Articles By Cassie Kelly

Blue crab preying on marsh periwinkle snail in Florida marshes. (Credit: Brian Silliman)

Wetlands

A Small Change In Marsh Planting Methods Can Yield Huge Results

Scientists at Duke University make huge strides in marsh conservation efforts, simply by clumping plants closer together.

  • Posted November 17, 2015
A fracking operation on the Marcellus Shale Formation in Pennsylvania. (Credit: Public Domain)

Earth

Study Looks At Probability Of Methane Leakage From Hydraulic Fracturing

University of Vermont scientists complete the first quantitative study of methane leakage from existing hydraulic fracturing sites to abandoned wells.

  • Posted November 9, 2015
Location of the Thwaites Glacier (Credit: J.B. Bird/Jackson School of Geosciences)

Oceans

Melting Thwaites Glacier Will Contribute Greatly To Sea Rise

A study from the University of McGill has determined that the Thwaites Glacier, of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, may be the primary contributor to several millimeters of sea level rise over the next couple of centuries. According to the study, published in the journal Nature, the Thwaites Glacier is...

  • Posted October 28, 2015
A monsoon approaches China. (Credit: NASA)

Earth

Study Finds Southern Monsoon Will Shift North Over China

A recent study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that due to the rising temperatures of Earth’s atmosphere, the direction of the East Asian monsoon will change drastically. According to a release discussing the study, the southern drift of the monsoon will shift direction north over China....

  • Posted October 22, 2015
Frozen trees near a road. (Credit: Larisa Koshkina)

Earth

Scientists Predict Winter Weather Extremes By Looking To Stratosphere

As winter approaches, scientists are looking up to the stratosphere for predicting extreme weather events like the monstrous polar vortex that have hit the U.S. in the past few years. A new study from the University of Reading has determined that forecasts could be twice as accurate by looking...

  • Posted October 20, 2015
Arctic Peninsula. (Credit: Dr. Paul Dennis)

Earth

Diverse Fungi Life Found In Soil Beneath Antarctic Ice

Beneath the ice in Antarctica is a hidden world of microbial life. A new study has found that, if ice continues to melt and uncovers the microbes, new fungi and life will start to form in the soil. The study, completed by scientists at the British Antarctic Survey and...

  • Posted October 14, 2015

Earth

Why Concurrent Droughts And Heat Waves Are Increasing

Concurrent droughts and heat waves could shape our climate future. A new study reveals how quickly changes have come in the past 50 years.

  • Posted September 29, 2015
Trees in Southeastern forests may experience a shift in species due to more frequent droughts. (Credit: Duke University)

Earth

Short-Term Droughts Can Mean Long-Term Struggle For Trees In Southeastern Forests

Trees in Southeastern U.S. forests are suffering from drought as well, it just takes much longer for them to show it.

  • Posted September 28, 2015
MyQuake smartphone app. (Courtesy of the University of California Berkeley)

Technology

App Could Alert People To Earthquakes Faster

A new app being developed by the University of California Berkeley could make it possible for phones to detect earthquakes and alert people to get away from unstable structures such as buildings or bridges. The app, called MyShake, ideally will be programmed to relay signals from sensors at locations...

  • Posted September 24, 2015
The 2015 Arctic sea ice summertime minimum shown with the 1981-2010 average (gold line). (Credit: NASA/Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio)

Oceans

Arctic Ice Cover Hits Fourth Lowest This Melting Season

Arctic ice cover at its minimum in the summertime is at its fourth lowest extent on record, according to a recent NASA satellite analysis. In fact, the 10 lowest minimums have been recorded in the past 11 years. According to NASA, it was at its lowest extent in 2012,...

  • Posted September 18, 2015
Citizen scientists can help log wildlife and biodiversity as they hike Wyoming trails. (Courtesy of WyoBio)

Technology

Citizen Scientists Log Wyoming Biodiversity With App

A new initiative through the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute, Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database has made it possible for hikers to log wildlife findings on a website so others can access them to learn more about biological diversity, according to a release....

  • Posted September 18, 2015
Grounds managers believe the large lawn that the tree is sitting on could be contributing to its problems, as trees and lawns absorb water differently. (Credit: University of California, Riverside)

Earth

University Of California Riverside Takes Measures To Heal Iconic Oak Tree

To help heal an iconic oak tree on campus, experts at University of California, Riverside, have loosened soil around roots and put in soil sensors.

  • Posted September 15, 2015

Lakes

California Lawmakers Consider Funding To Protect Lake Tahoe

Researchers at the University of California have discovered that drought and wildfires in the state have only improved Lake Tahoe’s water quality, leading the waters to be clearer than ever. According to an article in The Sacramento Bee, the lack of rain this year has prevented dirt from washing...

  • Posted September 8, 2015
A posted sign about the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. (Credit: Lottie Watts / WUSF)

Oceans

Data Show Florida Beach Bacteria Levels Vary By Location

A program known as the Florida Healthy Beaches Program has been monitoring the water quality of various beaches of 34 coastal communities across the state for the past 15 years. The program, which operates on nearly $500,000 in federal funds for monitoring, has found that the quality of the...

  • Posted September 2, 2015

Rivers

Respiration In Rivers And Streams Contributes More Carbon Than Once Thought

A recent study by scientists at the University of Wyoming quantifies how much carbon dioxide is released from U.S. rivers and streams into the atmosphere, affecting the overall carbon cycle. Researchers at the school relied on existing data and mathematical modeling in the work and are hopeful it will...

  • Posted August 28, 2015
European green crab. (Credit: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation/CC BY 3.0)

Oceans

Invasive Species Range Largely Dependent On Time Since Introduction

A study released by the University of Georgia determines which factor is causing such high numbers of non-native species invasions in marine waters. Invasive species are a global issue, mainly caused by organisms stowing away in ballast tanks of ships that cross the ocean. According to a release from...

  • Posted August 27, 2015
U. Delaware researchers monitor air and water conditions in the Delaware Bay using sampling equipment aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. (Credit: The University of Delaware)

Oceans

Recent Study Gives Insight For Offshore Wind Development In Delaware Bay

University of Delaware scientists use ferry-mounted monitoring equipment to measure Delaware Bay’s sea breeze, potential for offshore wind development.

  • Posted August 18, 2015
Electron micrograph of an Antarctic sea ice diatom, Amphiprora, with attached bacterial cells, illustrating the association between diatoms and bacteria in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. (Credit: Greg Wanger)

Oceans

Study Tracks Southern Ocean Microbial Life Competing For Precious nutrients

A study by researchers from the University of Rhode Island and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., has found that microbial populations in the remote Southern Ocean, specifically near McMurdo Station, are duking it out for precious nutrients. The Southern Ocean is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous,...

  • Posted August 13, 2015
Overview of Internal Waves in the South China Sea. (Credit: Internal Waves in Straits Experiment)

Oceans

Study Tracks Giant Internal Waves In The South China Sea

The U.S. Navy funded a team of scientists to track the South China Sea’s internal waves. Their results have implications for climate models, marine life.

  • Posted August 10, 2015
Researchers are looking in to the drop in carbon emissions. (Credit: Bilfinger/CC BY 2.0)

Earth

Recession Drove Past Carbon Emissions Drop, Not Natural Gas Production

The use of coal-powered electricity in the U.S. dropped from 50 percent to 37 percent between 2007 and 2012 because of increases in natural gas production, according to TreeHugger. But, contrary to popular belief, carbon emissions dropped because of the recession, not because of natural gas use, according to...

  • Posted July 31, 2015