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Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Arctic Cyclones More Common Than Previously Thought
Ohio State University

From 2000 to 2010, about 1,900 cyclones churned across the top of the world each year, leaving warm water and air in their wakes—and melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. That’s about 40 percent more than previously thought, according to a new analysis of these Arctic storms.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
East Antarctica Is Sliding Sideways
Ohio State University

It's official: East Antarctica is pushing West Antarctica around. Now that West Antarctica is losing weight--that is, billions of tons of ice per year--its softer mantle rock is being nudged westward by the harder mantle beneath East Antarctica.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Alpine Glacier, Unchanged for Thousands of Years, Now Melting
Ohio State University

Less than 20 miles from the site where melting ice exposed the 5,000-year-old body of Ötzi the Iceman, scientists have discovered new and compelling evidence that the Italian Alps are warming at an unprecedented rate. Part of that evidence comes in the form of a single dried-out leaf from a larch tree that grew thousands of years ago.

Released: 9-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
New Long-Lived Greenhouse Gas Discovered by University of Toronto Chemistry Team
University of Toronto

Scientists from U of T’s Department of Chemistry have discovered a novel chemical lurking in the atmosphere that appears to be a long-lived greenhouse gas (LLGHG). The chemical – perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) – is the most radiatively efficient chemical found to date, breaking all other chemical records for its potential to impact climate.

Released: 9-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
Hawaiian Monk Seal Toy Raises Funds to Save Endangered Species
University of California, Santa Cruz

For that special Christmas gift, how about saving an endangered species? That's the goal of the Real Seal, a 6-inch plush Hawaiian monk seal toy designed by monk seal researchers at UC Santa Cruz.

8-Dec-2013 8:00 PM EST
URI Scientists Investigating Life, Geologic Processes Deep Inside Earth as Part of Deep Carbon Observatory
University of Rhode Island

Scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography are shedding light on the genetic makeup of Earth’s deep microbial life and the geochemistry of the lavas that form the Earth’s crust through research conducted as part of the Deep Carbon Observatory, a 10-year international collaboration unraveling the mysteries of Earth’s inner workings.

8-Dec-2013 8:30 PM EST
Media Tip Sheet: URI research to be presented at AGU meeting, Dec. 9-13
University of Rhode Island

The following is a sampling of research results that will be presented by University of Rhode Island scientists at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco from Dec. 9 to 13:

Released: 6-Dec-2013 11:35 AM EST
At Agu: Shale Sequestration, Water for Energy & Soil Microbes
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNNL scientists will present research on carbon sequestration at shale gas sites, water needs for energy production and climate-induced changes in microbes at the 2013 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Dec. 9-13.

3-Dec-2013 3:45 PM EST
Deep-Sea Study Reveals Cause of 2011 Tsunami
McGill University

The tsunami that struck Japan’s Tohoku region in 2011 was touched off by a submarine earthquake far more massive than anything geologists had expected in that zone. Now, a team of scientists has published a set of studies in the journal Science that shed light on what caused the dramatic displacement of the seafloor.

Released: 5-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
Thin Soil Layers Contributed To Devastating 2011 Japan
Texas A&M University

An extremely thin layer of clay sediment below the ocean floor is a primary cause of the huge tsunami associated with the 2011 Japan earthquake, according to research by an international team of scientists that include a Texas A&M University professor.

Released: 5-Dec-2013 10:00 AM EST
UF Researchers’ Experiment Is First to Simulate Warming of Arctic Permafrost
University of Florida

Although vegetation growth in the Arctic is boosted by global warming, it’s not enough to offset the carbon released by the thawing of the permafrost beneath the surface, University of Florida researchers have found in the first experiment in the Arctic environment to simulate thawing of permafrost in a warming world.

2-Dec-2013 7:00 PM EST
New Finding Based on Nearly Two Decades of Field Research Shows That Mother Sharks “Home” to Their Birthplace to Give Birth
Stony Brook University

Research conducted in Bimini in The Bahamas spanning almost two decades shows that female lemon sharks that were born there returned 15 years later to give birth to their own young, confirming this behavior for the first time in sharks. The study began in 1995, and has resulted in the capture, tagging, and release of more than 2,000 baby sharks.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 7:00 PM EST
Rising Ocean Acidification Leads to Anxiety in Fish
University of California San Diego

A new research study combining marine physiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and behavioral psychology has revealed a surprising outcome from increases of carbon dioxide uptake in the oceans: anxious fish.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
Coastal Sea Change Could Impact Climate Predictions
University of Delaware

Carbon dioxide pumped into the air since the Industrial Revolution appears to have changed the way the coastal ocean functions, according to a new analysis published this week in Nature. A comprehensive review of research on carbon cycling in rivers, estuaries and continental shelves suggests that collectively this coastal zone now takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. The shift could impact global models of carbon’s flow through the environment and future predictions related to climate change.

