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Earth & Environment Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

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Photo showing cockroaches. With Help from a Bacterium, Cockroaches Develop Way to Store Excess Uric Acid
Finding could lead to new understanding of substance harmful in kidney disease and other human diseases
Released  November 5, 2009
Photo of the Seawall experiment in the Large Wave Flume at Oregon State University. Building Tsunami-resistant Cities
Mary Beth Oshnack describes her undergraduate and graduate research to understand tsunami wave forces and improve building construction in hazard-prone coastal communities
Released  October 20, 2009
Photo of Anna Kornfeld Simpson with her robot High School Student Develops Chemical-detecting Robot
California senior describes how she developed a mobile, autonomous robot, spending time in the lab of an NSF-supported researcher, and she shares what it was like to win at the state science fair competition
Released  October 6, 2009
Image showing flood inundation of the Iowa River on the University of Iowa Arts Campus. Better Prediction Sought for Devastating Floods
Research on the geophysical aspects of flooding could be key to developing new, real-time flood warning and forecasting systems
Released  September 3, 2009
Photo of Gregory Lehn and Matt Knhosh talking with co-principal investigator Jim McClelland. Permafrost Could Be Climate's Ticking Time Bomb
Researchers conduct fieldwork to track permafrost melting in Alaska and gain insight about the release of carbon into the atmosphere
Released  August 5, 2009
Photo of a researcher collecting soil samples at the Arctic LTER site. Life Underground Critical to Earth's Ecosystems
Scientists travel 'down the rabbit hole' for new view of subterranean biodiversity
Released  July 29, 2009
Picture of the lizard Enyalius leechi over the Amazon rainforest. Putting the Heat on Tropical Lizards
Climate change has a significant impact on tropical lizards and their ecosystems
Released  July 13, 2009
Smog over San Jose, California Every Breath You Take
Scientists search for an understanding of the air-water interface and its effect on air quality
Released  July 13, 2009
Photo of Peter Lawrence pointing to landcover changes on a computer screen. Scientists Tackle Climate Model Mystery
Researchers trace a problem with a key climate model to its hydrology scheme and find a simpler scheme keeps simulations in line with real-world observations
Released  June 19, 2009
Photo of Jill Bruning entering data with small group standing behind her in a  farmer's field The Search for Drinking Water in Nicaragua
NSF-supported graduate student describes her fieldwork searching for geologic fractures that could improve groundwater exploration and the siting of wells in the rugged terrain
Released  May 29, 2009
Diatoms through the microscope. Journal Spotlights Research on Marine Microbes Funded by National Science Foundation
The authors of all five articles included in Nature's recent special section on microbial oceanography have received NSF funding
Released  May 29, 2009
Photo of Katrina Edwards sub-sampling volcanic basalt for microbiology as Brian Midson looks on. Hunting for Life in Rocks Beneath the Seas
University of Southern California geobiologist Katrina Edwards describes research to find and characterize microbes in the crust beneath the deep sea
Released  May 8, 2009
Photo of Kakani Young swimming among jellyfish. Jellyfish: Far From Passive Drifters-in-the-currents
"Biomixing" by floating animals churns waters in oceans, seas, lakes
Released  May 8, 2009
Illustration showing advanced chips In Industrial Manufacturing, Efficiency Falls as Technology Advances
A comprehensive study of old and new manufacturing processes, from machining metal to making carbon nanofibers, shows that the more advanced technologies are less efficient in their use of energy and materials per kilogram of output
Released  May 1, 2009
Photo of a transmission tower that failed. Students Venture Into the Hearts of Violent Storms
Texas Tech grad student and IGERT trainee Tanya Brown describes conducting research amid thunderstorms and hurricanes
Released  April 22, 2009
Photo of particpants climbing a tree. Changes in Altitude/Changes in Attitude: Scientists and Policymakers Share Views in the Treetops
Excursion to a rainforest canopy creates a communication bridge between scientists and policymakers
Released  April 13, 2009
Photo of researchers collecting microbial biofilms in the Frasassi cave system, central Italy. Caves Reveal Evolution of Ancient Microbes
Jenn Macalady's geomicrobiology group is discovering the rules that enable microbes living in dark, oxygen-free environments to adapt and evolve
Released  March 27, 2009
Photo of Michael Loranty wiring one of many sap flow sensors in the aspen stand. Taking the Pulse of the Forest
Michael Loranty describes 'wiring' a forest for research to determine how much water the trees use
Released  March 18, 2009
Photo of Randy Davis discussing his research on Weddell seals. More and More Scientists Serve Up Science for Mass Consumption
Scientists use innovative, barrier-busting methods to educate the public and decision-makers about cutting-edge science
Released  March 16, 2009
Eight thumbnail images and 2008 in Review 2008: Year in Review
A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities that made news last year
Released  March 13, 2009
Photo of Joshua Atwood removing an invasive plant from Manoa Valley on the island of O'ahu. Saving Hawaii From Alien Plants
Graduate student Joshua Atwood talks about analyzing state environmental policies and participating in surveys to detect non-native plant species on O’ahu during his NSF-supported internship
Released  February 13, 2009
Photo of the twisting road, Mauna Loa's lava fields and clouds. Water Plays Surprising Role in Climate Change
From Hawaii's Mauna Loa, climate scientists measure oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in water vapor to better understand changes in the water cycle
Released  February 6, 2009
Photo of logs that were from cut from the Amazonian rainforest. Amazon Deforestation: Earth's Heart and Lungs Dismembered
NSF-supported researchers explore the links between globalization, deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon region and the country’s dynamic cattle economy
Released  January 23, 2009
Photo of the diatom, <em>Stenopterobia curvula</em>. Crimes to Climate History: Tiny Diatoms Offer Big Clues
NSF-supported botanist Peter Siver of Connecticut College studies microorganisms that shed light on climate change dating back millions of years
Released  January 7, 2009
Photo of a jellyfish swarm. Jellyfish Researcher Explains How and Why Jellyfish Swarms Form
Why are large swarms of jellyfish and other gelatinous animals being reported in many of the world's popular fishing and vacation spots?
Released  December 16, 2008
Illustration of dinosaurs dying amid a volcanic eruption. Volcanoes, Not Asteroid, May Have Taken Out the Dinosaurs
New theory of dinosaurs’ demise looks to India
Released  December 8, 2008
Photo of corn damaged by insects. Placing a Dollar Value on Services Provided by Bats
Advanced imaging and information technology reveals economic and ecological impact of agricultural pest control
Released  November 12, 2008
Thermal infrared image of Brazilian free-tailed bats in Texas. 'Gone Bats' Over Aeroecology
New scientific discipline studies bats, birds and other animals in atmosphere closest to Earth's surface
Released  October 28, 2008
Photo of skeletal reconstruction of Majungasaurus, a Late Cretaceous dinosaur from Madagascar. The Bizarre Creatures of Madagascar
Paleontologist David Krause describes his search for the ancestors of mammals that live in Madagascar today
Released  September 24, 2008
Photo of the researchers' field camp in Greenland. Glacier Movement Limits How Fast Sea Level Can Rise
Study finds 3 to 6 feet by 2100 possible
Released  September 18, 2008

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