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7 May 2019
Roman mining activities polluted European air more heavily than previously thought
Roman-era mining activities increased atmospheric lead concentrations by at least a factor of 10, polluting air over Europe more heavily and for longer than previously thought, according to a new analysis of ice cores taken from glaciers on France’s Mont Blanc.
16 April 2019
Dust toll in Africa exceeds deaths from HIV
New modeling indicates mineral dust from the Sahara is the biggest contributor to air pollution-related premature deaths on the African continent.
18 October 2018
A clearer path to clean air in China
China has invested billions of dollars to clean up its deadly air pollution, focusing intensely on reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide from coal-burning power plants. A new study shows reducing formaldehyde emissions may be the key to clearing winter air.
1 October 2018
High CO2 levels thicken plant leaves, which could worsen climate change effects
Plant scientists have observed that when levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise, most plants do something unusual: They thicken their leaves. And since human activity is raising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, thick-leafed plants appear to be in our future.
9 August 2013
Scientists observe significant methane leaks in a Utah natural gas field
In Utah’s Uintah Basin, scientists testing a new way to measure methane emissions from a natural gas production field found leakage of 6 to 12 percent of the methane produced, on average, there on February days. A recent federal report estimated that methane’s leak rate, nationally, is less than 1 percent of production. But another report noted that emissions in the Uintah Basin may have higher emissions than typical for western gas fields. The Uintah Basin produces about 1 percent of total U.S. natural gas,
5 October 2010
Climate Change Worsens Air Quality
Climate change will exacerbate air quality problems, says Jeffrey Stehr, atmospheric scientist at the University of Maryland, by increasing heat that causes some pollutants to form, and changing air circulation patterns. He says researchers from different disciplines have begun collaborating more to understand better what these long-term changes will bring. Stehr spoke with AGU after a Congressional briefing co-hosted by the US EPA and AGU on Sept. 28, 2010 that …
GeoSpace is a blog on Earth and space science, managed by AGU’s Public Information staff. The blog features posts by AGU writers and guest contributors on all sorts of relevant science topics, but with a focus on new research and geo and space sciences-related stories that are currently in the news.