4-Dec-2013 9:00 AM EST
Industrial Age Helps Some Coastal Regions Capture Carbon Dioxide
Ohio State University

Coastal portions of the world’s oceans, once believed to be a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, are now thought to absorb as much as two-thirds more carbon than they emitted in the preindustrial age, researchers estimate.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Sea-Level Rise to Drive Coastal Flooding, Regardless of Changes in Cyclone Activity
Virginia Tech

A review of scientific studies show that sea-level rise and shoreline retreat will drive an increase in future flood risk from hurricanes.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 6:00 PM EST
Scripps Leads First Global Snapshot of Key Coral Reef Fishes
University of California San Diego

In the first global assessment of its kind, a science team led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has produced a landmark report on the impact of fishing on a group of fish known to protect the health of coral reefs. The report, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences), offers key data for setting management and conservation targets to protect and preserve fragile coral reefs.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 11:50 AM EST
Study Documents Catastrophic Collapse of Sahara's Wildlife
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society or London warns that the world’s largest tropical desert, the Sahara, has suffered a catastrophic collapse of its wildlife populations.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
UAH Atmospheric Scientists Chasing Lake-Effect Snows
University of Alabama Huntsville

An intrepid atmospheric science department team from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is tracking and measuring lake-effect snowstorms from the southern banks of Lake Ontario, all in the name of better future weather forecasting.

Released: 2-Dec-2013 12:00 PM EST
Process Holds Promise for Production of Synthetic Gasoline
University of Illinois Chicago

A chemical system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago can efficiently perform the first step in the process of creating syngas, gasoline and other energy-rich products out of carbon dioxide.

Released: 27-Nov-2013 2:00 PM EST
Glaciers Sizzle as They Disappear into Warmer Water
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

The sounds of bubbles escaping from melting ice make underwater glacial fjords one of the loudest natural marine environments on earth, according to research to be presented at the fall meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).

Released: 26-Nov-2013 11:30 AM EST
Study Finds the Forgotten Ape Threatened by Human Activity and Forest Loss
Wildlife Conservation Society

The most detailed range-wide assessment of the bonobo (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee) ever conducted has revealed that this poorly known and endangered great ape is quickly losing space in a world with growing human populations. The loss of usable habitat is attributed to both forest fragmentation and poaching, according to a new study by University of Georgia, University of Maryland, the Wildlife Conservation Society, ICCN (Congolese Wildlife Authority), African Wildlife Foundation, Zoological Society of Milwaukee, World Wildlife Fund, Max Planck Institute, Lukuru Foundation, University of Stirling, Kyoto University, and other groups.

Released: 26-Nov-2013 11:00 AM EST
The Lingering Clouds
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A new study reveals how pollution causes thunderstorms to leave behind larger, deeper, longer lasting clouds. Appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 26, the results solve a long-standing debate and reveal how pollution plays into climate warming. The work can also provide a gauge for the accuracy of weather and climate models.

Released: 25-Nov-2013 10:00 AM EST
Thanksgiving Day Marks the 100-Year Anniversary of Historic Transfer of Endangered Bison
Wildlife Conservation Society

This Thanksgiving, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) are marking the 100-year anniversary of the transfer and restocking of 14 bison from the Bronx Zoo to WCNP in South Dakota.

Released: 22-Nov-2013 1:40 PM EST
Greenland’s Shrunken Ice Sheet: We've Been Here Before
University at Buffalo

Think Greenland’s ice sheet is small today? It was smaller — as small as it's been in recent history — from 3-5,000 years ago, according to scientists who studied the ice sheet’s history using a new technique they developed for interpreting the Arctic fossil record.

Released: 21-Nov-2013 8:00 AM EST
Amazon Drones: The Latest Weapon in Combatting Climate Change
Wake Forest University

A flying, insect-like robot will give an unprecedented look at Peru’s tropical cloud forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems and a key indicator of global climate change.

Released: 19-Nov-2013 1:00 PM EST
The Human Health Costs of Losing Natural Systems: Quantifying Earth’s Worth to Public Health
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new paper from members of the HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages) consortium delineates a new branch of environmental health that focuses on the public health risks of human-caused changes to Earth’s natural systems.

Released: 18-Nov-2013 11:00 AM EST
Volcano Discovered Smoldering Under a Kilometer of Ice in West Antarctica
Washington University in St. Louis

A temporary seismic array in Marie Byrd Land in West Antarctica recorded two bursts of activity in 2010 and 2011. Careful analysis of the events shows they originate from a subglacial volcano at the leading end of a volcanic mountain chain. The volcano is unlikely to erupt through the kilometer of ice that covers it but it will melt enough ice to change the way the ice in its vicinity flows.

