Fires in Africa and Southeast Asia contributed to western Pacific pollution, a study finds. Prior understanding attributed hefty levels of the harmful agent and greenhouse gas to natural processes.
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Scientists Discover a New Source of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
In an African region where continental crust is pulling apart and fracturing—the East African Rift zone—the area's many faults are slowly releasing a large amount of carbon dioxide.
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Record Global Warmth in 2015, but Some Places Bucked the Trend
As the planet's average surface temperature jumped to a new high last year, variations in ocean conditions on a smaller scale led to some distinct deviations from the overall pattern.
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Arctic States Nearing Science Cooperation Pact
Negotiations are focusing on removing obstacles to conducting research rather than on setting international scientific priorities. Research priorities among Arctic nations already overlap considerably, according to a U.S. negotiator.
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Antarctic Ice May Harbor Huge Network of Canyons
Scientists saw hints in satellite data of dramatic geologic features under thousands of meters of ice in a little-probed part of East Antarctica. Now they are using airborne radar to explore further.
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United States Still First in Science, Tech Research Spending
Although federal funding of science and engineering research has fallen behind inflation, private sector investment remains high, reports the U.S. National Science Board in its latest update.
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Human Activities Account for Less Than a Third of Ocean Nitrogen
Researchers found that humans contribute far less nitrogen to the open ocean than previously thought.
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Quake or Bomb? Seismic Waves Speak Truth, Even If Nations Don't
When the Earth rumbles and no one knows why, seismologists can analyze the seismic event's waveforms to determine whether a hidden explosion or an earthquake caused the shaking.
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Icebergs Fertilize Southern Ocean, Sequester Carbon
Huge, drifting ice rafts (the white spot on the satellite image below ) shed minerals as they melt, painting trails of nutrients, teeming phytoplankton, and chlorophyll across hundreds of kilometers of ocean.
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Obama Says Combating Climate Change Aids Earth and U.S. Economy
In his seventh and final State of the Union address, President Obama touts alternative-energy gains during his tenure, urges a quicker shift from fossil fuels, and mocks climate change skeptics.