Volcanic eruptions are one of the most important natural causes of climate change, playing a leading role over the past millennium. Injections of sulfate aerosols into the lower stratosphere will reduce the incoming solar radiation, which in turn cooling the surface. As a natural external forcing to the Earth’s climate system, the impact of volcanic aerosol on the climate has been of great concern to the scientific society and the public.
articles
Study Links Mothers’ Pesticide Levels with Autism in Children
A new study appearing online today from The American Journal of Psychiatry finds that elevated pesticide levels in pregnant women are associated with an increased risk of autism among their children.
Key Factor May be Missing from Models that Predict Disease Outbreaks from Climate Change
New research from Indiana University suggests that computer models used to predict the spread of epidemics from climate change -- such as crop blights or disease outbreaks -- may not take into account an important factor in predicting their severity.
Bird Communities Dwindle on New Mexico’s Pajarito Plateau
Researchers have found declines in the number and diversity of bird populations at nine sites surveyed in northern New Mexico, where eight species vanished over time while others had considerably dropped.
Math Shows How Human Behaviour Spreads Infectious Diseases
Mathematics can help public health workers better understand and influence human behaviours that lead to the spread of infectious disease, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.
Watermelon Rind Cheaply Filters Arsenic in Groundwater
Watermelon rind, usually discarded as waste, has been shown by researchers in Pakistan to be capable of cheaply and efficiently removing arsenic from groundwater.