ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate NewsEarth Science News. From earthquakes and hurricanes to global warming and energy use, read the latest research news here.Birds Move Farther North; Climate Change Link Considered- August 13, 2008 Scientists have documented, for the first time in the northeastern United States, that a variety of bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, a pattern that adds to concerns about climate change.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808182238.htm Nine To Twenty Individual Fire Ant Queens Started U.S. Fire Ant Population- August 13, 2008 The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants--which infest millions of acres across the southern states -- can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Alabama.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807080832.htm Mature Trees: Surviving The Revolution, Easier Than Withstanding Human Use And Abuse- August 13, 2008 Inwood Hill Park survived the drastic modifications of Revolutionary War patriots, but preserving this last bastion of large-growth, mature trees in New York City is difficult with the proliferation of invasive species and hard human use, according to biologists. They suggest the situation warrants a plan in collaboration with those studying the park.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200138.htm Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity, According To New Model- August 13, 2008 Scientists have described a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation in present and future tropical climates. Compared to other global models currently in use, the new approach uses computer models that provide much more accurate representations of the processes that lead to hurricane formation.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm Scientists Call For Trial Of 'Hen Harrier Ceiling'- August 13, 2008 As the grouse shooting season gets under way, two scientists involved in high-profile studies of hen harriers and red grouse at Langholm Moor in Scotland have called for field trials of a "ceiling" on harrier numbers in an attempt to end the long running conflict between conservationists and grouse managers.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200555.htm High-Altitude Small Mammals Of The Great Basin Are Not Completely Isolated- August 13, 2008 New modeling research demonstrates that the "sky islands" of the Great Basin are not islands: the different populations of small mammals that inhabit mountain tops have contact with each other.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813122945.htm With Skate Eyes, Scientists Peer Into Human Disease- August 13, 2008 Paradoxically, the photoreceptor cells in our retinas release more of their neurotransmitter, glutamate, in the dark, when there is nothing to see, than they do in the light. This is doubly surprising since although glutamate is a major signaling molecule in the retina and throughout the central nervous system, it is also a potent cytotoxin that, in large doses, can kill nearby cells.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813101953.htm New Robot Scouts Best Locations For Components Of Undersea Lab- August 13, 2008 Like a deep-sea bloodhound, Sentry -- the newest in an elite group of unmanned submersibles able to operate on their own in demanding and rugged environments -- has helped scientists pinpoint locations for two observation sites of a pioneering seafloor laboratory being planned off Washington and Oregon. Successful selection of the two sites is a crucial step in developing an extensive sensor network above and below the seafloor on the Juan de Fuca Plate.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813120749.htm Robot Vehicle Surveys Deep Sea Off Pacific Northwest- August 13, 2008 The first scientific mission with Sentry, a newly developed robot capable of diving as deep as 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) into the ocean, has been successfully completed.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813102727.htm Invasion Of Comb Jellyfish- August 13, 2008 In the waters surrounding Woods Hole, Massachusetts, the warty comb jelly, Mnemiopsis ledyi, lives out its days, bumping against eel grass and collecting small crustaceans with its sticky tentacles. The delicate creature, which resembles a small jellyfish without the stinger, is just another member of the food web here on the Western Atlantic coast.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813101741.htm |