ScienceDaily: Geographical News

GPS solution provides three-minute tsunami alerts

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:58 EDT

Researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems (GPS) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset. For the devastating Japan 2011 event the analysis of the GPS data and issue of a detailed tsunami alert would have taken no more than three minutes.

Topography of Eastern Seaboard muddles ancient sea level changes

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:20:20 EDT

The distortion of the ancient shoreline and flooding surface of the US Atlantic Coastal Plain are the direct result of fluctuations in topography in the region and could have implications on understanding long-term climate change, according to a new study.

Team wins Cubesat berth to gather Earth energy imbalance measurements

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:57:57 EDT

A team of scientists has won a berth on a tiny satellite to explore one of NASA's most important frontiers in climate studies: the imbalance in Earth's energy budget and the extent to which fast-changing phenomena, like clouds, contribute to that imbalance.

World's biggest ice sheets likely more stable than previously believed

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:25:25 EDT

A new study suggests that the previous connections scientists made between ancient shoreline height and ice volumes are erroneous and that perhaps our ice sheets were more stable in the past than we originally thought. The study found that the Earth's hot mantle pushed up segments of ancient shorelines over millions of years, making them appear higher now than they originally were millions of years ago.

World's melting glaciers making large contribution to sea rise

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:25:25 EDT

While 99 percent of Earth's land ice is locked up in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the remaining ice in the world's glaciers contributed just as much to sea rise as the two ice sheets combined from 2003 to 2009, says a new study.

World's most extraordinary species mapped for the first time

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:44:44 EDT

The black-and-white ruffed lemur, Mexican salamander and Sunda pangolin all feature on the first map of the world's most unique and threatened mammals and amphibians.

Methane emissions higher than thought across much of U.S.

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:50:50 EDT

After taking a rented camper outfitted with special equipment to measure methane on a cross-continent drive, a scientist has found that methane emissions across large parts of the US are higher than currently known, confirming what other more local studies have found.

'Fish thermometer' reveals long-standing, global impact of climate change

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Climate change has been impacting global fisheries for the past four decades by driving species towards cooler, deeper waters, according to scientists.

Fall warming on Antarctic Peninsula driven by tropically forced circulation

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:14:14 EDT

New research shows that, in recent decades, fall is the only period of extensive warming over the entire Antarctic Peninsula, and it is mostly from atmospheric circulation patterns originating in the tropics.

Helping forests gain ground on climate change

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:50 EDT

Researchers in Canada have developed guidelines being used by foresters and the timber industry to get a jump on climate change when planting trees.

European winter weather harder to forecast in certain years

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Weather forecasters have a tougher job predicting winter conditions over Europe in some years over others, concludes a new study.

Research helps paint finer picture of massive 1700 earthquake

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

In 1700, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of North America, but a lack of local documentation has made studying this historic event challenging. Now, researchers have helped unlock this geological mystery using a fossil-based technique. Their work provides a finer-grained portrait of this earthquake and the changes in coastal land level it produced, enabling modelers to better prepare for future events.

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

Could carbon dioxide be injected in sandstone? Would it stay there?

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

As carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere top 400 parts per million, options such as storing the greenhouse gas in porous sandstone rock formations found in abundance on the sea floor are of increasing interest. But how do we know if carbon dioxide can be safely injected into spongy sandstone, and that once it is there, that it will stay there?

Searching for clandestine graves with geophysical tools

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

It's very hard to convict a murderer if the victim's body can't be found. And the best way to hide a body is to bury it. Developing new tools to find those clandestine graves is the goal of a small community of researchers spread across several countries.

Scientists use crowd-sourcing to help map global carbon dioxide emissions

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:50 EDT

Climate science researchers from Arizona State University are launching a first-of-its-kind website to better understand and track greenhouse gas emissions from global power plants.

Impacts of strong solar flares

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:35:35 EDT

Given a legitimate need to protect Earth from the most intense forms of space weather -- great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the sun -- some people worry that a gigantic "killer solar flare" could hurl enough energy to destroy Earth, but this is not actually possible.

Scientists find extensive glacial retreat in Mount Everest region

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:48:48 EDT

Researchers taking a new look at the snow and ice covering Mount Everest and the national park that surrounds it are finding abundant evidence that the world's tallest peak is shedding its frozen cloak. The scientists have also been studying temperature and precipitation trends in the area and found that the Everest region has been warming while snowfall has been declining since the early 1990s.

