Traces of ancient hurricanes on the seafloor are a warning for coastal areas
Evidence from millennia of Atlantic storms is not good news for the coast. Enlarge / Hundreds of persons returning to their flood-wrecked homes in New Orleans after 1965's Hurricane Betsy. (credit: Bettman/Getty Images).....»»
Man posing as teen YouTuber gets 17 years for horrific global sextortion scheme
Australian police called it "one of the worst sextortion cases in history." Enlarge (credit: Artur Debat | Moment) Content warning: The following story describes instances of animal abuse. An Australian man who.....»»
Children and the internet: Helping kids navigate this modern minefield
The United States' most senior public health official, surgeon-general Vivek Murthy, believes social media platforms should come with warning labels. The United Nations' education, science and culture agency says smartphones should be banned in schoo.....»»
Researchers study carbon capture in Upper Newport Bay salt marshes
Despite covering just 2% of the ocean, coastal wetlands—such as tidal salt marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass beds—are responsible for storing nearly half of all carbon found in ocean sediment. These "blue carbon" ecosystems naturally absorb.....»»
Bringing environmental justice to disadvantaged communities
Not all communities in the United States face the same risks for environmental problems such as air pollution, noise and wastewater. But how can federal agencies fairly identify which areas deserve the most help?.....»»
That feeling when your “cool-ass girl” can’t dig your online monkey torture vids
US breaks up online "monkey crush" video groups. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Content warning: The following story describes instances of animal abuse. In 2017, the Des Moines, Iowa, lawyer Philip Colt Moss w.....»»
Microscopic fossilized shells reveal ancient climate change patterns
At the end of the Paleocene and beginning of the Eocene epochs, between 59 to 51 million years ago, Earth experienced dramatic warming periods, both gradual periods stretching millions of years and sudden warming events known as hyperthermals......»»
Locked in a glacier: Virus adaptations to extreme weather provide climate change insights
Ancient viruses preserved in glacial ice hold valuable information about changes in Earth's climate, a new study suggests......»»
Widespread culling of crocodiles is not an effective way to stop attacks on humans, study shows
Education and community awareness, removal of problem animals and exclusion areas are significantly more effective in reducing saltwater crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory than a widespread culling program to reduce crocodile numbers, accord.....»»
Brazil waging "war" on wildfires in crowded Sao Paulo state
Brazil was deploying military aircraft as part of a "war" against wildfires ravaging the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, with authorities warning on Sunday that arsonists were setting blazes......»»
Study highlights new advancements to simulate multiscale coastal processes
Simulating flooding where rivers meet the ocean is challenging because existing Earth system models struggle to capture the complex interactions between river flows, ocean tides, and storm surges......»»
Bonobo evidence suggests ancient origin of the "common enemy effect"
In the face of threats from other groups, humans, chimpanzees, and a selection of other species get closer to their own. Now an international team led by Kyoto University has shown that even our more peaceful cousins, bonobos—who have never been ob.....»»
Improving the accuracy of global cropland mapping
To address the needs of the agricultural monitoring community, IIASA scientists fused two of the latest high-quality, high-resolution, remotely sensed cropland products to produce an improved cropland map for early warning and food security assessmen.....»»
Pollution drives families to relocate—but only the rich can afford to live in healthier areas
Pollution levels factor in households' decision to relocate within the United States, but only richer households can afford areas with improved air quality, a new study finds......»»
Nitrogen deposition also reduces biodiversity on a larger scale, research shows
It has long been known that nitrogen deposition, where nitrogen is released from the atmosphere into soil or water, can lead to biodiversity loss on a small scale. New research shows that this effect can also be seen in larger areas of several kilome.....»»
Volcanic eruption grounds flights in New Zealand
A volcanic eruption belched a plume of ash that grounded flights in New Zealand on Thursday, with government scientists warning it could continue venting for "weeks to months" to come......»»
Fighting coastal erosion with electricity
New research from Northwestern University has systematically proven that a mild zap of electricity can strengthen a marine coastline for generations—greatly reducing the threat of erosion in the face of climate change and rising sea levels......»»
Research team designs AI approach to drought zoning in Canada
A recent study by the University of Ottawa and Laval University shows that climate change may cause many areas in Canada to experience significant droughts by the end of the century. In response, the researchers have introduced an advanced AI-based m.....»»
Ancient microbes linked to evolution of human immune proteins
When you become infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it are those passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, two key e.....»»
Physics meets machine learning for better cyclone predictions
Time is of the essence in tropical cyclone prediction: The more warning time a community has, the better prepared its members will be when a storm makes landfall. Currently, the path and nature of tropical cyclones can be predicted up to only five da.....»»
Ancient civilizations had ways to counter the urban heat island effect—how history"s lessons apply to cities today
As intense heat breaks records around the world, a little-reported fact offers some hope for cooling down cities: Under even the most intense periods of extreme heat, some city blocks never experience heat wave temperatures......»»