ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

Drug-resistant bacteria lurk in subway stations, high school students discover Posted: 05 Feb 2015 02:49 PM PST Forget commuters and rats, New York City's subway system is crowded with microbes. After spending her vacation swabbing benches and turn styles beneath the city, high school students found bacteria impervious to two major antibiotics.

Seafloor volcano pulses may alter climate: Strikingly regular patterns, from weeks to eons Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:29 AM PST A new study shows that undersea volcanoes flare up on strikingly regular cycles, ranging from two weeks to 100,000 years -- and, that they erupt almost exclusively during the first six months of each year. The pulses -- apparently tied to short- and long-term changes in earth's orbit, and to sea levels -- may help trigger natural climate swings.

Tiny termites can hold back deserts by creating oases of plant life Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:29 AM PST Termite mounds can help prevent the spread of deserts into semi-arid ecosystems and agricultural lands. The results of a new study not only suggest that termite mounds could make these areas more resilient to climate change than previously thought, but could also inspire a change in how scientists determine the possible effects of climate change on ecosystems.

Satellite science improves storm surge forecasting around the world Posted: 05 Feb 2015 09:28 AM PST A new online resource which will help coastguards, meteorological organisations and scientific communities predict future storm surge patterns has been created. The freely-accessible database of storm surge data has been compiled through the multi-partner, international eSurge project, which was launched in 2011 with the aim of making available observational data to improve the modelling and forecasting of storm surges around the world using advanced techniques and instruments.

Tracking glaciers with accelerators Posted: 05 Feb 2015 09:27 AM PST Geologists once thought that, until about 18,000 years ago, a mammoth glacier covered the top two-thirds of Ireland. Recently, however, they found evidence that it wasn't just the top two-thirds: The Irish glacier was much larger, completely engulfing the country and extending far offshore.

Using solar energy to improve desalination process Posted: 05 Feb 2015 08:15 AM PST  A new process to decompose waste desalination brine using solar energy, which neutralizes ocean acidity and reduces environmental impact, has been proposed.

Methane seepage from Arctic seabed occurring for millions of years Posted: 05 Feb 2015 07:19 AM PST Natural seepage of methane offshore the Arctic archipelago Svalbard has been occurring periodically for at least 2.7 million years. Major events of methane emissions happened at least twice during this period, according to a new study.

Heavy rainfall events becoming more frequent on Big Island, Hawaii Posted: 05 Feb 2015 06:52 AM PST A recent study determined that heavy rainfall events have become more frequent over the last 50 years on Hawai'i Island. For instance, a rare storm with daily precipitation of nearly 12 inches, occurring once every 20 years by 1960, has become a rather common storm event on the Big Island of Hawai'i -- returning every 3-5 years by 2009.

New type of membrane permits cheaper and more efficient water purification Posted: 05 Feb 2015 06:52 AM PST New selective membranes in the form of thin hollow straws can improve water purification. The membranes make it possible to purify water in a single process step, while preliminary treatment is always required in existing water treatment plants. The most important benefits of the new membranes are that they can make the provision of drinking water easier and therefore cheaper and can improve the removal of micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues.

Norwegian lemmings dress loudly and scream even louder to survive Posted: 05 Feb 2015 06:51 AM PST Researcher looks at why the Norwegian lemming is so boldly colored and brave. The conspicuous, bold colors of the Norwegian lemming's fur and its loud barks serve as warnings to predators that it is not a creature to be messed with. This ferocity makes it unique among small rodents.

Preventing greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere Posted: 05 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST A novel class of materials that enable a safer, cheaper, and more energy-efficient process for removing greenhouse gas from power plant emissions has been developed by a multi-institution team of researchers. The approach could be an important advance in carbon capture and sequestration.

Randomness of megathrust earthquakes implied by rapid stress recovery after the Japan earthquake Posted: 05 Feb 2015 05:30 AM PST Stress recovery following the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake has been significantly faster than previously anticipated; specifically, the stress-state at the plate interface returned within just a few years to levels observed before the megathrust event. In addition, since there is no observable spatial difference in the stress state along the megathrust zone, it is difficult to predict the location and extent of future large ruptures.

Shade coffee is for the birds Posted: 05 Feb 2015 05:29 AM PST The conservation value of growing coffee under trees instead of on open farms is well known, but hasn't been studied much in Africa. So biolgists studied birds in the Ethiopian home of Arabica coffee and found that "shade coffee" farms are good for birds, but some species do best in forest.

Understanding air pollution from biomass burners used for heating Posted: 04 Feb 2015 07:26 AM PST As many places in the US and Europe increasingly turn to biomass rather than fossil fuels for power and heat, scientists are focusing on what this trend might mean for air quality -- and people's health. One such study on wood-chip burners' particulate emissions, which can cause heart and lung problems. The scientists say the findings could help manufacturers reduce the negative impact of this fuel in the future.