Released: 15-Nov-2013 9:40 AM EST
Feral Cats Avoid Urban Coyotes, Are Surprisingly Healthy
Ohio State University

Cats that live outdoors in the city do their darnedest to steer clear of urban coyotes. The cats cause less damage to wildlife in urban green spaces, such as city parks and nature preserves, because of that dodging, a new study suggests.

Released: 14-Nov-2013 5:00 PM EST
Alberta Plan Fails to Protect Headwater Havens for Vulnerable Wildlife
Wildlife Conservation Society

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) scientists said today that the draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan released recently by the Alberta government falls far short of protecting vulnerable fish and wildlife populations and headwater sources of precious water that are cherished by southern Albertans.

Released: 14-Nov-2013 1:30 PM EST
Scientists Nearing Forecasts of Long-Lived Wildfires
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Scientists have developed a new computer modeling technique that offers the promise, for the first time, of producing continually updated daylong predictions of wildfire growth throughout the lifetime of long-lived blazes. The technique, developed by a research team led by NCAR, combines detailed computer simulations with newly available satellite observations.

Released: 14-Nov-2013 10:00 AM EST
Renowned Scientist to Speak at UF/IFAS York Lecture Series
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Penn State Meteorology professor Michael Mann to talk about climate change and political wars.

Released: 13-Nov-2013 4:30 PM EST
The Big Fish That Got Away… (It Was Let Go)
Wildlife Conservation Society

It’s not every day that fishermen catch the world’s largest fish species in their nets, but this is what recently happened in Indonesia’s Karimunjawa National Park, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Released: 13-Nov-2013 4:00 PM EST
Nature’s Glowing Slime: Scientists Peek into Hidden Sea Worm’s Light
University of California San Diego

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and their colleagues are unraveling the mechanisms behind a little-known marine worm that produces a dazzling bioluminescent display in the form of puffs of blue light released into seawater.

Released: 13-Nov-2013 2:00 PM EST
Warming Since 1950s Partly Caused by El Niño
University of Alabama Huntsville

A natural shift to stronger warm El Niño events in the Pacific Ocean might be responsible for a substantial portion of the global warming recorded during the past 50 years, according to new research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

Released: 13-Nov-2013 1:55 PM EST
Snow Melts Faster Under Trees Than in Open Areas in Mild Climates
University of Washington

University of Washington researchers have found that tree cover actually causes snow to melt more quickly in warm, Mediterranean-type climates around the world. Alternatively, open, clear gaps in the forests tend to keep snow on the ground longer into the spring and summer. Their findings were published this fall in Water Resources Research.

Released: 13-Nov-2013 1:00 PM EST
WCS and Esri Develop Interactive Online Story Map on Elephant Poaching for Media Use
Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS and GIS software innovator Esri jointly produced an online Story Map that combines spatial data, cartography, and Web mapping tools to visually tell the story of the elephant poaching crisis.

Released: 11-Nov-2013 10:00 AM EST
Methane-Munching Microorganisms Meddle with Metals
Georgia Institute of Technology

A pair of microbes on the ocean floor “eats” methane in a unique way, and a new study provides insights into their surprising nutritional requirements. Learning how these methane-munching organisms make a living in these extreme environments could provide clues about how the deep-sea environment might change in a warming world.

Released: 4-Nov-2013 9:00 AM EST
College Mathematics Journal Proves Applicability of Math to Earth’s Problems
Mathematical Association of America

The Mathematical Association of America offers the themed November issue of the College Mathematics Journal as one contribution to the international Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 initiative.

Released: 31-Oct-2013 4:15 PM EDT
In Battle Against Flies, Don’t Toss Old Bulbs
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

University of Florida researchers find old bulbs work almost as well as newer ones in helping zap bugs. This saves millions of dollars and more mercury from entering waste stream.

30-Oct-2013 12:45 PM EDT
Residents Weigh Global Benefits and Local Risks in Views of Climate Change Measures
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

A survey of Indiana residents tracks public acceptance of potential measures to address climate change in their communities.

Released: 31-Oct-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Geoengineering the Climate Could Reduce Vital Rains
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Although a significant build-up in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would alter worldwide precipitation patterns, geoengineering would also interfere with rainfall and snowfall. An international study, led by NCAR scientists, finds that “geoengineering” could result in monsoonal rains in North America, East Asia, and other regions dropping by 5-7 percent compared to preindustrial conditions because of less evaporation and reduced plant emissions of water.

Released: 29-Oct-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Redwood Trees Reveal History of West Coast Rain, Fog, Ocean Conditions
University of Washington

Scientists have found a way to use coastal redwood trees as a window into historic climate, using oxygen and carbon atoms in the wood to detect fog and rainfall in previous seasons.



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