Seabird bones reveal changes in open-ocean food chain

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:43:43 EDT

Remains of endangered Hawaiian petrels -- both ancient and modern -- show how drastically today's open seas fish menu has changed. Scientists analyzed the bones of Hawaiian petrels -- birds that spend the majority of their lives foraging the open waters of the Pacific. They found that the substantial change in petrels' eating habits, eating prey that are lower rather than higher in the food chain, coincides with the growth of industrialized fishing.

Using earthquake sensors to track endangered whales

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:24:24 EDT

Oceanographers used data from seafloor seismometers to analyze more than 300,000 fin-whale calls. By triangulating the position they created more than 150 tracks off the Pacific Northwest coast.

Global warming trends contribute to spread of West Nile virus to new regions in Europe

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:52 EDT

Global warming trends have a significant influence on the spread of West Nile Virus to new regions in Europe and neighboring countries, where the disease wasn’t present before, according to a new study. The study found that rising temperatures have a more considerable contribution than humidity, to the spread of the disease, while the effect of rain was inconclusive.

Western Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami hazard potential greater than previously thought

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:37:37 EDT

Earthquakes similar in magnitude to the 2004 Sumatra earthquake could occur in an area beneath the Arabian Sea at the Makran subduction zone, according to recent research.

As Canada takes Arctic Council helm, experts stress north's vulnerability to spills, emergencies

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:33:33 EDT

It is crucial that northern nations strengthen response capabilities to shipping-related accidents foreseen in newly-opened northern waters, as well as to more-common local emergencies such as floods, forest fires and rescue situations, experts say.

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals, researchers predict

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:09:09 EDT

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals. More than half of common plants and one third of the animals could see a dramatic decline this century due to climate change, according to new research. The study looked at 50,000 globally widespread and common species and found that more than one half of the plants and one third of the animals will lose more than half of their climatic range by 2080 if nothing is done to reduce the amount of global warming and slow it down.

Under-appreciated benefit of oyster restoration highlighted

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:46:46 EDT

A new study shows that healthy oyster reefs would help to buffer the increasing acidity of coastal waters.

Ice-free Arctic may be in our future, international researchers say

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Analyses of the longest continental sediment core ever collected in the Arctic provide "absolutely new knowledge" of Arctic climate from 2.2 to 3.6 million years ago. The research has major implications for understanding how the Arctic transitioned from a forested landscape without ice sheets to the ice- and snow-covered land we know today.

New Red List developed for threatened ecosystems

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

Scientists have developed a new Red List system for identifying ecosystems at high risk of degradation, similar to the influential Red List for the world's threatened species.

New robotic instruments to provide real-time data on Gulf of Maine red tide

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:50:50 EDT

A new robotic sensor deployed coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms are monitored and managed in New England. The instrument was launched at the end of last month, and a second such system will be deployed later this spring.

You are what (and where) you eat: Mercury pollution threatens Arctic foxes

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:10:10 EDT

New scientific results show that arctic foxes accumulate dangerous levels of mercury if they live in coastal habitats and feed on prey which lives in the ocean.

Landsat thermal sensor lights up from volcano's heat

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

As the Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite flew over Indonesia's Flores Sea April 29, it captured an image of Paluweh volcano spewing ash into the air. The satellite's Operational Land Imager detected the white cloud of smoke and ash drifting northwest, over the green forests of the island and the blue waters of the tropical sea. The Thermal Infrared Sensor on LDCM picked up even more.

Scientists alarmed by rapid spread of brown streak disease in cassava

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:55:55 EDT

Cassava experts are reporting new outbreaks and the increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease or CBSD, warning that the rapidly proliferating plant virus could cause a 50 percent drop in production of a crop that provides a significant source of food and income for 300 million Africans.

More hurricanes for Hawaii?

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

Hawaii, fortunately, has been largely free from hurricanes, only two having made landfall in more than 30 years. Now a new study shows that Hawaii could see a two-to-three-fold increase in tropical cyclones by the last quarter of this century.

