Are Shifts in Earth's Crust Causing New Orleans to Sink?
March 31, 2006A deep fault that cuts across southeastern Louisiana appears to have contributed to as much as 73 percent of the subsidence in a section of Orleans parish, and if sustained over a century, would equate to as much as a six-foot sea-level rise. (Christian Science Monitor)
Research in Pacific Shows Ocean Trouble
March 31, 2006The Pacific is getting warmer and more acidic, while the amount of oxygen and the building blocks for coral and some kinds of plankton are decreasing, scientists report. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Another Cyclone Hits Australia
March 30, 2006Australia's remote northwest shore was lashed by 80 mph winds as Cyclone Glenda made landfall, but there were no reports of serious damage, officials said. (Associated Press)
Sumatra Quake Could Be Set to Rumble Again: Study
March 30, 2006The fault that caused the devastating earthquake in Indonesia in December 2004 and the destructive tsunami that followed could still cause some big ruptures, U.S. researchers said. (Reuters)
Alaska, Not California, is Most Quake-Prone
March 30, 2006More earthquakes occur in Alaska each year than in any other U.S. state, although the recorded total of quake-related deaths is much greater in California, scientists reported. (Associated Press)
Upcoming Hurricane Season Likely Strong
March 30, 2006The top U.S. hurricane expert said this year's hurricane season is likely to be stronger than average, though short of the record 2005 season, the costliest on record. (Associated Press)
A Scourge of the '70s Returns to Great Lakes
March 30, 2006Despite significantly cleaner lakes, algae have staged a comeback in every lake but Lake Superior, and they appear to be more pervasive than in the 1970s, scientists report. (Christian Science Monitor)
Manmade Ponds Help Preserve Wetlands
March 30, 2006A new report finds that more people building ponds for golf courses and subdivisions or to retain stormwater and wastewater helped create the nation's first net gain in wetlands in a half-century of government record-keeping. (Associated Press)
Caribbean Coral Suffers Record Death
March 30, 2006A one-two punch of bleaching from record hot water followed by disease has killed ancient and delicate coral in the biggest loss of reefs scientists have ever seen in Caribbean waters. (Associated Press)
'Barren Future' for Africa's Soil
March 30, 2006Africa's farmland is rapidly becoming barren and incapable of sustaining the continent's already hungry population, according to a report. (BBC)
Air Warming Above Antarctica
March 30, 2006The air over Antarctica is warming even faster than in other parts of the world, according to an analysis of 30 years of weather balloon data. (Associated Press)
UK Carbon Emissions Rise Again
March 30, 2006Britain's carbon dioxide emissions have risen for a third successive year, according to government figures, though overall greenhouse emissions remained constant. (BBC)
Schools to Be "Quake-Proof"
March 29, 2006The United Nations is launching a campaign to "disaster proof" schools to reduce the numbers of children crushed to death in earthquakes or washed away in floods, the head of its risk reduction agency said. (Reuters)
Scientists Study Models of 1906 Quake
March 28, 2006Scientists unveiled what they described as the most detailed computer simulations of the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake. (Associated Press)
World Prepares for Total Solar Eclipse
March 28, 2006Tourists and scientists gathered at spots around the world for the first total eclipse in years, a solar show that will sweep northeast from Brazil to Mongolia, as schools, museums and the media prepared to witness the event via NASA webcasts and live video feeds. (Associated Press)
The Mount Hood Meltdown
March 28, 2006The seven largest of Mount Hood's 11 glaciers have already shrunk an average of 34 percent since the beginning of the last century, according to calculations by a graduate student who is part of a glacier research team financed by the National Science Foundation and NASA. (The Oregonian)
New City-sized Iceberg Created Near Antarctica
March 27, 2006A large iceberg has broken free of the Fimbul Ice Shelf, a large glacial ice sheet along the northwestern section of Queen Maud Land, in the eastern Weddell Sea near Antarctica, scientists said. (LiveScience.com)
Next Big Quake? Maybe East of Bay Area
March 25, 2006Seismologists say the Hayward Fault just east of San Francisco runs through one of the country's most densely populated areas; and 2 million people live close enough to be strongly shaken by a big quake. (Associated Press)
U.N. Sees Link between Global Warming and Hurricanes
March 24, 2006There is growing evidence of a link between global warming and natural disasters such as droughts and flooding, the head of the World Meteorological Organization said. (Associated Press)
Snowy March in California Boosts Water Supplies
