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Carbonation Delivers Kimberlite
January 27, 2012 |

Researchers may have discovered the driving force that delivers kimberlite from deep within the Earth to a surface eruption at supersonic speeds.

Diamonds do not form from coal


Progress on Emissions and Acid Rain
January 27, 2012 |

“Since the establishment of the Acid Rain Program, of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, there have been substantial reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from power plants that use fossil fuels, which are known to be the primary causes of acid rain. As of 2009, emissions of SO2 and NOx declined by about two-thirds relative to levels in the 1990s.” Quoted from the USGS press release.


Floating Marshes of Louisiana
January 27, 2012 | USGS

In the Mississippi River Delta Plain, there are large expanses of floating marsh. This unique ecosystem is dominated by a variety of grasses and forbs, which can create a buoyant mat that floats on a layer of water. How these marshes form and some of their unique features are described.


Promoting Natural Gas Trucks
January 27, 2012 | Business Week

President Obama proposes a tax credit that will refund 50% of the extra cost paid for a natural gas-fueled truck above what would have been paid for the same truck with a diesel or gasoline fuel system. This is the type of incentive needed to assure that US natural gas contributes to US energy independence.


Turkmenistan Oil and Natural Gas Report
January 26, 2012 | Energy Information Administration

“Turkmenistan has some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, yet the country faces a myriad of challenges in bringing those reserves to world markets. It is geographically far from end-use markets and lacks sufficient pipeline infrastructure to export more hydrocarbons.” Quoted from the EIA report.


Kepler Discovers New Planetary Systems
January 26, 2012 | NASA

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star.” Quoted from the NASA press release.


Japan, Earthquakes and Nuclear Power
January 26, 2012 | Washington Post

A Washington Post article presents how people in Japan have new ideas about nuclear power since the March 2011 earthquake/tsunami.


NASA Releases a New Blue Marble
January 26, 2012 | NASA

“A ‘Blue Marble’ image of the Earth taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA’s most recently launched Earth-observing satellite – Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth’s surface taken on January 4, 2012. The NPP satellite was renamed ‘Suomi NPP’ on January 24, 2012 to honor the late Verner E. Suomi of the University of Wisconsin.” Quoted from the NASA press release.


Homeowner Savings from Low Natural Gas Prices
January 25, 2012 | Business Week

An article on BusinessWeek.com reports that the recent slump in natural gas prices could save US homeowners $16.5 billion if prices persist for a year.


Will Exporting Natural Gas Damage Domestic Energy Markets?
January 25, 2012 | Energy Information Administration

DOE/FE asked the U.S. Energy Information Administration to assess how specified scenarios of increased natural gas exports could affect domestic energy markets, focusing on consumption, production, and prices.


Sand Dunes on Saturn’s Moon Titan
January 25, 2012 | Geology.com

Sand dunes are a dominant surface feature on Saturn’s moon Titan. They cover about 13% of the moon’s surface – an area about the same size as the United States. Instead of quartz sand the sand is a solid hydrocarbon!


Overproduction in the Natural Gas Industry
January 25, 2012 | National Public Radio

National Public Radio has a podcast titled: “Is The Booming Natural Gas Industry Overproducing?”. It explores how natural gas companies are cutting back on production, filling underground storage and moving their rigs out of the dry gas areas.


Fountain Stream and a Retreating Glacier
January 25, 2012 | Ground Truth Trekking

“Fountain Stream is one of the largest rivers draining Malaspina Glacier. The changes in this river over the past 120 years provides an example of how glacial retreat can starve rivers of sediment and lead to erosion downstream, and an example of the complex changes that can result from climate change.”


A New Class of Planets
January 24, 2012 | San Diego State University

“Using data from NASA’s Kepler Mission, astronomers announced the discovery of two new transiting “circumbinary” planet systems–planets that orbit two stars.” Quoted from the San Diego State University press release.


Monday’s Solar Storm Explained
January 24, 2012 | MSNBC

Derrick Pitts, Chief Astronomer at the Franklin Institute explains the recent “medium class” solar storm and how it might compare storms that will occur in 2013 when a solar maximum occurs.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


Delta Reroutes Flights to Avoid Solar Storm Problems
January 24, 2012 | USA Today

Delta Air Lines rerouted some of the “over the Pole” flights today in a move to avoid potential problems caused by the recent solar storm.


Rockfall Video: Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
January 24, 2012 | YouTube

A video shot by a person who was very lucky to survive a rockfall that occurred on the opposite side of a valley.


Drilling Report from the Iberian Coast
January 24, 2012 | National Science Foundation

“Mediterranean bottom currents and the sediment deposits they leave behind offer new insights into global climate change, the opening and closing of ocean circulation gateways and locations where hydrocarbon deposits may lie buried under the sea.”


Human Adaptation to High Altitude
January 24, 2012 | University of Pennsylvania

Over many generations the Amhara people of the Ethiopian Highlands have adapted to living at high-altitude. Now researchers are determining how their genes convey a survival advantage from one generation to the next.


Monitoring Floods and Fires with LandSat
January 24, 2012 | USGS

USGS has recently published: “Monitoring Floods and Fires during the Summer of 2011 — The Value of the Landsat Satellite 40-Year Archive


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