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The article discusses earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, examining attempts to determine the size of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 as well as earthquakes which occurred in the area after 1812. Seismologist Susan Hough studied terrain and reported quake intensities, historian Kent Moran studied accounts of the earthquakes, and seismologist Chris Cramer studied other intraplate quakes. Research on liquefaction and sand boils by seismologist Thomas Holzer is also examined.

Provides information on underground coal fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania. Problems with extinguishing underground coal fires; Environmental effect of coal fires; Elements of coal fires; Effect of the heat generated by coal fires on landscape; Forecast on underground coal fires in Centralia.

The article explores the possibility of an earthquake occurrence on the U.S. Pacific Coast following a series of major earthquakes below the Pacific Ocean, including the February 2010 Chilean earthquake, the September 2010 New Zealand earthquake, and the March 2011 Japanese earthquake. INSET: How do scientists measure the speed of tectonic plates?.

Reports on the development of a model which predicts the frequency of tornadoes for locations in the United States. Damage caused by tornadoes in the U.S.; Characterization of tornadoes by force; Role of Harold E. Brooks in the development of the model; Areas in the U.S. where tornadoes are the most common.

Discusses how researchers are studying how snow crystals change shape under fluctuating environmental conditions, causing avalanches. Analysis of how particles within these flows interact as they rush downhill; Implications of the research, including helping engineers design better protective barriers for areas at high risk for snowslides; Erroneous beliefs regarding what triggers avalanches; Research by the Montana State University's Department of Civil Engineering.

Looks at the problems facing the United States due to wildfires. Statistics on wildfires and the damage they caused in 2000; Reasons for the increase in fires, including warmer weather which created dryer underbrush, the La Nina effect, and population movement to the country; So-called intermix fires, due to population encroachment on wildfire-prone eras; Reasons why public does not the use of prescribed fires as a technique to fight wildfires. INSET: Warmth from a distant fire.

Discusses work done on the Smithsonian Institution's Triceratops exhibit in Washington D.C. Decision to take apart the dinosaur skeleton in order to strengthen the bones; Formation of the skeleton from bones of several different Triceratops; Use of digital imaging to better understand how the dinosaur stood and moved; Reassemblage of the dinosaur using plaster casts which will more accurately display what the living dinosaur looked like.

Discusses the theory that the Grand Canyon is younger than was previously thought. Idea of geologists that portions of the canyon were eroded in the last million years; Use of radioactive dating to determine the age of ash in layers of limestone in the area; Meeting of geologists in which theories concerning the erosion of the canyon were discussed.

Reports on the large amount of shipwreck exploration being done in United States inland waterways. Focus on various ships that have been discovered; The use of technology developed for exploring the ocean depths to identify these sites; The large amount of traffic that took place on inland waterways before locomotives and automobiles.

The article discusses radiative-forcing atmospheric constituents and mathematical simulations that account for greenhouse gases that heat the atmosphere and aerosols that cool it. Climate scientist Drew Shindell of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and his team are noted for modifying the NASA climate model to account for aerosols. Their report appears in the October 30, 2009 issue of "Science." INSET: Back Story.

The article discusses data that shows the loss of India's groundwater as a result of increased irrigation of crops. Satellite data from the U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration's (NASA) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) revealed that the pace at which water from India's aquifers is being extracted is faster than the aquifer's ability to replenish itself. Also discusses are factors contributing to the increased demand for groundwater, such as population growth.

The article disputes the belief that some researchers have concluded that the Earth is cooling, not warming. The author cites articles published in earlier issues including: "Heated Dispute" from the 10/27/07 issue and "Don't blame the cities," in the 9/5/08 issue published online, which support his argument. Additionally, research is provided from the "Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society," which found only 7 published articles over a 14 year span which predicted global cooling.

The article reports that climatologists from the University of Arizona have found that tree rings in timber from the Colorado Plateau present evidence of a massive drought in the region lasting from 1118-1179. The arid conditions in the area preserve wood for centuries. The drought resulted in below average flow in the Colorado River for 13 years, far in excess of any dry period recorded since 1900.

