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Headlines: July 2003

  1. June 2003
    2. •
  2. August 2003
  1. Weather Scientists Sail for Southern Ocean Secrets
    July 31, 2003

    One of the biggest ocean and climate expeditions mounted in years will leave Australia on a mission to search for the secrets of the Southern Ocean, the great unknown in world climate. (MSNBC)

  2. Forest Fires Burn Their Way into Climate Change
    July 31, 2003

    New evidence suggests wildfires are a wild card in climate change, further complicating the complex challenge scientists face in trying to understand what?s happening to Earth?s climate. (Christian Science Monitor)

  3. U.S. Hosts 'Earth Observation Summit'
    July 31, 2003

    Representatives of 35 countries and 22 multilateral organizations met at the State Department Thursday to start work on integrating systems to monitor the weather, oceans, land use and climate change. (ABC News, CNN, CBS, New York Times, CBC News, Christian Science Monitor)

  4. Drought Leaves Europe?s Farmers Helpless
    July 30, 2003

    Europe is aflame, drought persists and the temperatures continue to rise, with little prospect of any imminent change in the weather to cool it off, forcing the European Union to take action. (BBC News)

  5. Ozone Layer is Improving, According to Monitors
    July 30, 2003

    Scientists monitoring the highest levels of the atmosphere say they have detected a slowing in the rate of destruction of Earth?s protective veil of ozone. (New York Times, Scripps Howard News Service, Nature)

  6. New Discoveries About Old-Growth Forests
    July 29, 2003

    As scientists study old-growth forests more closely, they are discovering that these forests contain many stages of forest developments and that they differ widely in character with age, geographic location and disturbance history. (Brightsurf.com)

  7. Scientists Plunge Into Arctic Lakes
    July 29, 2003

    Canadian scientists are wading into pools and lakes on northern Ellesmere Island to investigate climate change in Canada?s high Arctic. (CBC News)

  8. Has the Sea Given Up its Bounty?
    July 29, 2003

    Most of the Earth?s surface is covered by oceans, and their vastness of biological bounty was long thought to be immune to human influence. But no more. Scientists and marine experts say decades of industrial-scale assaults are taking a heavy toll. (New York Times, BBC News)

  9. Residents Evacuated as Glacier Park Fire Approaches Homes
    July 28, 2003

    Residents of more than 400 homes near a gateway community to Glacier National Park were evacuated as a wind-driven wildfire rounded a mountain and headed for their town. (New York Times)

  10. Canada?s Climate Change Close Up
    July 28, 2003

    Beaches turning to mud and changes in wildlife are among the signs of warming climate recorded by an Inuit community in Canada. (BBC News)

  11. Polar Scientists Studying Climate Change
    July 28, 2003

    Antarctic researchers from Bulgaria, New Zealand and the U.S. are among some of the foreign scientists who are conducting studies in Canada?s high Arctic this year, and plan on collaborating more to improve their understanding of global climate change. (CBC News)

  12. Global Warming a Weapon of Mass Destruction, Scientist Says
    July 28, 2003

    Human induced global climate change is a weapon of mass destruction at least as dangerous as nuclear, chemical or biological arms, a leading British climate scientist is claiming. (TerraDaily)

  13. The ?Fixed? Hotspot that Created Hawaii was not Stationary After All
    July 28, 2003

    A new study disputes the long-standing paradigm that the Hawaiian Islands owe their existence to a ?hotspot? ? stationary plumes of magma that rise from the Earth?s mantle to form Hawaii?s massive volcanoes. The study concludes that the fixed hotspot in the Pacific was not stationary at all. (brightsurf.com)

  14. Increasing Carbon Dioxide Relieves Drought Stress in Corn
    July 28, 2003

    Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will benefit photosynthesis in U.S. corn crops in the future by relieving drought stress, say researchers. (brightsurf.com)

