Topic: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
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Will we ever understand 2012 drought? Study blames 'random weather' (+video)
The drought of 2012 was more about unusual weather patterns than global warming, says a study. But its authors acknowledge the record-smashing event likely will be a puzzle for years to come.
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Are human-caused and natural global warming different? Study says yes.
A study suggests that human-caused and natural global warming episodes affect rainfall rates differently. The finding could help scientists better forecast what's ahead.
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How reliable are drought predictions? Study finds flaw in popular tool.
Researchers say the Palmer Drought Severity Index, devised for monitoring short-term trends, has been misused for longer term analyses and is thrown off by higher temperatures from global warming.
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Mayan collapse mystery solved? Deforestation exacerbated a drought
Mayan collapse: One new study blames the collapse of the Mayan empire on deforestation combined with drought. Environmental and trade problems caused the Mayan collapse, says another new study.
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Focus Weather? Climate change? Why the drought is persisting and growing.
Several factors, including La Niña events, have contributed to the expanded drought, meteorologists say. Conditions in the West may be setting up for a 'megadrought' by century's end, researchers warn.
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Gigantic 'Grand Canyon' buried beneath Antarctic ice (+video)
A humongous rift located under West Antarctica that provides a channel for warm ocean water to creep toward the interior of the ice sheet could be accelerating ice loss, say scientists.
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What is subtropical plankton doing in Arctic waters?
The subtropical plankton in Arctic waters are likely the result of an isolated pulse of water that carried them outside their natural habitat, say scientists.
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Ocean acidification worst in 300 million years, study finds (+video)
Researchers at Columbia University have found that carbon dioxide emissions have lowered the pH at a rate unparalleled in at least the last 300 million years of our planet's history.
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Russian scientists bore into massive ancient lake, prompt contamination concerns
News of the scientific milestone was evidently on hold, as Russian headquarters waited on some measurements from Vostok Station, the tiny outpost in the middle of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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How fracking might have led to an Ohio earthquake
The 4.0 Ohio earthquake this weekend was a reminder that activities related to hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' can cause seismic faults to shift if not carried out carefully.
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Top priority in US earthquake study: nuclear power plant near New York City
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls the Indian Point nuclear power plant near New York City a 'catastrophe waiting to happen.' Federal nuclear power regulators promise to make Indian Point, which sits near a fault, a top priority in their review of seismic hazards.
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What unleashed Japan's massive 8.9 earthquake?
Like the other 14 biggest earthquakes since 1900, the magnitude 8.9 event – that shook Japan and triggered tsunamis that swept the Pacific – was created by a piece of the Earth's crust shoving down into the planet's interior.
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Where polar bears might go if climate change doesn't slow
If climate change leads to ice collecting in one general area in the Arctic Ocean, it might be enough to provide a last 'refuge' for many Arctic inhabitants, including polar bears.
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Glaciers, known for erosion, can help mountains grow
Glaciers' 'buzz-saw effect' can level mountains. But at high altitudes, glaciers can freeze to mountains and shield against erosion, new research suggests.
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Six lessons from the BP oil spill
What the tragedy of the BP oil spill has taught us about regulations, technology, and how our energy diet must change.
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Antarctic glacier melt explained
Antarctic glacier melt is a major cause of rising sea levels. With the help of a robotic underwater vehicle, scientists have now determined why one big glacier is disappearing.
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Scientists on hunt for climate-change clues explore rare tropical glacier
A team of scientists is climbing Indonesia's tropical glacier, Puncak Jaya, to dig out ice cores and study them for past patterns of climate change. They will also study samples from China, Peru, and Kenya.
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Mysterious mountains found hidden beneath Antarctic ice
Beneath the ice of Antarctica is a vast mountain range that rivals the Alps in its majesty.
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As Obama scolds BP, debate brews over how much oil is leaking
Government and BP estimates of the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico are too low, say scientists. Some equate the flow to one Exxon Valdez spill every five days.
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At deepest hydrothermal vent yet found, an 'awe-inspiring' view
Scientists have found a hydrothermal vent community three miles beneath the sea near the Cayman Islands. Other vents have led to the discovery of new and exotic creatures.
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What's with these snowstorms? Natural patterns, plus randomness.
It’s a winter to remember – one that is likely to trigger a host of studies that try to tease out details of the factors contributing to the season’s snowstorms.
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Climategate, global warming, and the tree rings divergence problem
Much discussion of the Climategate e-mails has centered on "tricking" tree ring data that may not confirm global warming. What's the divergence of data all about and does it really confirm cooling instead of warming?
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Copenhagen climate change talks stall as CO2 emissions rise
The Copenhagen summit on climate change is looking less likely to produce a binding CO2 emissions reduction agreement as a new study finds that global carbon dioxide emissions increased 29 percent in the past nine years.
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The secret life of ancient trees
An ancient evergreen tree reveals its secret life to scientists, helping them decode climate history.
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Is global warming melting the ice on Mt. Kilimanjaro?
Melting ice on Mt. Kilimanjaro is mirrored on other tropical summits around the world affected by global warming.
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