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42,226 daily temperature readings, and counting

A rare weather station has recorded daily temperatures for 114 years, confirming a warming climate. The Mohonk Preserve's consistent temperature records show a rise of 2.63 degrees Fahrenheit, matching global measurements and tracking the expected land trend closely.

SourceColumbia Climate School·JournalJournal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology·DateMay 7, 2010

Lessons from the principal's office

Researchers analyzed office referrals across over 1,500 US schools to identify patterns of student discipline for different behaviors. Elementary, middle, and high school students are disciplined differently, with fighting, defiance, and tardiness being common reasons.

SourceSAGE·JournalJournal of Positive Behavior Interventions·DateMay 6, 2010

April 2010 Geosphere highlights

A study analyzing oxygen in snail shells reveals climate-driven environmental change in Tibet's Zhada basin over the last 6 million years. Geophysical data also reveal the geological history of Pahrump and Mesquite Valleys, USA, with two distinct phases of extension and tectonic shearing.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalGeosphere·DateApr 1, 2010

Even soil feels the heat

Researchers analyzed 439 soil respiration studies and found that the total amount of carbon dioxide flowing from soils has increased by about 1-2 percent per year since 1989. The study suggests that higher temperatures are unlocking old carbon, but more boreal data is needed to reach statistical relevance.

Fog has declined in past century along California's redwood coast

A study by University of California, Berkeley scientists found that California's coastal fog has decreased significantly over the past 100 years, from 56% to 42%, due to a decline in the coast-inland temperature gradient. This change may lead to drought-stress for redwood ecosystems and potentially impact recruitment of new trees.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 15, 2010

Gene function discovery: Guilt by association

Researchers created AraNet, a network that connects over 19,600 plant genes based on physical neighborhood and co-expression patterns. The network accurately predicted the functions of three uncharacterized genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize fundamental plant biology and agricultural research.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalNature Biotechnology·DateJan 31, 2010

Biologists merge methods, results from different disciplines to find new meaning in old data

Researchers argue that combining concepts and tools from multiple disciplines can yield new findings, citing examples such as J. John Sepkoski Jr.'s database of fossil records and synthetic paleobiology. The authors also highlight the potential of integrating methods, conceptual synthesis, and re-use of results to transform science.

Robot fish could monitor water quality

Scientists at Michigan State University are developing robotic fish that use advanced materials to swim like fish and monitor water quality. The robots will carry sensors recording temperature, dissolved oxygen, pollutants, and harmful algae, providing a high spatial and temporal resolution of data.

The eScience revolution

The eScience revolution aims to hasten scientific discovery by providing a toolkit for scientists and educators to access and interpret vast amounts of data. Semantic Web technology enables computers to provide meaning to words, linking users to related information and facilitating collaboration between experts and non-experts.

Water scarcity started 15 years ago

A new analysis of 30 years of on-ground and satellite observations reveals the onset of water scarcity in southeast Australia around 1993-1996. This finding underscores the importance of good water information for water resource planning and highlights the impact of climate change on the country's current water resources.

New predictions for sea level rise

Researchers at University of Bristol predict sea level rise will be between 7-82 cm by end of century, similar to IPCC projections. The new model uses fossil coral data and temperature records from ice-core measurements to achieve accurate predictions.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJul 26, 2009

In the warming West, climate most significant factor in fanning wildfires' flames

A study by the USDA Forest Service and university scientists found that climate plays a critical role in shaping wildfire behavior, particularly in the Western United States. Climate influences fuel production and drying, which varies among different ecosystems, leading to varying fire sizes and severities.

West Antarctic ice comes and goes, rapidly

Researchers modeled West Antarctic ice sheet's past movements and found it collapsed and regrew multiple times due to ocean warming. The study uses deep sea oxygen isotope ratios to deduce Antarctic temperature changes and suggests the ice sheet may collapse if ocean temperatures warm sufficiently.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature·DateMar 18, 2009

Global warning: Hotter days, increased hospitalizations for respiratory problems

An analysis of European cities found that higher temperatures lead to a significant increase in respiratory-related hospitalizations. For every degree increase above 90% of the maximum apparent temperature, there was a four percent average increase in respiratory-related hospitalizations, especially among the elderly.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateFeb 20, 2009