March 24, 2006A wet March led the 29 water and irrigation districts served by the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) to see their allotments for the 2006 water year increase to 80 percent. (Reuters)
Snow Melting Earlier in Eastern North America
March 24, 2006In eastern North America, snow is melting and flowing into rivers earlier than it did in the first half of the 20th century, scientists said. (LiveScience.com)
World's Glaciers Rapidly Melting, Causing Quake-like Disruptions
March 23, 2006Glaciers and ice sheets at both ends of Earth are melting ever more quickly from below due to warmer ocean waters, advancing sometimes in enormous earth-shaking "jolts," new research has found. (Associated Press)
Melting Ice Threatens Sea-Level Rise
March 23, 2006Scientists report that at the current rate of rising temperatures, by the year 2100 Arctic summers could be as warm as they were 130,000 years ago, accelerating melting of polar ice that could lead to considerable additional sea-level rise. (Associated Press)
Study: Interior Western U.S. is Sinking
March 23, 2006The vast region of the interior Western United States called the Basin and Range has been on an interminable, 20-million-year slump that has affected regional climate. (Discovery.com)
Greater Efforts Needed to Save Amazon Rainforests
March 22, 2006About 40 percent of the Amazon's rainforests could be lost by 2050 unless more is done to prevent what could become one of the world's worst environmental crises, scientists said. (Reuters)
Surprise: Rainforest Grows When It's Dry
March 21, 2006Most plants do their growing during the rainy season and stall out when it's dry, but in much of the Amazon rainforest, dry spells bring on growth spurts, a new study has found. (LiveScience.com)
Radar Plane Gauges Arctic Snow Layer
March 21, 2006A radar-equipped NASA plane is flying low over the Arctic this week to measure the snow on top of sea ice, a finding with implications for polar bears and possibly humans, an ice scientist said. (Reuters)
MSU to Help Develop Earth Science Database
March 21, 2006Mississippi State University has received a federal grant to help NASA develop a more accessible Earth science research database. (Associated Press)
Changing Climate Threatening Development
March 20, 2006Droughts, floods, changing rain patterns and rising sea levels are threatening development in the world's poorest countries, experts and aid workers said at an international water forum. (Associated Press)
Australian Cyclone Worst in Decades
March 20, 2006The most powerful storm to hit Australia in decades laid waste to its northeastern coast, mowing down sugar and banana plantations and leaving possibly thousands of people homeless. (Associated Press)
Tropical Cyclone Lashes Australia
March 19, 2006With winds up to 180 mph, Tropical Cyclone Larry smashed into the coastal community of Innisfail - about 60 miles south of Cairns - a popular jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, sending hundreds of tourists and residents fleeing for higher ground. (Associated Press)
Bird Experts Question Woodpecker's Comeback
March 18, 2006A new analysis of fuzzy video taken in the swamps of Arkansas casts doubt on the ballyhooed comeback of the ivory-billed woodpecker, four bird experts report. (Reuters)
Coral Reefs Seen Threatened by Tsunami Rebuilding
March 17, 2006Coral reefs that survived the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami are coming under threat from rushed rebuilding efforts in the region, two international environmental groups said. (Reuters)
Global Warming Reaches 'Tipping Point,' Report Says
March 16, 2006Human-fueled global warming has reached a "tipping point," according to a new survey of scientific research that found warming would continue even if greenhouse gas emissions halted immediately. (Reuters)
Tower of London on Climate List
March 16, 2006United Nations experts are meeting to determine the risks that climate change poses to some of the world's special places, including the Tower of London and Great Barrier Reef. (BBC)
Stormy Weather Ahead
March 16, 2006A new study confirms shows that only warmer sea surface temperatures carry a statistically significant link to the greater occurrence of bigger, stronger hurricanes. (ABC)
Bad Fire Season Seen for Southwest, Plains
March 16, 2006The wildfire danger will be higher than usual this spring across the Southwest, much of the Plains and parts of the South, the government warned. (Associated Press)
New Test of Snow's Thickness May 'Bear' Results Key to Polar Climate Studies, Wildlife Habitat
March 15, 2006A NASA-funded expedition to the Arctic to map the thickness of snow has a legion of unexpected furry fans hailing from one of the world's coldest regions: polar bears. (Science Daily)
Huge Polar Initiative Announced
March 15, 2006Next year, thousands of scientists from around the world will begin the most intensive period of research on the polar regions in half a century. (BBC)
