Earth
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EarthExplainer: Antarctica, land of lakes
There are many, although they tend to be buried under rivers of ice.
By Douglas Fox -
EnvironmentUnconventional spill
An accidental spill of extra-heavy crude oil points to some unusual challenges in safely getting this petroleum to market.
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EnvironmentExplainer: All crude oil is not alike
Crude oil comes in conventional and unconventional types.
By Janet Raloff -
AnimalsGorgeous eco-bullies
‘Foreign’ lionfish — aquarium castoffs — have been invading American coastal waters at an alarming rate and gobbling up the natives.
By Janet Raloff -
ClimateClimate change: The long reach
Scientists who study the environment to better gauge Earth’s future climate now argue that current changes may not reverse for a very long time.
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TechExplainer: What is fracking?
Energy companies have found new use for hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale rock.
By Erica Gies -
EarthQuakes cause faraway sloshing
Right after a magnitude-9 quake in Japan, scientists knew that its tremors had set distant waters in northern Europe sloshing. Now they know how.
By Sid Perkins -
EarthNature’s coast guards
Barrier islands aren’t just for beach vacations — they protect coasts from storms and flooding.
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EarthHow Earth’s surface morphs
Partly melted rock acts like grease to help huge masses of the planet’s surface slip up, around and down.
- Earth
Fracking waste and quakes
Underground storage of liquid waste from these mining operations can make an area more vulnerable to tremors.
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AnimalsAnimals under Antarctic ice?
Data suggest a web of lake organisms might thrive deep under ice; scientists struggle to make sense of the new report.
By Douglas Fox -
EnvironmentHome, plastic home
Some ocean life is moving into floating piles of plastic trash.
By Janet Raloff