The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is a wake-up call and a motivation to manage the ocean sustainably.
Natural Resources
Fugitive Gas Abetted by Barometric Pressure
Barometric pressure, in addition to factors such as lithology and the depth of the water table, can influence patterns of natural gas that escapes to subsurface soils.
Keystone Pipeline Spills 9,120 Barrels of Oil in Dakota Wetlands
The leak took place along a preexisting section of the Keystone Pipeline. This is the pipeline’s fourth spill in 9 years.
Arid Arabian Peninsula Is Tapping into Vast Groundwater Reserves
A new, multipronged study sheds light on an ancient aquifer system.
Brazil’s Oil Spill Is a Mystery, so Scientists Try Oil Forensics
Thousands of barrels of oil have been tarring Brazil’s beaches since September, and no one knows why. An oil spill scientist is running oil forensics to find out.
Deforestation Could Exacerbate Drought in the Amazon
Researchers use high-resolution satellite images to parse the effects of land use changes on the energy balance between the rain forest and the atmosphere.
Seafood Farming: A Key to Future Global Food Security
Integration of sustainable marine and freshwater aquaculture with terrestrial agriculture will be necessary for meeting Earth’s future food requirements.
Indigenous Knowledge Puts Industrial Pollution in Perspective
A 3-year project documents how climate change is affecting the sequestration of decades-old mining by-products in Canadian lakes.
Union Leader Talks Coal and Climate
President of mine workers’ union says that combatting climate change is important but it can’t come at the cost of mining jobs.
The Dawning of the Age of Old Aquifers
A new technique using 81Kr can measure the age of old groundwater in arid regions. The method can be used as a proxy for past climates and weather patterns.