ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

River algae affecting mercury pollution at Superfund site, study shows Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:09 AM PDT Periphyton -- a community of algae, bacteria and other natural material living on submerged surfaces -- is helping to transform mercury pollution from a Superfund site along a New Hampshire river into a more toxic form of the metal, researchers have found.

NASA spacecraft in Earth’s orbit, preparing to study magnetic reconnection Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:28 AM PDT Following a successful launch at 10:44 p.m. EDT Thursday, NASA's four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft are positioned in Earth's orbit to begin the first space mission dedicated to the study of a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. This process is thought to be the catalyst for some of the most powerful explosions in our solar system.

Novel monitoring tools tackle chemical surface waters pollution Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT With the socio-economic developments of the last decades, new emerging compounds have been produced, released and discharged through different point and diffuse sources in European rivers, lakes, and marine-coastal and transitional waters. Treated municipal wastewaters contain a multitude of organic chemicals including pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products, which are continuously introduced into aquatic ecosystems. Their possible effects on the environment and human health is often unknown.

Scientists question tropical protected areas' role under climate change Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT New research highlights how poor connectivity of protected area (PA) networks in Southeast Asia may prevent lowland species from responding to climate change. Tropical species are shifting to higher elevations in response to rising temperatures, but there has been only limited research into the effectiveness of current protected area networks in facilitating such movements in the face of climate change.

Ancient Caribbean tsunami caused by volcano collapse smaller than thought Posted: 12 Mar 2015 11:27 AM PDT Tsunamis triggered by the partial collapse of the Caribbean Monserrat volcano, 13,000 years ago, would have been much smaller than previously thought, according to research. It was previously thought that a large submarine deposit of sediment at the base of the Monserrat volcano was the result of the abrupt, large scale collapse of the volcanic island into the sea. Therefore it had been thought that a high magnitude tsunami must have followed.

Sea change for ocean resource management Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT Ocean ecosystems around the world are threatened by overfishing, extensive shipping routes, energy exploration, pollution and other consequences of ocean-based industry. Data exist that could help protect these vulnerable ecosystems, but current management strategies often can't react quickly enough to new information. Experts now endorse a new approach called 'dynamic ocean management.'

Tracking sea turtles across hundreds of miles of open ocean Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT How sea turtles find their way across hundreds of miles of open ocean has been an enduring mystery of animal behavior. Reporting results of a study, a researcher says: 'Adult turtles can pinpoint specific nesting beaches even after being away many years.' Results of a new GPS tracking study now document their remarkable ability.

When it comes to nuclear disaster, safety really is in numbers Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:43 AM PDT The safety of nuclear plants, as well as the medical management of acute radiation syndrome, could soon be dramatically improved thanks to a new mathematical equation.