  15. Top of Sky Is Receding - We May Be Pushing the Stratosphere Away
    July 25, 2003

    The top of the troposphere has risen by several hundred metres since 1979, mostly because of transport and industrial emissions, and the height could serve as a kind of barometer for the extent of global environmental change. (Nature.com)

  16. 'Potato' Earth's Deep Secrets
    July 24, 2003

    Orbiting twin satellites produce the most detailed gravity map of the Earth ever obtained, to help understand ocean movements. (BBCnews.com, DiscoveryChannel.com)

  17. Weather the Sun? Scientists Ponder Sun's True Impact on Earth's Climate
    July 24, 2003

    The sun's influence on changes in climate — particularly over the past century — has been a topic of hot debate among physicists, astronomers, and more Earth-oriented climate researchers. (ABCnews.com, Christian Science Monitor)

  18. Old Trees Poor Carbon Sponge?
    July 23, 2003

    Mature trees might not offset global warming by mopping up excess carbon dioxide, as they may already have all the carbon dioxide that they need. (Nature.com)

  19. As World Swelters, Some Rare Cool Spots
    July 23, 2003

    With the world sweltering through one of the hottest years on record, some icy bastions have been getting frostier in defiance of global warming. (CNN.com, Reuters)

  20. Drilling Through Ice In Search of History
    July 22, 2003

    A team of European scientists is exploring the history of the earth's changing climate and seeking to gain tools to predict future changes, by extracting a continuous sample of ice, all the way from Greenland's vast surface ice sheet down to bedrock. (The New York Times)

  21. Once Colorful, Hawaiian Coral Reefs Turning White
    July 21, 2003

    An expedition team is headed for the northwestern Hawaiian Islands to investigate whether coral in the area survived its first documented widespread bleaching, a phenomenon that could be linked to global warming. (CNN.com)

  22. Rare Bears in Bind: Melting Ice and Chemical Contaminants Putting Kings of the Arctic at Risk
    July 21, 2003

    The mightiest predator in the remotest corner of the globe appears to be falling prey to a double dose of environmental ills. The source: The far-away industrialized world. (ABCnews.com)

  23. Decades of Devastation Ahead as Global Warming Melts the Alps
    July 20, 2003

    Scientists now believe global warming is melting the Alps, threatening widespread devastation, including major avalanches, over the next two decades. (Observer.co.uk)

  24. Bangladesh Monsoon Floods Leave 73 Dead, Five Million Affected
    July 18, 2003

    At least 73 people have died and more than five million have been affected by monsoon floods in Bangladesh but officials said that water levels could subside soon. (TerraDaily)

  25. Clouds Can Boost Harmful UV Rays
    July 18, 2003

    New research into how harmful ultraviolet radiation is affected by clouds has discovered that some partially cloudy conditions can actually increase the amount of UV raining down from the sky. (Discovery Channel News)

  26. Message in a Coral
    July 17, 2003

    Scientists studying corals near the Palmyra Island in the tropical Pacific Ocean have found that the largest short-term climate variability occurred between 1635 and 1670, suggesting that El Niño is independent from overall global climate. (Nature)

  27. As L.A. Expands, a Familiar Adversary Returns: Smog
    July 17, 2003

    Independent experts say the moment has long been coming when population growth, industry expansion and greater SUV use would overtake L.A.'s hard-won gains of the 1990s. (Christian Science Monitor)

  28. Caribbean Coral Suffers 'Phenomenal' Loss
    July 17, 2003

    Coral reefs across the Caribbean have declined by 80% in three decades, UK scientists say. They believe the causes are both natural and human, but found no evidence of climate change damage. (BBC News, CNN, Christian Science Monitor, MSNBC News, Associated Press)

  29. Wildfire Closes Famed Mesa Verde Park
    July 17, 2003

    Wildfires caused by lightning strikes forced the closure of the world famous Mesa Verde National Park that houses pre-Columbian cliff dwellings, officials said. (CNN)

