Earth News from the Chronicles


A new era of science education at UGA

When classes begin tomorrow on campus, many students will find themselves as the first of many students to follow in their footsteps at the new Science Learning Center on South Campus. The building, which has been years in the making and in many ways serves as the counterpart to the Miller Learning…
people with bounce house outside

Heat dangers of bounce houses

A nearly ubiquitous sight on the suburban landscape, inflatable bounce houses mark the fun and frivolity at children’s parties and other events practically year round. But a new study from Andrew Grundstein and Marshall Shepherd in geography examines the heat safety issues that can put children in…
salt marsh day

Satellite data show Georgia salt marsh health decline

Scientists at UGA's Marine Institute at Sapelo Island have found that the amount of vegetation along the Georgia coast has declined significantly in the last 30 years, spurring concerns about the overall health of marshland ecosystems in the area: Using data collected by NASA's Landsat TM 5…
two people in a field

Archeologists find 16th-century fort San Marcos

A team of archaeologists led by University of South Carolina's Chester DePratter and UGA's Victor Thompson has located the remains of a Spanish fort erected in 1577 in the Spanish town of Santa Elena, on present-day Parris Island, S.C. For decades, attempts to find it have failed, and Fort San…
aerial view of dock with research vessel

Measuring marine CO2 production

Near the ocean surface, sunlight causes the breakdown of organic compounds and converts them into carbon dioxide. Until recently, this process has been nearly impossible to measure because the additional carbon dioxide produced per day is tiny compared to the existing high concentration of CO2…