The article looks at the management of environmental conditions at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Last November, the Grand Canyon experienced its largest flood in more than 8 years. The planned flood, designed and scheduled by scientists, was intended to rebuild the sandbars and beaches along stretches of the river near the dam. In the 4 decades since the massive dam was built, those river features have been, on average, losing more material than they gain. November's flood is the second artificial inundation in the last decade designed to shore up the all-too-ephemeral sandbars and beaches. Most of the silt and sand carried by the river now drops out of suspension when the current meets the still waters at the head of Lake Powell. Environmental conditions in the river have been altered significantly since the Glen Canyon Dam became operational. Despite the substantial growth of sandbars and beaches along several stretches of the Colorado as a result of the flood, the long-term stability of those features remains unclear.

Provides information on the La Brea tar pits, a fossil-bearing area located in Los Angeles, California. Animal bones discovered at the site between 1913 and 1915; Possible origin of the La Brea tar pits; Explanation given by paleontologists for the herbivores found trapped in the pits.

Focuses on the genetic analysis conducted by paleontologists on the fossilized dung of an ancient sloth in Nevada. Purpose of the genetic analysis; Findings of the study; Implications of analysis to modern sloths.

Twice each day at more than 1,100 sites around the world, scientists simultaneously loft weather balloons to collect data about Earth's atmosphere. If they could collect millions of daily measurements of currents, salinity, water temperature, chemical composition, plankton populations, and other features of the oceans, which cover 70 percent of Earth's surface, scientists could begin to model the vast, underwater world with finesse. Such instrument-crammed ocean rovers will free scientists from sea duty, says Daniel J. Fornari, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole, Massachusetts Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). Sensors measure water temperature, electrical conductivity, and pressure, which tells the probe its depth in the ocean, says W. Brechner Owens of WHOI. The new system will tap a source of energy readily available in most temperate-latitude oceans-the temperature difference between the warm water at the ocean's surface and the cold water thousands of meters below.

Reports that a mummified dinosaur fossil found in Montana may have revealed what the creature's muscles and other soft tissue looked like. Measurements and conditions of dinosaur fossil, dubbed Leonardo; How Leonardo is of the species Brachylophosaurus canadensis; What the presence of liverworts, which survives in humid conditions, tells scientists about the decomposition of Leonardo.

Focuses on the perception that Mount Rainier in Washington, the tallest mountain in the Cascade range that parallels the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern California, is the United States' most dangerous volcano. Scare produced by a landslide that occurred on the dormant volcano; Presence of pyroclastic deposits near the mountain; Dangers posed by the formation of lahars, which form from ash and other debris; Assessment of risk by Thomas Sisson, a volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in California.

Reports on the prediction of the destruction of beach houses in the United States by erosion. Beaches lost each year to storms and rising water; Number of urban buildings expected to be lost; Effect of global warming on the level of the oceans.

The article discusses the chosen finalists fir the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search, a science research competition for high school seniors from the U.S. which will take place in Washington, D.C. from March 5 through 11, 2015. Topics include how the competition is organized and sponsored by the Society for Science & the Public, qualifying projects such as a portable blood disease detection device, and a list of the finalists including Lily Liu, Emily Lorin Ashkin, and Catherine J. Li.

The article talks about a study on the impact of smoke from fires in Mexico and Central America on the outbreak of tornadoes in southeastern U.S., particularly in April 2011, and how smoke from distant regions should be included in weather models.

The article announces that student Eric Chen received the $100,000 first place prize at the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search on March 11 for his computer analyses of flu-fighting compounds and lists the top ten other winners, including Kevin Lee in second place, and William Kuszmaul in third place.

The article announces that 40 high school age scientists were selected as finalists in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search, a contest administered by the nonprofit organization Society for Science & the Public, and will compete for a $100,000 grand prize in Washington, D.C., in March 2014.

The article examines the presence of fault zones in the Midwestern part of the U.S. Topics covered include the discovery of the faults in 1800s, occurrence of earthquakes in the region and level of the earthquakes. Also mentioned are the recorded aftershock of earthquakes in the area on December 16, 1811.

