Earth science.Clearing the air Chemical analyses of Earth's lower atmosphere showed that the overall concentration of bromine bromine (brō`mēn, –mĭn) [Gr.,=stench], volatile, liquid chemical element; symbol Br; at. no. 35; at. wt. 79.904; m.p. –7.2°C;; b.p. 58.78°C;; sp. gr. of liquid 3.12 at 20°C;; density of vapor 7. , a component of some potent ozone-destroying chemicals, has dropped by 5 percent since peaking in 1998 (164: 118). Slow turnover Over the past 90 years, rising water temperatures in Africa's Lake Tanganyika have led to dramatic losses of productivity among the microorganisms that form the base of the lake's food chain (163: 404 *). The fire below In Mali, hot swaths of ground punctuated by smoking, pothole-like features are evidence not of volcanic activity but of a layer of peat that is burning 2 feet below the desert surface (164: 22). Ebbing floods A new analysis of historical flood records from central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. In addition, Northern, Southern and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe. suggested that widespread inundations in that region have been on the wane for the past century or so (164: 166). Saltier water A decrease in precipitation over the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii in recent years has left the ocean there saltier and has diminished its capacity to soak up carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. (164: 101). Tree pollution Northern pine forests may exude ex·ude v. To ooze or pass gradually out of a body structure or tissue. nitrogen oxides--gases that contribute to smog and acid rain--in quantities that rival those produced by industry and traffic worldwide (163: 166 *). Sensing a vibe Scientists suggested that the network of seismometers that covers the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area could be adapted to warn of earthquakes in the seconds before their vibes arrive (163: 276 *). Northern vents An undersea survey along a midocean ridge beneath the Arctic ice pack unveiled an unexpected abundance of hydrothermal hydrothermal, hydrothermic relating to the temperature effects of water, as in hot baths. activity (163: 37). Protective blanket A new computer model suggested that Earth's thin atmosphere is an unexpectedly good shield against small asteroids This is a list of numbered minor planets, nearly all of them asteroids, in sequential order. As of late September 2007 there are 164,612 numbered minor planets, and many more not yet numbered. Most asteroids are ordinary and not particularly noteworthy. (164: 36). Going down? A geophysicist suggested that scientists could explore Earth's inner structure by sending a grapefruit-size probe to the planet's core inside a crust-boring mass of molten iron (168: 307 *). By grace Global gravity maps compiled from data gathered by the twin GRACE satellites in preliminary tests have rendered old maps obsolete (163: 6 *). Slippin' slides The flow of five of the six large glaciers that once fed into Antarctica's Larsen A ice shelf has sped up significantly since that floating ice mass collapsed and drifted away in January 1995 (163: 149). Smothering smothering death by asphyxiation. Occurs where poultry are carelessly herded into a corner where they cannot escape and where they are piled four or five birds deep; they will die of asphyxia very quickly. See also crowding. smoke The fires that swept through Indonesian rain forests late in 1997 seemed to have laid waste to some of the region's marine ecosystems (164: 158). Rivers run to it Increasing fresh water discharges into the Arctic Ocean could disrupt patterns of deepwater ocean circulation that affect climate (163: 29). Magnetic breakthrough Satellites that happened to be in the right places at the right time confirmed that proton auroral spots high in the atmosphere result from solar wind gushing gush v. gushed, gush·ing, gush·es v.intr. 1. To flow forth suddenly in great volume: water gushing from a hydrant. 2. through a rupture in Earth's magnetic field Earth's magnetic field (and the surface magnetic field) is approximately a magnetic dipole, with one pole near the north pole (see Magnetic North Pole) and the other near the geographic south pole (see Magnetic South Pole). and showed that the breach lasts for hours (163: 381; 164: 372). Magnetic whirlwinds Field studies showed that dust devils can produce a small magnetic field that changes magnitude between 3 and 30 times per second (163: 94). Frosty Florida Land-use changes associated with planting crops in southern Florida may have slightly increased the risk of the freezes that farmers hoped to avoid when they originally moved there (164: 292). Analyses of minerals called zircons in Utah sandstones suggested that much of the material in several thick layers originated in the Appalachians (164: 131). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * An asterisk indicates that the text of the item is available free on SCIENCE NEWS ONLINE (http://sciencenews.org). |
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