NASA Says Northern Ozone Pollution Spurs Arctic Warming
March 15, 2006Ozone pollution in the Northern Hemisphere, churned out by factories and vehicles that burn fossil fuels, is a major factor in the dramatic warming of the Arctic zone, NASA climate scientists reported. (Reuters)
Scientists Closely Watch Augustine Volcano
March 15, 2006Recent changes with the Augustine Volcano indicate that the activity the volcano is exhibiting now is less explosive than what occurred in January, but scientists remain on high guard. (Associated Press)
Australia May Be Face of Warming
March 14, 2006The Australian government's main research body, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, predicts average temperatures in Australia will rise up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by 2070 due to higher concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (Associated Press)
Study: Tsunamis Added Height to Maldives
March 14, 2006The low-lying Maldives island chain was right in the bulls-eye of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, but the islands themselves suffered surprisingly little damage and some even grew taller as a result of the deadly waves, reports a New Zealand geologist. (Discovery.com)
Carbon Dioxide Hit Record in 2005
March 14, 2006The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere climbed to a record 381 parts per million last year, an increase sure to spark further debate on global warming. (Associated Press)
U.N.: Greenhouse Gases Hit High in 2004
March 14, 2006"Greenhouse gases" in the Earth's atmosphere reached record highs in 2004 and are still climbing, the World Meteorological Organization said. (Associated Press)
Engineers: 1985 Test Predicted Levee Break
March 13, 2006Scientists working on an independent study of a floodwall that collapsed during Hurricane Katrina said that a government test 21 years ago predicted the wall could fail. (Associated Press)
Winter Warmest Ever on Record in Canada
March 13, 2006The winter of 2005-2006 has been Canada's warmest on record and the federal agency Environment Canada said it was investigating whether it's a sign of global warming. (Associated Press)
Glacier Melting in Montana Park
March 13, 2006A panel meeting in France this week plans to discuss concerns that human-caused warming of the climate is why the glaciers in Glacier National Park are melting. (Associated Press)
States Look to Regional Cloud-Seeding
March 13, 2006In three years, officials hope to launch the first phase of a regional cloud-seeding program to create more snowfall in the Upper Rockies to feed the Colorado River and its tributaries. (Associated Press)
Scientist Reading the Leaves to Predict Violent Weather
March 13, 2006A scientist finds that while current weather forecast and vegetation models do a fair job in simulating the weather, the results in terms of timing, location and intensity of local-scale thunderstorms can be improved by adopting more detailed photosynthesis transpiration models. (LiveScience.com)
2.6 Million Manmade Ponds Have 'Dramatic Impact'
March 13, 2006The United States is dotted by about 2.6 million man-made ponds that significantly alter natural runoff schemes by trapping a previously unknown amount of sediment. (LiveScience.com)
Thailand to Make Evacuation Plans after Underwater Tremors
March 12, 2006Thailand will prepare evacuation plans for tourists and residents on the southern coast hit by the 2004 tsunami following a series of underwater tremors in the Andaman Sea. (AFP)
Rain in Phoenix Ends Record Dry Spell at 143 Days
March 11, 2006A good old-fashion downpour hit Phoenix, ending a record string of 143 days without rain, beating the previous tally of 101 days, set in January 2000. (LiveScience.com)
Floods Leave Thousands Homeless in Malawi
March 10, 2006Flash floods from the heaviest rains in 20 years have swept the south and central parts of Malawi, leaving more than 8,000 people homeless, officials said. (Associated Press)
NASA Finds Stronger Storms Change Heat and Rainfall Worldwide
March 9, 2006Using data from satellites, NASA researchers suggest changes in storms that occur in the mid-latitudes are strongly affecting the Earth's water cycle and air temperatures, and creating opposing cooling and warming effects in the atmosphere. (Science Daily)
Scientist Helps Make Improved Storm Model
March 9, 2006Scientists who studied detailed satellite data about North America's forests, fields and grasslands say they have used it to create more accurate forecasts of severe weather and tornado outbreaks. (Associated Press)
Polar Ice Sheets Show Net Loss
March 9, 2006There is a net loss of ice to the ocean from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, a study has found. (BBC)
A Better Way to Forecast Storms on the Sun
March 9, 2006Scientists say they have devised a more accurate way to forecast the onset and relative strength of the sun's stormy "seasons," or sunspot cycles, which peak roughly every 11 years. (Christian Science Monitor)
