Archive for March, 2013

Congestion in Earth’s mantle: Mineralogists explain why plate tectonics stagnates in some places

This item was filled under Climate
Seismic measurements show that in some regions of the Earth's mantle, plate tectonics stagnates. The causes of the 'congestion' of the subducted plate are still unknown. In a new study, mineralogists from Germany explain the phenomenon for the first time....

Continue reading...

Americans back preparation for extreme weather and sea-level rise

This item was filled under Climate
The majority of Americans express support for stronger coastal development codes, according to a new survey....

Continue reading...

How microbes survive at bare minimum: Archaea eat protein

This item was filled under Climate
Beneath the ocean floor is a desolate place with no oxygen and sunlight. Yet microbes have thrived in this environment for millions of years. Scientists have puzzled over how these microbes survive, but today there are more answers....

Continue reading...

Scientists image deep magma beneath Pacific seafloor volcano

This item was filled under Climate
Since the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s, scientists have known that new seafloor is created throughout the major ocean basins at linear chains of volcanoes known as mid-ocean ridges. But where exactly does the erupted magma come from? Researchers now have a better idea after capturing a unique image of a site deep in the earth where magma is generated....

Continue reading...

Summer melt season getting longer on Antarctic Peninsula

This item was filled under Climate
New research from the Antarctic Peninsula shows that the summer melt season has been getting longer over the last 60 years. Increased summer melting has been linked to the rapid break-up of ice shelves in the area and rising sea level....

Continue reading...

Early prehistoric marine reptiles: Evidence of a placodont that originated in Europe

This item was filled under Climate
Placodonts were among the first marine reptiles. With their trademark crushing teeth, they fed on shellfish and crustaceans. However, when and where these highly specialized marine reptiles originated remained unclear until now. A 246-million-year-old skull of a juvenile placodont was recently discovered in the Netherlands. Paleontologists have now demonstrated that it is one of the earliest examples of these saurians and that it originated in Europe....

Continue reading...

Hope for Galapagos wildlife threatened by marine invaders

This item was filled under Climate
Increasing tourism and the spread of marine invasive non-native species is threatening the unique plant and marine life around the Galapagos Islands....

Continue reading...

NOAA Releases Coastal Population Trends Report [What’s New]

This item was filled under News
If current population trends continue, the already crowded U.S. coast will see population grow from 123 million people to nearly 134 million people by 2020, putting more of the population at increased risk from extreme coastal storms like Sandy and Isaac, which severely damaged infrastructure and property last year. The projection comes from a new report released today from NOAA with input from the U.S. Census Bureau.

...

Continue reading...

Predictions of climate impacts on fisheries can be a mirage

This item was filled under Climate
In the early 1940s, California fishermen hauled in a historic bounty of sardine that set the backdrop for John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" novel. But by the end of the decade the nets came up empty and the fishery collapsed. Where did they all go? According to a new study, the forces behind the sardine mystery are a dynamic and interconnected moving target....

Continue reading...

‘Moderate’ New England red tide forecasted for 2013

This item was filled under Climate
New England is expected to experience a "moderate" red tide this spring and summer, report scientists studying the toxic algae that cause blooms in the Gulf of Maine. The "red tide" is caused by an alga Alexandrium fundyense, which produces a toxin that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. Red tide typically occurs annually along some portions of the Gulf of Maine coast. This year's outlook is similar to the 2012 red tide which was also classified as "moderate."...

Continue reading...