Tag

ecosystems

Winds Carve Away Antarctic Snow

A new study has found that powerful winds are removing massive amounts of snow from parts of Antarctica, potentially boosting estimates of how much the continent might contribute to sea level. Up to now, scientists had thought that most snow scoured from parts of the continent was sim
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Study of China's Yellow River yields unexpected information about the Earth's climate history

<!– –> By meticulously examining sediments in China’s Yellow River, a Swedish-Chinese research group are showing that the history of tectonic and climate evolution on Earth may need to be rewritten. Their findings are published today in the highly reputed journ
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Ecotourism can put wild animals at risk

Ecotourism, in which travelers visit natural environments with an eye toward funding conservation efforts or boosting local economies, has become increasingly popular in recent years. In many cases it involves close observation of or interaction with wildlife, such as when tourists sw
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Chernobyl considered unlikely nature reserve for some species

When you think of Chernobyl you probably think along the lines of “nuclear disaster” and a “no-go” area, but new research shows that with humans now absent from the region, several mammal species including wild boar and wolves, are increasing in number in this most unlikely nature res
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Noise pollution harms wildlife, degrades habitats

Traffic noise is just another inconvenience for many of us. But for wildlife, noise from honking, and zooming vehicles can often be an insidious threat: it can degrade habitats without leaving any physical evidence of change, warns a recent study published in the Proceedings of the Na
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Arctic butterflies adapt to warming climate by getting smaller

<!– –> New research shows that butterflies in Greenland have become smaller in response to increasing temperatures due to climate change.  It has often been demonstrated that the ongoing rapid climate change in the Arctic region is causing substantial change to Arcti
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Evidence confirms volcanic island collapses may trigger mega-tsunamis

<!– –> A pre-historical sudden collapse of one of the tallest and most active oceanic volcanoes on Earth — Fogo, in the Cape Verde Islands – triggered a mega-tsunami with waves impacting 220 metres (721 feet) above present sea level resulting in catastrophic conseque
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New Sensor Tag Technology Could Link Animal Behavior and Conservation Science

<!– –> For wild sockeye salmon, the trip upriver from the ocean to their spawning grounds is fraught with peril and hardship. But quantifying exactly how obstacles along the way, fluctuations in water temperature and other factors impact fish survival has long eluded
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Heat waves hit heat islands the hardest

Extreme summers like that of 2012 — which saw record temperatures in cities across the U.S. — may be atypical, but experts say they will return, especially as the planet warms under climate change. And as they do, cities will be especially vulnerable. A new University of Wisconsin-Mad
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Can Climate Change alter the shape of the Earth?

Climate change is causing more than just warmer oceans and erratic weather. According to scientists, it also has the capacity to alter the shape of the planet. In a five-year study published today in Nature, lead author Michele Koppes, assistant professor in the Department of Geograph
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