A University of Colorado researcher proposes that ancient Aboriginals' systematic burning of vegetation may have altered the Australian monsoon, leading to the continent's arid interior desertification. The study suggests that human activity had a significant impact on the climate and ecosystems.
Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison found that shifting tropical Atlantic monsoons and increased solar radiation led to a wetter Sahel region, driving vegetation growth and increasing rainfall. This study promises to improve computer models used for climate predictions.
A recent study found that five football players died in the 1996 season, with four resulting from brain injuries and one from a blow to the chest. Additionally, nine young men were permanently paralyzed, including six high school players, due to head injuries or heatstroke.
A new study analyzes US hurricane damage data, normalizing for inflation, coastal population increase, and wealth. It finds that landfalling hurricanes in the 1940s-1960s would have produced over $10 billion in damages if they struck today, contradicting claims of climate change causing recent damage increases.
A research team at Colorado State University predicts that the 1997 hurricane season will be above average, with 11 tropical storms expected to form. The team expects seven of these storms to become hurricanes, with three becoming major hurricanes, which cause 75% of all storm-spawned damage.
A half-million-year record of ostracodes shows that biodiversity declines during glacial periods and increases during interglacial periods. Global climate change may further affect the richness of life on Earth beyond habitat degradation.
Researchers have discovered that changing as few as six genes can rapidly change the pattern of spots on a butterfly's wings, leading to new species formation. This study provides insight into the genetic and molecular basis of animal evolution, seasonal variation, and geographical separation.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is supporting over 145 Antarctic investigations this season, focusing on carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean, deicing dynamics of sea life, archea ecology, UV-B impact on terrestrial plants, and drilling an ice dome in West Antarctica.
Researchers analyzed ancient methane levels in ice cores, revealing patterns of climate change over the past 110,000 years. The study confirms high methane levels during warm periods and suggests a link between global warming and changes in terrestrial climate.
Scientists at Yale University found that seasonal temperature trends have been arriving earlier each year since the turn of the century, contradicting predictions by two leading computer models. Regional patterns and variations in temperature changes were also discovered, highlighting limitations in current climate modeling.
A new study by Ohio State University found that U.S. House members who collect high amounts of campaign funds reduce the likelihood of a quality challenger entering the race by 16%. The study analyzed 397 races in 1990 and showed how incumbents' fundraising can discourage challengers.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are testing a new portable computer monitoring system to predict changes in traffic flow and traffic delays in real time. The goal is to warn drivers about long delays before they reach a construction zone, giving them time to exit an interstate and use an alternate route.