Will the U.S. Bring Down the Curtain on Landsat?
June 30, 2000Researchers are pleased with the improved images from the Landsat 7 satellite, but are worried that the satellite may be the last of its kind. Some scientists are concerned that Landsat's successor may come from private companies. (David Malakoff, Science)
Smog Spells Invisible Damage for Crops
June 27, 2000New research in Europe reveals that ground-level ozone pollution, or smog, is damaging crops in the United Kingdom and the United States. (CNN.com and ENN.com)
Climate Models Differ on U.S. Outlook
June 23, 2000The Hadley and Canadian climate models agree that temperatures will be warmer in the future, but disagree on whether conditions will be wetter or drier. Scientists noted that uncertainties were greater on regional levels. (Richard Kerr, Science)
Sayonara La Niña?
June 20, 2000The equatorial Pacific waters are warming up again. The La Niña event indicated by cooler than normal waters in the equatorial Pacific are warming toward normal levels, but the effects of La Niña could last for several months. (Associated Press)
Global Warming May Bring a Host of Problems
June 20, 2000The White House issued a draft review on the impacts of climate change on the United States last week. The report paints a picture of dramatic climate changes across the nation, drawing attention to a wide variety of effects that could be triggered by global warming. (David L. Chandler, The Boston Globe)
Solar Storm Predictions Ride in on Wind
June 20, 2000Better-timed predictions of the Sun's coronal mass ejections are now possible, which is good news for Earth's satellites and power grids. Scientists have discovered that these ball-like solar explosions of high-temperature gas travel at the same speed near Earth as they do near the Sun due to the solar wind. (Dan Vergano, USA Today)
New Approaches Sought in Carbon Cleanup
June 19, 2000The U.S. Department of Energy has expanded its research into carbon removal technologies, including the expansion of carbon "sinks" where carbon is absorbed into soil and vegetation, as a possible means to meet future emissions standards resulting from the Kyoto Protocol. (William K. Stevens, The New York Times)
U.S. Heats Up; Drought Outlook Grim
June 16, 2000The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its three-month seasonal outlook, which highlighted the lingering U.S. drought. The drought has spawned water restrictions and a heightened danger of wildfires. (CNN.com)
Climate Change and El Niño Threat to Songbirds
June 15, 2000Climate change and a possible increase in El Niño events could seriously reduce the population of songbirds in North American forests, according to researchers. The climate changes reduce the insect and caterpillar food supplies for Black-throated Warblers in their New Hampshire breeding grounds. (CNN.com)
Hurricanes on the Rise Again, Study Finds
June 14, 2000Hurricane activity in the Atlantic seems to alternate between active and slow periods of several decades, with a busy period now under way, a new study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters reports. (Associated Press)
Warmer Arctic Climate Brings Trouble to White Spruce Trees
June 14, 2000Three researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks analyzed white spruce tree ring data and discovered that the trees are becoming moisture-stressed and are growing less due to a warming climate. (Arctic Science Journeys Radio)
Warming Effects to Be Widespread
June 12, 2000Global warming in the 21st century will likely cause drastic changes in the climate of the United States, including bumper crops in the heartland and summer water shortages and winter floods in the West. (Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times; Curt Suplee, The Washington Post; CNN.com)
Getting to Know Carbon
June 10, 2000A new research initiative will focus on the complex life of carbon as it cycles through Earth's land, water, and atmosphere. (Science News)
It's A Drought - No, Flood!
June 8, 2000It's easy to believe in global warming, but beware the uncertainties.
An expert panel recently told a U.S. Senate hearing that current scientific evidence is too iffy to prove the case for global warming beyond a reasonable doubt. (Robert C. Cowen, Christian Science Monitor)
Going to Extremes
June 7, 2000In many parts of the country, Americans have extreme weather to look forward to as the summer progresses. Weather experts are predicting more Atlantic hurricanes this season and drought conditions in much of the country. (ABCNews.com)
Future Looks Cloudy for Arctic Ozone
June 3, 2000More polar stratospheric clouds formed in Arctic skies last winter than had ever been recorded before and the clouds lasted longer, scientists reported at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. (Jessica Gorman, Science News)
Why Has Our Weather Gone Wild?
June 1, 2000Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research says that global warming is real. Trenberth also questions what will happen to local climates and how cities plan to handle future weather extremes. (Joseph D'Agnese, Discover)
Year Guide to Space -- The Odyssey Begins
June 1, 2000Earth Observing One, Vegetation Canopy Lidar Mission, Aqua, Triana, ICESat, Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II, Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment, Earth Observing Satellite-Chemistry, and Earth Observing 3, are profiled in the article highlighting mission goals and launch dates. (Marietta DiChristina, Popular Science)
The Truth is Down Here
June 1, 2000To really understand what's happening on the Earth's surface, scientists need to combine "ground truth" data with observations from satellites. Collecting data from aircraft and on the ground are key elements of the Vegetation Canopy Lidar and Terra missions. (Bijal Trivedi, Smithsonian's Air & Space)
Power of Nature's Atmospheric Cleanser Revealed
June 1, 2000A NASA airborne campaign in the Pacific last year has revealed the power of nature's own atmospheric cleanser, the hydroxyl radical, and showed how pollutants from across the Northern Hemisphere can circulate across tens of thousands of miles. (Dan Falk, United Press International)