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Category: Environment

The Pando aspen clone as seen from a distance (green foreground and middle -- not yellow). The photo captures about ½ the total grove. A close look reveals many dead trees on the ground. Foreground depicts successful regeneration; middle green shows dying forest with little new growth. (Lance Oditt, Studio 47.60° North - with permission)

Earth’s Largest Organism is Deteriorating

October 19, 2018

Researchers in Utah say what many consider to be the world’s largest living organism is dying but could be saved with what they call a ‘mega-conservation’ effort. The Pando aspen clone looks like a forest of trees, but since each of the trees is linked by common genetic markers and possibly one giant root system, […]

The Battle of Waterloo. Painting by William Sadler (Wikimedia Commons)

Did a Volcanic Eruption Lead to Napoleon’s Defeat at Waterloo?

August 24, 2018

A British scientist thinks a volcanic eruption may have led to Napoleon Bonaparte’s crushing defeat at Waterloo, in what is now Belgium, on June 18, 1815. Historians say heavy rains fell on Napoleon’s troops the night before the big battle, causing the ground to become very muddy and soggy. With these miserable conditions, Napoleon’s artillery […]

This is Ecuador's Tungurahua, or “Throat of Fire”, volcano as it erupts on August 24, 2014. (Reuters)’s another of this week’s active volcanoes. This is Ecuador's Tungurahua, or “Throat of Fire”, volcano as it erupts on August 24, 2014. (Reuters)

Plenty of Advanced Warning for Supervolcano Eruption

May 3, 2018

There have been reports in the media that a couple of supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone in the US and Taupo in New Zealand, that are saying are on the verge of eruption. The United State Geological Survey (USGS) says, however, that such an eruption at Yellowstone is very unlikely in the next thousand or even 10,000 years. […]

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill approaches the coast of Mobile, Ala., May 6, 2010. (US Navy)

Sunlight Can Hinder Oil Spill Cleanup Efforts

April 27, 2018

A 2003 report by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences estimated that more than 1.3 million metric tons of petroleum make it into the sea each year. Among the tools used to lessen the impact of oil spills are chemical dispersants which break up the floating oil into small droplets. But […]

Piles of snow along the streets of Boston after the blizzard of January 24-28, 2015. (Fuhvah/Creative Commons 4.0 via Wikimedia)

Researchers Develop Environmentally Friendly Method To Melt Snow Quickly

February 15, 2018

Businesses and local governments located in areas where it snows a lot must make sure that the white stuff is kept clear from their streets, sidewalks and parking lots. The problem, in some cases, is what to do with all the snow once it’s been cleared. The current solution is to either push the snow into gigantic piles and […]

Cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere producing ions that helps turn small aerosols into cloud condensation nuclei -- seeds on which liquid water droplets form to make clouds. (illustration - H. Svensmark/DTU)

Cosmic Rays Found to Impact Cloud Formation

February 13, 2018

A recent study from scientists at the Technical University of Denmark provides new evidence that cosmic rays play a role in cloud formation, thus affecting our climate. Cosmic rays are a form of fast-moving, high-energy radiation that emanates from the sun or from sources light years away from our solar system. According to the study, […]

In this night image from Jan. 29, 2012, human presence is clearly visible as the International Space Station passed over the Gulf of Mexico looking north to the southeastern United States. (NASA)

Light Pollution Increasing; No Flowing H20 on Mars; Keeping Cows Happy

November 24, 2017

Light Pollution Continues to Ruin View of Night Sky More of us are becoming unable to witness the full breathtaking beauty and majesty of the sparkling Milky Way because of a growing problem called light pollution. According to oxforddictionaries.com, light pollution is defined as the brightening of the night sky caused by street lights and […]

Artist’s impression of the cool red star and gas-giant planet NGTS-1b against the Milky Way (University of Warwick/Mark Garlick)

Hot Monster Planet; No Fountain of Youth; Sunscreen Snow on Exoplanet

November 3, 2017

Hot Monster Planet Found Orbiting Small Star British astronomers say they discovered a “monster” planet orbiting a tiny star, but, according to planet formation theory, the planet should not even exist. The theory suggests a planet of its size could not be formed around such a small star. Located about 600 light years from Earth, […]

European Space Agency's three satellite Swarm network provide a high-resolution picture of the Earth's magnetic field (ESA)

Radioactive Material Found in Fracking Waste; Searching Space for H20

December 21, 2016

Radioactive Isotopes Found in Fracking Waste US oil and natural gas production, has been boosted in recent years by a drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking.” But this practice has also been criticized for its possible impact on the environment because of the wastewater this method generates. A new study published in […]

Biggest Wave Spotted; Walking Heel-to-Toe; Newborn Exoplanets

December 15, 2016

New Record for Biggest Wave Measured by Buoy The UN’s World Meteorological Society says the biggest wave ever to be measured by a buoy was identified at 0600 universal time on February 4, 2013. The colossal 19-meter swell was spotted in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the UK. The previous highest wave recorded […]

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