  30. Same Sun. Different Views.
    July 17, 2003

    Long considered a constant, the Sun is under new scrutiny as scientists discover that small changes in solar output may lead to significant changes in Earth?s climate patterns. (Christian Science Monitor)

  31. Mountain Blooms Foster Warnings About Warming
    July 17, 2003

    A group of scientists at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory say that global warming is altering plant and animal life in the Rocky Mountains because of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere. (Chicago Tribune)

  32. Venice's 1,500-year Battle with the Waves
    July 17, 2003

    Venice has been under water for 200 days of the year now - the sort of unwelcome surprise that cities around the world will have to get used to as global warming causes sea levels to rise. (BBC News)

  33. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Sweats it out in Polar Heatwave
    July 16, 2003

    A rare heatwave has sent the mercury soaring to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in Rovaniemi, Finland, which claims to be the home of Father Christmas. (TerraDaily)

  34. France on High Alert After Violent Summer Storms Leave Four Dead
    July 16, 2003

    France issued storm alerts for several parts of the country after heavy rains and violent winds left four people dead in the south and west, interrupting a blistering heat wave. (TerraDaily)

  35. Hurricane Claudette Set to Make Landfall in Texas
    July 15, 2003

    Hurricane Claudette, packing winds of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) an hour, was set to make landfall in Texas on Tuesday, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. (TerraDaily)

  36. Antarctic's Weird Worms Face Warming Threat
    July 15, 2003

    Climate change could allow predators from warmer seas to colonize the Antarctic, imperiling ribbon worms that have made their home in the inhospitable waters of Antarctica, scientists believe. (BBC News)

  37. African Dust Brings Drought, Rain Across Atlantic
    July 15, 2003

    Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa may modify clouds and rainfall both in Africa and across the tropical North Atlantic as far away as Barbados, according to a study that uses data from NASA satellites, ground measurements, and computer models. (Associated Press)

  38. Too Darn Hot for Tufted Puffins off B.C.
    July 15, 2003

    For decades, Canada's tufted puffins have failed to reproduce chicks. Now scientists think warmer ocean temperatures may be to blame. (CBC News)

  39. Junk Adrift
    July 14, 2003

    Over 29,000 bathtub toys are expected to wash up on the United State's East Coast thanks to a spillage at sea and a persistent stream of strong southwesterly winds. (ABC News)

  40. Report: Fires Burned One-tenth of Australia
    July 14, 2003

    Australia suffered its worst-recorded environmental disaster when brushfires fueled by a severe drought blackened almost ten percent of the country during the summer of 2002/03, a parliamentary inquiry heard on Monday. (CNN.com)

  41. Warmer Ocean, Fewer Tufted Puffins off B.C.
    July 14, 2003

    For decades, Canada's tufted puffins have failed to reproduce chicks. Researchers at Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta and Environment Canada have found a direct relationship between the puffins? breeding success and ocean temperatures. (CBC News)

  42. Montserrat Volcano Erupts Again
    July 14, 2003

    Montserrat's volcano spewed thick clouds of ash into the air Sunday, plunging several Caribbean islands into a gritty haze that forced the cancellation of dozens of flights, caused a car accident that killed a man and significantly damaged vegetation. (CBS News)

  43. Earth's Metabolism Gets a Boost
    July 14, 2003

    The gadgets that rise above a central Illinois soybean field are helping scientists predict what changes in Earth's atmosphere are likely to do to crop yields. (CBS News)

  44. Satellites See Lightning Strikes in Ozone's Origins
    July 14, 2003

    NASA-funded scientists are using four satellites to tell where low-level ozone pollution comes from and whether it was manmade or natural. (Spaceflight Now, Associated Press, Environmental News Service, Spaceref.com)

  45. Delta Danger
    July 13, 2003

    The National Weather Service is predicting as many as four major hurricanes and 15 tropical storms this hurricane season, and that's grim news for Louisiana, which is already sinking fast. (ABC News)