The article discusses a study by Oner Sufri and colleagues reported at the annual meeting of the Seismological Society of America in Salt Lake City, Ohio which analyzed data recorded across the continental U.S. between October 18 and November 4, 2012. According to Sufri, seismic data could help fill the gaps created if a weather-gazing satellite fails before its replacement is traveling in the same orbit.

The article focuses on the camera-and-telescope combination used by solar physicists of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to discover that magnetic heating played a role in heating the sun's corona aside from the energy caused by wave heating. It says that the telescope could spot features in the solar atmosphere that were only 150 kilometers across, a six-fold improvement over other instruments orbiting the Earth.

The article discusses the revival of longleaf pine forest in the southeastern U.S. Topics include the ecological diversity of longleaf pine forests, a collaboration between National Wildlife Federation (NWF) state affiliate, the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF), and landowners, such as Garrett Carstarphen, in central and southern parts of Alabama to restore long-leaf pine on their land, and fire's critical role in the longleaf pine ecosystems.

The article discusses data from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Solar Dynamics Observatory about how the sun's shape is more spherical and steadier than previously believed. It is shown that the sun's midsection is slimmer and that the star's overall shape does not change much during the 11-year sunspot cycle. A study led by Jeffrey Kuhn and published online on the web site of "Science" on August 16, 2012 is also referenced.

The article reports on the discovery by scientists of three planets circling a star dubbed Kepler-30 using data gathered by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Kepler spacecraft. One planet orbits the star every 29 days while the other two orbit the star every 60 days and 143 days respectively. Analysis revealed a huge, dark starspot on Kepler-30. The planes of those orbits are found to be closely aligned with the rotational plane of the parent star.

The article reports on a study published online in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" reveals that a substantial number of offshore wind turbines proposed along the areas in the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast of the U.S. could buckle and collapse if subjected to a hurricane-force winds.

The article reveals that agriculture accounts for about 92% of global consumption of fresh water based on a study published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," on February 13, 2012. The study is described by Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project, as the most comprehensive and finest-resolution analysis to date. It cites the U.S. as the biggest consumer of fresh water per capita with China and India following.

The article discusses a new study reported in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" on February 6, 2012 that reveals that ancient katydids sang at a single frequency at 6.4 kilohertz or 6,400 cycles per second. The conclusion was based on an analysis of katydid wing fragments from 165-million-year rocks in northern China that include well-preserved versions of the music-making structures.The study suggests that the newly described Jurassic species was also nocturnal.

The article focuses on the possibility that the Eel River was blocked by a massive landslide from the Nefus Peak in California. It mentions that the Eel River has two types of steelhead trout that swim upstream from the ocean to spawn like many rivers in the western U.S. It says that the access to spawning grounds was blocked by the landslide for centuries, forcing many generations of trout from the two groups to interbreed on the downstream side of the natural dam.

The article reports new findings of carbon monoxide gasses emitted from the atmosphere of the planet Pluto as it completed its 248-years orbit around the sun. It cites other gasses previously discovered from telescopic observations including nitrogen and methane. Astrobiologist Janes Greaves also reports that its atmosphere has grown from 135 kilometers to 3,000 kilometers since it was first discovered 80 years ago to May 2010. It states that more can be learned as the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's New Horizon mission nears Pluto.

The article discusses research conducted by geophysicist Anthony Lowry and colleague Marta Pérez-Gussinyé and published in the March 16, 2011 online issue of "Nature," about the link between the quartz content of crustal rocks and large-scale deformations such as mountain ranges in the western U.S. The speed of compressive primary (P)-waves was compared with that of the temblor's secondary (S)-waves. It mentions the impact of a quartz-weakened patch of crust on the weakening of rocks.

The article discusses two studies presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society that blame the decrease in hot days and increased rainfall on the activities of farmers.

The article offers science news briefs. According to a report by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, California, international trade contributed to increased global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the production of goods and services. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has begun using the Internet social networking site Twitter to gather data about earthquakes.

