New Study to Investigate Demise of Coral Reef Ecosystems
July 30 — Scientists are embarking on a project which will explore how global warming is devastating one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, coral reefs. (University of Newcastle press release) More

Monsoons, North American Style: NCAR Helps Probe the Southwest's Summer Rains
July 29 — From Mazatlán to Tucson, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is analyzing moisture-laden skies as part of the largest study yet of the North American Monsoon, the summer rains that affect dry land farming, ranching, and wildfire control across the southwest United States and northwest Mexico. (National Center for Atmospheric Research press release) More

Ocean Study Explores Link with Australian and Indonesian Rainfall
July 27 — Scientists are investigating fluctuations in the flow of warm waters from the western Pacific Ocean draining through the Indonesian Archipelago into the Indian Ocean north of Australia. (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization-Australia press release) More

Satellites Are Tracing Europe's Forest Fire Scars
July 27 — Burning with a core heat approaching 800°C (1472°F) and spreading at up to 100 meters (328 feet) per minute, woodland blazes bring swift, destructive change to landscapes: the resulting devastation can be seen from space. (European Space Agency press release) More

Springtime Blooms Seen Earlier Now Than in the Past, Say Boston University Biologists
July 26 — Taking something of a back-to-the-future approach, biologists from Boston University have looked into the past to find that flowering plants growing today blossom more than a week earlier than a century ago. (Boston University press release) More

Plant Respiration Not Just an Evolutionary Leftover, Study Shows
July 22 — A biological process in plants, thought to be useless and even wasteful, has significant benefits and should not be engineered out -- particularly in the face of looming climate change, says a team of UC Davis researchers. (University of California -- Davis press release) More

Geologists Discover Water Cuts Through Rock at Surprising Speed
July 22 — In the first study to measure when and how quickly rivers outside of growing mountain ranges cut through rock, University of Vermont geologists have determined that about 35,000 years ago the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers began carving out the Great Falls of the Potomac. (University of Vermont press release) More

Mediterranean Sun Seekers Should Thank Antarctic
July 20 — Europeans who enjoy sunning themselves on the shores of the Mediterranean should thank Antarctica for their good fortune. (University of New South Wales press release) More

Impact of Earth’s Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Found in World’s Oceans
July 15 — An international team of scientists has completed the first comprehensive study of the ocean storage of carbon dioxide derived from human activity, called anthropogenic carbon dioxide, based on a decade-long survey of global ocean carbon distributions in the 1990s. (National Science Foundation press release) More

Climate-based Model to Predict West Nile Activity
July 13 — Funded by a Global Programs grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Cornell University scientists plan to develop a system to study the influence of climate on mosquito populations. (Cornell University press release) More

Some of the Biggest Raindrops Found in Both Clean and Dirty Air
July 13 — On two occasions, separated by four years and thousands of miles and in very different conditions, raindrops were measured at sizes similar to or greater than the largest ever recorded. (University of Washington press release) More

Water Study Yields a Few Surprises for New England
July 8 — New England's legacy of urban and industrial activities, together with recent development in forested areas, has affected the quality of rivers and ground water in cities and rural areas, according to a new report. (U.S. Geological Survey press release) More

Gearing Up for Flooding Season
July 6 — Using data gathered over the past 19 years, Dartmouth Flood Observatory experts know that most flooding worldwide happens in July and August, and they can point out where and when floods are likely to occur. (Dartmouth College press release) More

Climate May Play Role in Lynx&rsqo;s Hunting Ability
July 5 — Snow quality may affect the Canadian lynx's ability to kill its prey, according to new research suggesting climate may be impacting one of the most fascinating ecological systems to intrigue biologists for decades. (University of Alberta press release) More

New Space-borne Instrument to Track Greenhouse Gases, Ozone Destroyers, and Other Pollutants
July 4 — The High-Resolution Dynamic Limb Sounder instrument headed to space on the Aura satellite, and will send back long-sought answers about greenhouse gases, atmospheric cleansers and pollutants, and the destruction and recovery of the ozone layer. (National Center for Atmospheric Research press release) More

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