As climate changes, boreal forests to shift north and relinquish more carbon than expected

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

New research maps how Earth's myriad climates -- and the ecosystems that depend on them -- could move from one area to another as global temperatures rise. The approach foresees big changes for one of the planet's great carbon sponges. Boreal forests will likely shift north at a steady clip this century. Along the way, the vegetation will relinquish more trapped carbon than most current climate models predict.

Global highways of invasive marine species calculated

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:37:37 EDT

New research has mapped the most detailed forecast to date for importing potentially harmful invasive species with the ballast water of cargo ships.

Scientists use satellites, underwater robot to study atlantic sturgeon migrations

Fri, 03 May 2013 23:03:03 EDT

Researchers are using satellites, acoustic transmitters, an underwater robot and historical records to pinpoint the ocean conditions that the fish prefer during migrations — and potentially help fishermen avoid spots where they might unintentionally catch this endangered species.

'Dark oxidants' form away from sunlight in lake and ocean depths, underground soils

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:29:29 EDT

All forms of life that breathe oxygen -- even ones that can't be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria -- must fight oxidants to live. But neutralizing environmental oxidants such as superoxide was a worry only for organisms that dwell in sunlight -- in habitats that cover a mere 5 percent of the planet. That was the only place where such environmental oxidants were thought to exist. Now researchers have discovered the first light-independent source of superoxide. The key is bacteria common in the depths of the oceans and other dark places.

Boom in jellyfish: Overfishing called into question

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:47:47 EDT

Will we soon be forced to eat jellyfish? Since the beginning of the 2000s, these gelatinous creatures have invaded many of the world's seas, like the Japan Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, etc. Is it a cyclic phenomenon, caused by changes in marine currents or even global warming? Until now, the causes remained unknown. A new study exposes overfishing as the main factor.

Is the humble fig more than just a fruit?

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:36:36 EDT

Figs and fig trees are familiar to a wide cross-section of human society, both as a common food and for their spiritual importance. What is less well understood is the global nature of this association between figs and humans, which is maintained across species, continents and societies.

Solar-powered nanofilters pump in antibiotics to clean contaminated water

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

Using the same devious mechanism that enables some bacteria to shrug off powerful antibiotics, scientists have developed solar-powered nanofilters that remove antibiotics from the water in lakes and rivers twice as efficiently as the best existing technology.

'Dirty dozen' invasive species threaten UK

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Parts of the UK are at greater risk of invasion by non-native aquatic species than previously thought, according to new research. The first to include human factors in models used to predict where invasive species will arrive and spread, the study shows the Thames, Anglian and Humber river basins are most vulnerable.

Behavior of seabirds during migration revealed

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:44:44 EDT

The behavior of seabirds during migration -- including patterns of foraging, rest and flight -- has been revealed in new detail using novel computational analyses and tracking technologies.

Canada's distinctive tuya volcanoes reveal glacial, palaeo-climate secrets

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

Deposits left by the eruption of a subglacial volcano, or tuya, 1.8 million years ago could hold the secret to more accurate palaeo-glacial and climate models, according to new research. The detailed mapping and sampling of the partially eroded Kima' Kho tuya in northern British Columbia, Canada, shows that the ancient regional ice sheet through which the volcano erupted was twice as thick as previously estimated.

Exploring the saltiness of the ocean to study climate change

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

Details are emerging from a recent research expedition to the Sub-Tropical North Atlantic. The objective of the expedition was to study the salt concentration (salinity) of the upper ocean. Scientists explored the essential role of the ocean in the global water cycle.

Lake found in Sierra Nevada with the oldest remains of atmospheric contamination in Southern Europe

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:23:23 EDT

Scientists found, in the Laguna de Rio Seco lagoon, at an altitude of 3,020 m., evidence of atmospheric pollution caused by lead and linked to metallurgical activities from 3,900 years ago (Early Bronze Age). Lead pollution increased gradually during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, coinciding with the development and expansion of metallurgy in southern Europe.

Sushi for peccaries?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:59:59 EDT

It turns out the white-lipped peccary —- a piglike animal from Central and South America —- will settle for fish when fruits (its main food) are no longer on the menu, according to researchers revealing the first-ever photos of fish-eating peccaries.

What happened to dinosaurs' predecessors after Earth's largest extinction 252 million years ago?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when nine out of 10 species disappeared during Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago.

