystem
August 22, 2008The world's oceans are becoming more acidic and corrosive because of the same carbon emissions that cause another immense problem: global warming. (ABC News)
Heavy Rain Triggers Destructive Tornadoes
August 22, 2008Heavy rains that often accompany long-lasting thunderstorms called supercells may be key in triggering tornadoes to form – rain falling in heavy sheets from a supercell storm cloud provides a strong push to updrafting air, causing it to spin up into a fully fledged twister. (Discovery News)
World Heading Toward Cooler 2008
August 21, 2008Data show that global temperatures in the first half of the year have been more than 0.1 degrees Celsius [0.18 degrees Fahrenheit] cooler than any year since 2000, and the principal reason is La Niña, part of the natural cycle that also includes El Niño. (BBC News)
Fewer April Showers for U.S. Southwest as Climate Changes
August 20, 2008The already parched U.S. Southwest is drying up even more, at least in early spring, because of climate change, according to a new study showing that since 1978, the jet stream that brings rainstorms from the Pacific over the western U.S. has been shifting northward – and so has the rain and snow. (Scientific American)
Coal's Toxic Legacy to the Arctic
August 18, 2008Data from a Greenland ice core indicates that coal burning is the prime source of heavy metal pollution in the Arctic. (BBC News)
Acid Rain Molecule Tells All
August 18, 2008A mysterious chemical reaction that transforms acid rain into other pollutants has given up its secret to scientists, and an unusual molecule is the culprit. (Discovery News)
Ocean Dead Zones Going Global
August 14, 2008Like a chronic disease spreading through the body, "dead zones" with too little oxygen for life are expanding in the world's oceans. (Discovery News)
Southern Seals Sample Salty Seas
August 12, 2008Elephant seals are helping scientists study temperature and salinity changes in the Southern Ocean; equipped with computerized tags, the seals can reach regions of the sea impenetrable to researchers during the harsh winter months. (BBC News)
Satellites Help Explain Greenland Ice Loss Mystery
August 9, 2008A combination of satellite measurements shows that most of Greenland's ice is lost through many smaller glaciers, not two larger ones. (New Scientist Environment)
In the Indian Himalayas, You Can Hear Climate Change Before You Can See It
August 8, 2008The river that rushes through the Lahaul-Spiti Valley in the Indian Himalayas is fed almost entirely by melt from the surrounding glaciers, and the elevated sound and height of the river's rapids mean the glaciers have never receded so quickly, glaciologists say. (ABC News)
Shellfish May Invade North Atlantic as Ice Melts
August 8, 2008North Pacific shellfish – including snails and other mollusks – may blaze a path across the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic if the sea ice melts in coming decades as predicted, a pair of scientists said. (National Geographic News)
Yellowstone Supervolcano is Only Lukewarm
August 8, 2008At about 50 miles beneath Earth's surface, the Yellowstone hotspot is about 2,642 degrees Fahrenheit, say researchers – which, for a supervolcano, is only lukewarm. (New Scientist Environment)
Australia's East Coast Climate Zones Heading South
August 7, 2008Ocean temperature records suggest that Australia's east coast climate zones have moved south by about 124 miles over the past 60 years, marine scientists said. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Extreme Rains to Be Supercharged by Warming
August 7, 2008Global warming could make extreme rains stronger and more frequent than previously forecast, according to a new study that looked at satellite data to confirm what models have previously suggested. (National Geographic News)
Scientists Draw Detailed Arctic Map
August 6, 2008A team of scientists from Durham University in northern England say they have drawn up the first detailed map of the Arctic, highlighting areas that could be subject to territorial disputes. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Will Grasslands Overtake U.S. Forests Due to Warming?
August 6, 2008Climate change may cause grasslands to spread to parts of the United States that are currently covered in forest, according to a new study. (National Geographic News)
Scientists Learn More About Ocean Beds
August 5, 2008Scientists are taking part in a multi-million dollar project to find out more about the ocean bed in waters off three Australian states, using sonar technology that takes detailed 3-D images of the ocean floor. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The Hottest Water on Earth
August 5, 2008At about 1.9 miles beneath the surface, sitting atop what could be a huge bubble of magma, is the hottest water ever found on Earth, which could offer a first glimpse at how essential minerals are leached out of Earth and released into the oceans. (ABC News)
Software Predicts Where El Niño will Strike Next
August 5, 2008Forecasting the weather during an El Niño event could soon be as simple as joining the dots, thanks to software that maps the world's climate as an interconnected network. (New Scientist Environment)
Ancient Moss, Insects Found in Antarctica
August 4, 2008Fourteen million years ago, mosses grew and insects crawled in what are now barren valleys in Antarctica, according to scientists who have recovered remains of life from that frozen continent. (Associated Press)
Harsh Climate Change Once Fell Swiftly
August 1, 2008By examining sediments preserved at the bottom of a remote lake in western Germany, scientists say they found that what's known as the Younger Dryas cold period took just a year to sweep across the continent, starting in autumn 12,679 years ago. (Discovery News)
Warming Won't Drive More Hurricanes, Study Says
August 1, 2008Climatologists believe that rising ocean temperatures can lead to stronger hurricanes, but question whether the storms will form more often in a warmer world – a new study that accounts for storms potentially missed in the historical record suggests that they won't. (Discovery News)