The article discusses the decreasing productivity in California's Central Valley region as a result of intensive crop irrigation. According to a report by the director of the University of California Center for Hydrologic Modeling in Irvine, Central Valley farmers account for a substantial amount of U.S. agricultural production but are draining the groundwater at an unsustainable rate. An overview of the team's use of GRACE satellites to detect changes in the water levels is presented.

The article discusses research by scientist Judith A. Curry and colleagues on cyclones in the U.S. Gulf Coast and findings that, over time, they have become sources of more numerous tornadoes. The study by Curry and her team was published in the September 16, 2009 "Geophysical Research Letters" and online.

The article discusses research of ocean currents that isolate central Pacific sea-surface temperatures as a more accurate predictor of North Atlantic hurricanes than El Nino currents. Associated research is reported by scientist Peter J. Webster and colleagues in the June 3, 2009 issue of "Science." Commentary by scientist Chris Landsea of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is noted.

This article discusses the availability of data from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration allowing researchers to measure the size, shape and trajectory of solar flares. This data is gathered with two satellites that are synchronized so as to provide coordinated data similar to the process of binocular vision. The use of this data to analyze coronal mass ejections is described.

The article describes a mural depicting the various dinosaurs and plants that are thought to have lived in the Western United States 150 million years ago. The mural will be displayed on a wall at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The author explains that this will be the world's largest dinosaur mural.

This article looks at research into the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in the plains of the United States. An 8 year drought transformed the central U.S. during a lengthy La Niña when sea-surface temperatures in the central Pacific were cooler than normal. A computer model made by Travis A. O'Brien at the University of California, Santa Cruz, estimates the effect of airborne dust on the Midwestern climate at the time.

This article reports on the change in ocean currents off North America's West Coast that are endangering aquatic ecosystems by lowering oxygen levels in the water. Researchers blame in influx of warm water that created giant pools of algae that died and soaked up available oxygen. This triggered a reaction up the food chain, disrupting fish and shellfish.

The article focuses 2006 being the record warmest year for the United States. The data was collected by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. The latest El Nino started around September, 2006 which caused an unusually warm December. With the high winter temperature, energy consumption for the month or December was lower than average.

This article discusses the presence of a particular mineral, nahcolite, which suggests that during an extended warm period the Earth's atmosphere held at least triple the concentration of carbon dioxide. According to researchers, nahcolite would precipitate out of salty, alkaline lakes only if atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide were high. Comments regarding the issue from Tim K. Lowenstein and Robert V. Demicco of the State University of New York are included.

The author reports that lab and field tests hint that dairy whey, a lactose-rich by-product of the dairy industry, could be used to clean up underground water supplies tainted with the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial degreaser, according to Elizabeth S. Semkiw, a chemist at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and her team. Consuming TCE or inhaling its fumes can cause liver and kidney damage, affect heart function, and possibly cause cancer. The chemical is in groundwater at more than half of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund sites.

This article discusses the algae bloom known as red tide. Commonly called red tides regardless of their color, toxic algal blooms frequently occur in the shallow waters off Florida's west-central coast. The organism primarily responsible for red tides there undergoes population explosions that scientists have been working to explain for more than a century, says Chuanmin Hu, an oceanographer at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. Toxins produced by the algae accumulate in shellfish, kill sea creatures, and irritate the eyes and respiratory systems of boaters and beachgoers. At its peak, the 2005 red tide covered more than 67,000 square kilometers of shallow coastal waters-an area larger than the state of West Virginia. Hu and his colleagues now suggest that blame for the bloom falls on algae-boosting nutrients that reached the Gulf via the discharge of groundwater beneath the Gulf's surface. That seepage was driven by precipitation that had collected on land during and after the 2004 hurricanes.

This article reports that for decades, meteorologists have rated weather phenomena such as tornadoes and hurricanes on a scale of 1 to 5, but they've never really had a good rating system for snowstorms. A new scale, unveiled on Jan. 30 at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Atlanta, enables scientists to rank each snowstorm affecting the northeastern United States according to amount of its snowfall, the size of the region it covers, and the population of the affected area.