Latest and Breaking Atmospheric Science News

Carnegie Mellon hosting first conference to explore scientific use of gigapixel imagery
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Carnegie Mellon University) Scientists who are pioneering the use of gigapixel imagery will discuss how they are leveraging this new technology Nov. 11-13 at the first Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. The deadline for early conference registration is Sept. 13.

New climate change mitigation schemes could benefit elites rather than the rural poor
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Burness Communications) With governments across Latin America preparing to implement a new financial mechanism aimed at mitigating climate change by curbing carbon emissions from the destruction of tropical forests, experts gathering here today warned against a "one-size-fits-all" approach, calling instead for flexible, balanced solutions to the thorny dilemmas surrounding this new mechanism. Among the experts' chief worries is that the wealthy and powerful could capture many of the benefits, largely at the expense of rural communities, including indigenous groups.

NASA satellite sees Tropical Storm Kompasu transitioning over Korea and China
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Terra satellite captured the changing Tropical Storm Kompasu over Korea and China very early today, as it makes its way east to northern Japan. It is becoming extratropical.

Science's policy clout diminished, but oil risk looms large
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(SAGE Publications UK) More people are likely to believe scientific studies claiming that oil drilling is riskier, not safer, than was previously thought, according to a new study of attitudes in California. What's more the findings, which appear in the journal Public Understanding of Science, published by SAGE, show that scientists' efforts to influence public opinion have a limited effect.

SRNL, Chernobyl Laboratory collaborate on research initiatives
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(DOE/Savannah River National Laboratory) Under a recently signed agreement, the US Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory and the Ukraine's International Radioecology Laboratory will collaborate on radiation ecology research, including projects in the region impacted by the catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant 24 years ago.

Bermuda in warnings as the GOES-13 Satellite catches Fiona approaching
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Bermuda has warnings up as Tropical Storm Fiona approaches, and GOES-13 satellite imagery from today shows that Fiona, although packing a punch, is a much smaller system that her brother, the Category 4 Hurricane Earl.

NASA sees Depression Nine become Gaston then back to a depression
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Depression Nine strengthened yesterday into Tropical Storm Gaston, but today it ran into dry and stable air and weakened back into a depression again.

Connection between light at night and cancer revealed in additional study
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(University of Haifa) The researchers say that their study results show that suppression of melatonin due to exposure to light at night, or LAN, is linked to the worrying rise in the number of cancer patients over the past few years.

NASA catches heavy rainfall happening in Category 4 Earl as it approaches the US
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Hurricane Earl is still a powerful category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it approaches the North Carolina coast today. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the high rates rain was falling within Earl, in some areas more than 2 inches per hour. Today, the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is also flying into the eye of Hurricane Earl at altitudes of 60,000 feet to gather information about the storm.

New discovery could pave the way for identification of rogue CFC release
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(University of East Anglia) A new discovery by scientists at the Universities of East Anglia and Frankfurt could make it possible in future to identify the source of banned CFCs that are probably still being released into the atmosphere. They have also discovered the largest chlorine isotope enrichment ever found in nature.