Despite tightening emissions rules, mercury concentrations are rising in rainfall wetting western and central regions of the United States. The pollutant may waft in from Asia, scientists speculate.
Hazards & Disasters
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Model Improves Predictions of Shallow Landslides
An advanced, process-based model that incorporates typically neglected processes provides new insight into the complex dynamics controlling shallow landslide formation.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Massive Carbon Dioxide Stores Beneath Mammoth Mountain
Gas in rocky pores beneath the surface of California's Mammoth Mountain could fuel dangerous carbon dioxide emissions for the next 28 to 1100 years.
Posted inNews
Subtle Seismic Movements May Help Forecast Large Earthquakes
Where a plate of Earth's crust slides under another and when frequent episodes of plate slippage occur without noticeable earthquakes, large temblors will more likely strike, a new study finds.
Posted inNews
Human-Made Fires Pollute Air with Ozone Half a World Away
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.
Posted inNews
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Forecasting Eruptions at Restless Calderas
Scientists review decades of data on swarms of earthquakes, surface deformation, degassing, and microgravity changes around calderas to determine when such forms of unrest may result in eruptions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Oklahoma's Dormant Faults Hide Huge Seismic Risk Potential
Researchers look at induced seismicity data in Oklahoma to spot an increase of stress in faults that could cause even more damage than recent quakes.
Posted inOpinions
Call Scientists Before Disaster Strikes
When governments respond to natural disasters, experts with some of the greatest potential to help—scientists—are often missing in action. It's time to change that.
Posted inScience Updates
Creating Resilient Communities Through Earth Science Data
Federation of Earth Science Information Partners 2015 Summer Meeting; Pacific Grove, California, 14–17 July 2015