Warmer Arctic Waters Forcing Animals North
March 9, 2006The Bering Sea - which lies just south of the Arctic Circle between Russia and Alaska - is getting warmer, and the heat is already having a huge impact on marine wildlife there, said scientists. (Associated Press)
Gray Wolf Numbers in Northern Rockies Up
March 9, 2006The number of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies has surpassed 1,000, a decade after wolves were reintroduced in and around Yellowstone National Park, a new report shows. (Associated Press)
Global Warming Threatens New Guinea Paradise
March 8, 2006Exotic species in a little-known "Garden of Eden" in the mountains of New Guinea island are under threat from global warming. (Reuters)
Volcano in Nicaragua Spews Gas, Ash
March 8, 2006Nicaraguan civil defense authorities warned residents about a volcano that has been shooting off columns of gas and ash. (Associated Press)
Ice Thawing Earlier on Maine Lakes
March 8, 2006Ice on dozens of lakes in Maine and four other states is melting earlier in the year than in decades past, according to a new analysis. (Associated Press)
Wind Power Could Top Hydro in China, Expert Says
March 7, 2006Wind turbines may one day replace hydropower as China's second-largest source of electricity, if the country continues with a drive to boost renewable generation, a Chinese energy expert said. (Reuters)
River Algae Prompts Concern for Arkansas Trout
March 6, 2006Waterway experts say an invasive algae is spreading in Arkansas, and the growth is thriving in one of the state's top trout fishing waterways. (Associated Press)
Biologists, Amateurs Search for Woodpecker
March 6, 2006Biologists and amateurs toting some of the fanciest gear in South Carolina's Congaree National Park are trying to find the rarest of woodpeckers among some of the nation's tallest and oldest trees. (Associated Press)
Researchers Identify Extinction Hotspots
March 6, 2006Researchers identified regions with a high "latent extinction risk" for non-marine mammals, often areas that have had little human impact so far. (Associated Press)
Scientists Say Sun's Next Cycle Stronger
March 6, 2006A new computer model suggests that the next solar cycle will be more active than the previous one, potentially spawning magnetic storms that will be more severe and disruptive to communication systems. (Associated Press)
Himalayan Melting Risk Surveyed
March 5, 2006A new weather station is expected to show the extent of warming in the Himalayas, one of the world's biggest deposits of ice and a key source of fresh water. (BBC)
Mississippi Study Looks at Why Levees Flooded
March 4, 2006Engineers will soon be making waves in a 4-foot-wide model of the canal between New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish to learn what part waves played in breaching a floodwall on the 17th Street Canal, where Hurricane Katrina's storm surge pushed water from Lake Pontchartrain into the city. (Associated Press)
Thousands of Australians Stranded By Floods
March 3, 2006Thousands of Australians along the country's east coast were stranded by floods as weather forecasters predicted the possibility of further heavy rains. (AFP)
More Rain Falls on Flood-Soaked Hawaii
March 3, 2006Rain fell on the island of Oahu, where heavy downpours this week have flooded roads and closed schools as a major freeway connecting downtown Honolulu to Kailua was shut down after commuters began driving the wrong way using the only open route. (Associated Press)
NASA Embarks on International Study of Air Pollution Flowing Into U.S. from Abroad
March 2, 2006NASA researchers are using complex scientific instruments aboard aircraft to learn more about the air that blows in from Mexico City and other places to North America, and what pollutants may blow in with it. (Newswise)
New Jet to Seek Turbulence
March 2, 2006Researchers aboard aircraft will study turbulent airstreams from above by dropping temperature- and wind-sensitive devices, called dropsondes, into storms' most turbulent areas. (LiveScience.com)
Hurricane Season Could Match '05
March 2, 2006This year's hurricane season could match the record breaking destruction caused by storms in 2005, the United Nations warned. (Reuters)
Antarctic Ice Sheet is Melting Rapidly
March 2, 2006The Antarctic ice sheet is losing as much as 36 cubic miles of ice a year in a trend that scientists link to global warming, according to a new NASA-funded study that provides the first evidence that the sheet's total mass is shrinking significantly. (The Washington Post)
Yellowstone Volcano Grows as Geysers Reawaken
March 1, 2006Forces brewing deep beneath Yellowstone National Park could be making one of the largest volcanoes on Earth even bigger, a new study reveals, as part of the volcano has risen nearly five inches. (LiveScience.com)
Consensus Grows on Climate Change
March 1, 2006The global scientific body on climate change will report soon that only greenhouse gas emissions can explain recent freak weather patterns. (BBC)