  46. Scientists Study Air 14 Miles out on Chesapeake Light
    July 12, 2003

    NASA scientists find success in the use of the Chesapeake Light for validating readings from the Aqua satellite. (The Virginian-Pilot)

  47. La Niña Weather Anomaly Not Likely
    July 11, 2003

    A La Niña weather phenomenon, which can cause floods and typhoons, will not likely develop this year, a report by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said. (Reuters)

  48. Poll: California Hates Smog, Loves Cars
    July 11, 2003

    Californians, long famed for their love affair with the automobile, are quick to blame cars for the serious threat of air pollution -- other people's cars, according to a new poll. (CNN.com, Reuters)

  49. Campaign Seeks Forest Canopy's Secrets
    July 11, 2003

    One of the Earth's richest zones, the tropical forest canopy, is the target of a new network of treetop observatories to provide insight into life high above the forest floor, increasing the knowledge of forest life and climate change. (BBC.com)

  50. UK, Holland Top Twister League
    July 11, 2003

    Britain has the highest frequency of tornadoes over its land surface of any country in Europe, a report confirms, and the number of tornadoes in Europe each year could be around seven times greater than previously thought. (BBC.com)

  51. NASA Satellites Help Track Crops in Iowa
    July 11, 2003

    Scientists in Iowa are using images from satellites and airplanes to track the health of corn and soybean fields, predict yields and see whether pollen from biotech crops will contaminate other fields. (Associated Press)

  52. NASA Funds Research on Soft-Shell Crabs
    July 10, 2003

    The National Science Foundation and NASA are supporting research to find out what keeps soft-shell crabs from collapsing when they shed their shells. (The Durham Herald-Sun)

  53. Study: Trees grow bigger in Big Apple
    July 9, 2003

    Scientists who set out to gauge the impact of urban pollutants on trees have made a surprising discovery -- trees planted near New York City's congested mean streets actually grow twice as large as their rural counterparts. (CNN.com, Scripps Howard)

  54. Climate Scientists Reaffirm View that Late 20th Century Warming was Unusual
    July 8, 2003

    A group of leading climate scientists has refuted recent claims that the warmth of recent decades was not unprecedented in the context of the past thousand years. (BrightSurf.com)

  55. La Nina Weather Anomaly Not Likely
    July 7, 2003

    A La Nina weather phenomenon, which can cause floods and typhoons, will not likely develop this year, a report by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said. (Planetark.org)

  56. Australia's Great Barrier Reef Hit Badly By Pollution, Report Finds
    July 4, 2003

    The health of Australia's world-renowned Great Barrier Reef is continuing to suffer from pollution, over-fishing and rising sea temperatures, an official report said Friday. (Terradaily.com)

  57. Climate Change May Bring West Nile Virus to Parts of UK
    July 3, 2003

    The West Nile Virus, which killed nearly 300 people in the U.S. last year, could spread to parts of the U.K. because of climate changes, a senior health official said Thursday. (Dow Jones International News)

  58. Reaping the Whirlwind
    July 3, 2003

    While June was the hottest-ever in Switzerland and the United States tallied a record month for tornadoes, a new World Meteorological Organization report has linked such weather and climate extremes to global climate change. (The Independent ? London)

  59. Wildfires Said Worsened by Global Warming
    July 3, 2003

    Global warming experts warn that the curtain might be rising on a "summers-of-fire" scenario in the United States, in which mega-wildfires spark unprecedented property damage and human health problems. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

  60. Highest Sea Level in 100 Years Recorded around Japan
    July 1, 2003

    The average sea level around Japan in 2002 was 5.12 centimeters higher than the average for the last 100 years due to what experts suspect are the effects of global warming, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. (Kyodo News)

  61. City Heat Warms Rain
    July 1, 2003

    A University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign study shows that city center heat reduces ice storms. (Nature.com)

last updated: August 27, 2009