Earth & Environment - Science360 - The Knowledge Network

Earth & Environment

The "third rock from the Sun"—Earth. With an orbit neither too close nor too far from the Sun, it occupies a unique position in the Solar System. It's the only planet known to man with the right conditions for the origin and evolution of life. During Earth's 4.5 billion-year history, a combination of processes has transformed it into a watery blue, living planet. The Earth's ecosystems involve complex interactions between the biological (living) and physical (non-living) worlds. Scientific research helps us comprehend our effects on the environment and how the environment in turn responds to impacts of our activities.

The Sustainability Of Chocolate

Humans eat a lot of chocolate... the cacao plant is in trouble!

Coral Reefs

Rising water temperatures and coral reef lifecycles

Developing Hardier, Weather-Resistant Crops
Botanist searches for genes that would make a better root

Climate Detective Travels The World Gathering Clues For A Sustainable Future
Sheri Fritz is a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and she travels the world gathering clues to the history of the world's climate in an effort to help us toward a sustainable future

Chalk Talk: Tragedy of the Commons Part 1
What happens when many people seek to share the same, limited resource? Click here to learn more about the tragedy of the commons.

Taming The Red Tides

In search of antidotes to the toxic red tide algae

Grapevines And Drought

Researching how different varities of grapes respond to climatic changes

Chemistry Of Changing Leaves
Why do tree leaves turn gold, orange and scarlet in the fall? “Chemistry of Changing Leaves” explains the role of pigment molecules, including chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin.

How To Have A Greener Holiday

Follow these simple steps for a greener holiday tree!

Catching A Coral Killer
First ever case of human-caused marine disease

Medicines From The Sea
The ocean may hold the key for finding new medicines

Climate Change And Other Threats To World's Freshwater Goliaths

Large Lakes Observatory works toward deeper understanding of how lakes function

Ancient Ice And Our Planet's Future

What if we could predict our climate's future by learning about its past?

Lessons From Deepwater
America's biggest oil leak exposed a glaring need to proactively protect and monitor coastlines, researchers say.

The ARRA Report 17
This report reviews the research and discoveries made possible in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Profiles of Scientists and Engineers: Environmental Engineer
Tamar Losleben shows us what an environmental engineer does in the office and in the field

Life On The Ice
Join three young scientists on a trip to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Modeling Our Future Climate
Discover how data from the ice core record are used to help scientists predict the future of our climate

Changing Planet Town Hall At GW University
A panel of experts gather at George Washington University to discuss how America can be transitioned away from traditional energy sources and towards a green economy

Research Team Takes On Monster Waves To Study Global Climate
University of Miami research team embarks on a month-long expedition to monitor the Agulhas current