Mars’ slope lineae could suggest liquid water
New York, July 8 (IANS) A study of numerous seasonal dark streaks called “recurring slope lineae” or RSLs found at a canyon network on Mars has offered important clues that liquid water could be present…
Wildlife
If neglected, Chilika lake can be swallowed by the sea
By K.S.Jayaraman Bengaluru, July 8 (IANS) Chilika lake, India’s largest on the east coast in Odisha, will become part of the Bay of Bengal unless there is a “scientific intervention” to save it, a leading…
Small water bodies in Jharkhand becoming death traps
By Nityanand Shukla Ranchi, July 8 (IANS) Meant to boost irrigation, small water bodies in Jharkhand seem to have become death traps, and politics is brewing over them with the Congress targeting the BJP government….
China renews orange alert for super typhoon
Beijing, July 8 (IANS) China on Friday renewed an orange alert for extreme weather as super typhoon Nepartak made landfall in Taiwan earlier in the day, bringing strong gusts and downpours to the area Nepartak,…
Heavy rains continue in Karnataka
Bengaluru, July 8 (IANS) Heavy rains will continue in coastal and central parts of Karnataka for the next 24 hours, the Met office said on Friday. “Moderate to heavy rains likely in most places over…
King penguins sleep with an ear out for predators
London, July 8 (IANS) King penguins can distinguish between dangerous and benign sounds, even when they are asleep, new research says. King penguins are the second largest species, after emperor penguins. They are 70 to…
NASA probe to explore global atmosphere over oceans
Washington, July 8 (IANS) NASA is set to launch a new airborne mission to map the contours of the atmosphere as carefully as explorers once traced the land and oceans below. The Atmospheric Tomography, or…
Super typhoon makes landfall in Taiwan
Taipei, July 8 (IANS) Super typhoon Nepartak made landfall in Taiwan on Friday, about 15 km south of the eastern city of Taitung, tearing roofs off buildings, flipping cars and dumping rain across the island….
New anti-venom developed to save pets from snakebites
Canberra, July 8 (IANS) Australian scientists have developed a new anti-venom treatment which will help save thousands of household pets from deadly snakebites. Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have produced…
Severe flooding hits Myanmar, over 6,000 affected
Nay Pyi Taw, July 8 (IANS) Severe flooding has hit Myanmar’s Rakhine state, affecting over 6,000 people since Tuesday, officials said on Friday. Triggered by torrential rain, two river banks of Laymyo and Kaladan bursted,…
Flood-like situation after downpour in MP
Bhopal, July 7 (IANS) Heavy rains in the past 48 hours have led to flood-like situation in many parts of Madhya Pradesh, throwing normal life out of gear. Army personnel have been pressed into service…
Shortage of sardines costs Kerala Rs 150 cr in 2015: Report
Kochi, July 7 (IANS) The fisheries sector in Kerala has suffered a loss of Rs 150 crore in 2015 due to sharp fall in the availability of oil sardines, according to a study by the…
Sunny, humid Thursday in Delhi, Friday to be cloudy
New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The national capital experienced a sunny and humid day on Thursday with the maximum temperature settling at 36.9 degrees Celsius, average for the season, the Met office said. “Generally cloudy…
Post Javadekar’s pro-industry stand, new Environment Minister will have to begin from scratch
By Kushagra Dixit New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Prakash Javadekar in the two years as Environment Minister was in the limelight for his pro-industry policies and climate diplomacy, but he also faced flak from environmentalists…
Bengal varsity conserving rare plants from South America, Africa
Kolkata, July 7 (IANS) Enriching its colllection of rare flora, University of Burdwan (BU) in West Bengal has recently become home to a giant water lily – a plant native to South America – with…
Road damage cuts off dozen villages in Uttarakhand
Dehradun, July 7 (IANS) Heavy rains in the past week have washed away a major road in Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand that connected more than a dozen villages, an official said on Thursday. Villages like Dongri,…
Monsoon subsides in Himachal, to remain weak till July 9
Shimla, July 7 (IANS) The monsoon in Himachal Pradesh has subsided and will continue to remain weak till July 9, a weather official said here on Thursday. “Precipitation occurred at a few places on Wednesday….
Air pollution hampers bees’ ability to forage
New York, July 7 (IANS) Air pollutants interact with and break down plant-emitted scent molecules, which insect pollinators such as bees use to locate needed food, says a new study. The pollution-modified plant odours can…
Wildfires continue to rage in Russia
Moscow, July 7 (IANS) Wildfires have destroyed about 9,000 hectares of taiga — coniferous snow forests in Russia’s Far East since a day ago, forest officials said on Thursday. Twenty wildfires were reported in Yakutsk,…
Volcanic eruptions in India linked to dinosaur extinction
New York, July 7 (IANS) Combined impacts of volcanic eruptions in India and an asteroid impact in Mexico brought about one of the Earth’s biggest mass extinctions that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years…