Earth and Enviornment News: Page 3

Scientists Say Earth's Solid Iron Inner Core Spins East While Molten Outer Core Spins West (September 17, 2013): Scientists say Earth's inner core superrotates in an eastward direction. The outercore spins westward at a slower pace.

Tamu Massif is Largest Single Volcano on Earth (September 5, 2013): Tamu Massif is largest single volcano on Earth. It is located about 1,000 miles east of Japan.

Massive 460 Mile Long Canyon Discovered Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet (August 29, 2013): A massive canyon has been discovered beneath the Greenland ice sheet. It is 460 miles long and 800 meters deep in places.

Louisiana Sinkhole Captured Swallowing Trees on Video (August 22, 2013): Video captures Louisiana sinkhole swallowing trees. The sinkhole has been growing since August, 2012.

Japanese Firms Develop Giant Steel Pendulums to Keep Skyscrapers From Swaying During Earthquakes (August 1, 2013): Japanese Firms have developed giant steel pendulums to keep skyscrapers from swaying during earthquakes.

Newly Discovered Fossils of Ancient Lifeform Are 2.2 Billion Years Old (July 22, 2013): Newly discovered fossils are 2.2 billion years old and push the greening of the Earth way back in time.

Scientists Say Earthworm Poo Could Provide Window Into Past Climates (July 10, 2013): Scientists say earthworm poo could provide a window into past climates.

International Space Station Photo Shows Pyrocumulus Clouds Created by West Fork Complex Fire (June 26, 2013): A photograph from the International Space Station shows Pyrocumulus clouds created by the West Fork Complex fire in Colorado

Data From NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP Satellite Shows Vegetation on Earth (June 25, 2013): Data from the ASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite was used to create a map an animation of greenness on Earth from April 2012 to April 2013.

Heat-related Deaths in Manhattan Projected to Rise 20% in 2020s (May 20, 2013): A new study from Columbia University's Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health projects heat-related deaths to climb 20% in the 2020s.

Scientists Study 2.7 Billion Year-Old-Water from Canadian Shield (May 16, 2013): Scientists are studying 2.7 billion year-old-water trapped deep in the Canadian Shield like time capsules.

Report: Over 30% of Managed Honey Bee Colonies in U.S. Lost Last Winter (May 9, 2013): Preliminary survey indicates 31.1% of managed honey bee colonies in the United States were lost during the 2012/2013 winter.

Brazilian and Japanese Scientists May Have Found Lost Continent Off Coast of Brazil (May 9, 2013): Brazilian and Japanese scientists have found evidence for what could be a lost continent off the coast of Brazil.

NASA's GROVER to Explore Greenland Ice Sheet (May 1, 2013): NASA is sending its Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research (GROVER) to Greenland to study snow and ice accumulation.

Scientists Determine Earth's Core is as Hot at Sun's Surface (April 27, 2013): Scientists have determined that the temperature near the center of the Earth is 6000 degrees Celsius, give or take about 500 degrees.

Tahoe Blue Offers Beautiful Views of Lake Tahoe (April 21, 2013): This video, called Tahoe Blue, offers beautiful views of Lake Tahoe, a picturesque freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of the United States.

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Registers as 2.1 Magnitude Seismic Event (April 18, 2013): A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in the small town of West, Texas registered as a 2.

Red Wood Ants Observed Altering Behavior Before Earthquakes (April 13, 2013): LiveScience reports that scientists from the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany have been monitoring the nests of red wood ants for the past couple years.

Scientist Says Sand Termites Behind Desert Fairy Circles (March 30, 2013): German scientist Norbert Juergens, from the University of Hamburg, believes fairy circles in the Namibian desert are likely created by a sand termite named Psammotermes.

Sinkholes Can Occur Anywhere in Florida (March 6, 2013): A man was killed in Florida last week when a sinkhole suddenly opened up inside the bedroom he was sleeping in.

NASA Aquarius Reveals Findings From One Year of Measuring Earth's Salty Seas (February 28, 2013): NASA has released the first full year of validated ocean surface salinity data from its Aquarius instrument, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft.

Ice Boulders Found on Shore of Lake Michigan (February 26, 2013): Michigan Live reports that numerous ice boulders have been found on the shore of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Shake Alert System Designed to Give Residents Early Warning of Earthquakes (January 30, 2013): California state Senator Alex Padilla has introduced a bill that proposes the creation of a earthquake early warning system.

Dutch Scientists Determine Mealworms Would Make Good Sustainable Protein (January 25, 2013): Dutch scientists from Wageningen University conducted studies to evaluate the use of mealworms (beetle larvae) as a sustainable protein for human consumption.

Germany's Norderoogsand Island Has Formed Over the Past Ten Years (January 19, 2013): An island named Norderoogsand started forming off the coast of Germany about ten years ago.