World's longest-running plant monitoring program now digitized

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Researchers have digitized 106 years of growth data on the birth, growth and death of individual plants on Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, Ariz., making the information available for study by people all over the world. The permanent research plots on the University of Arizona's Tumamoc Hill represent the world's longest-running study that monitors individual plants. Knowing how plants respond to changing conditions over many decades provides new insights into how ecosystems behave.

Sea turtles benefiting from protected areas

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Nesting green sea turtles are benefiting from marine protected areas by using habitats found within their boundaries, according to a new study that is the first to track the federally protected turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Dinosaur predecessors gain ground in wake of world's biggest biodiversity crisis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:40:40 EDT

Newly discovered fossils from 10 million years after Earth's greatest mass extinction reveal a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs taking hold in Tanzania and Zambia in the mid-Triassic period, many millions of years before dinosaur relatives were seen in the fossil record elsewhere on Earth.

Elucidating environmental history with 100 million laser beams

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:47:47 EDT

By combining high-resolution surface data obtained from laser scanning with subsurface geodata, scientists have succeeded for the first time in providing a full picture of so-called karst depressions on the island of Crete, including a three-dimensional view into the subsurface structure of these funnel-shaped hollows.

Climate change will raise the sea level in the Gulf of Finland

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:49:49 EDT

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has updated its estimates concerning the impact of rising sea levels on the Finnish coast. Post-glacial rebound and changes in the Earth’s gravity field protect the Finnish coast against rising sea levels, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia. In the Gulf of Finland, the sea level is starting to rise.

NASA mission to study what disrupts radio waves

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:56:56 EDT

A NASA-funded sounding rocket mission will launch from an atoll in the Pacific in the next few weeks to help scientists better understand and predict the electrical storms in Earth's upper atmosphere These storms can interfere with satellite communication and global positioning signals.

Sea surface temperatures reach highest level in 150 years on Northeast continental shelf

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:56:56 EDT

Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to new research. Temperature is also affecting distributions of fish and shellfish on the Northeast Shelf.

Scientists investigate release of bromine in polar regions

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:48:48 EDT

Researchers have employed a novel measurement device for new studies in Alaska.

Scientists advocate a simple, affordable and accurate technology to identify threats from sea-level rise

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:14:14 EDT

Researchers are calling for the global adoption of a method to identify areas that are vulnerable to sea-level rise. The method, which utilizes a simple, low-cost tool, is financially and technically accessible to every country with coastal wetlands. The team seeks to establish a network to coordinate the standardization and management of the data, as well as to provide a platform for collaboration.

New metric to measure destructive potential of hurricanes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Researchers have developed a new metric to measure seasonal Atlantic tropical cyclone activity that focuses on the size of storms in addition to the duration and intensity, a measure that may prove important when considering a hurricane’s potential for death and destruction. Just ask the survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

Rethinking early atmospheric oxygen: Possibility of more dynamic biological oxygen cycle on early Earth than previously supposed

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:52:52 EDT

Using a quantitative model, a research team of biogeochemists has provided a new view on the relationship between the earliest accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, arguably the most important biological event in Earth's history, and its relationship to the sulfur cycle. Their model, the researchers argue, is one step toward a more integrated view of how Earth's crust, mantle and atmosphere interact in the global sulfur cycle.

Deep, permeable soils buffer impacts of crop fertilizer on Amazon streams

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:23:23 EDT

A new study in the fast-changing southern Amazon -- a region marked by widespread replacement of native forest by cattle ranches and croplands -- suggests that some of the damaging impacts of agricultural fertilization on local streams may be buffered by the deep, highly permeable soils that characterize large areas of the expanding cropland.

Sunlit snow triggers atmospheric cleaning, ozone depletion in the Arctic

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:23:23 EDT

Researchers have discovered that sunlit snow is the major source of atmospheric bromine in the Arctic, the key to unique chemical reactions that purge pollutants and destroy ozone.

Asian monsoon is getting predictable: Strong correlation between summer monsoon and preceding climate pattern

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

For much of Asia, the pace of life is tuned to rhythms of monsoons. Its variations can mean the difference between drought and flood. Now a new study reports on a crucial connection that could drastically improve the ability of forecasters to reliably predict the monsoon a few months in advance.