Greening the Deserts with Carbon Dioxide

Well, whaddyaknow?  Look at this from the American Geophysical Union:

Scientists have long suspected that a flourishing of green foliage around the globe, observed since the early 1980s in satellite data, springs at least in part from the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. Now, a study of arid regions around the globe finds that a carbon dioxide “fertilization effect” has, indeed, caused a gradual greening from 1982 to 2010.

I now expect professionally apocalyptic eco-zealots to complain that greening the desert will lead to the extinction of the sand worms or something.  The Spice global warming gravy train must flow!

I Got Your Apocalypse Right Here: the Acid Volcano

No, really.

The Ultimate Cookout

You cannot be serious!  Go take a look if you're ever in the Canary Islands.

Russian Scientists Drill Into Sealed Ancient Lake

This is cool and all -- drilling into 2-mile-thick ice to breach an Antarctic lake that's been sealed for millions of years -- but to me it also sounds like the perfect intro to a crazy action sci fi/fantasy/disaster movie involving some unspeakably horrific menace that those scientists inadvertently wake up.  Aforementioned gigantic menace will of course eat all the scientists and then begin to wreak bloody havoc everywhere until [insert action hero du jour here] must come riding to the rescue *insert Michael Bay-esque explosions and pounding music*. (Yes, I would totally go see this summer blockbuster.)

Awesome: Southern Lights

Take a look at the Northern Lights' cousin Down Under, the Aurora Australis.  This video from Melbourne, Australia, captures some stunningly beautiful images.  More info here.

Red Aurora Australis from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.

Nerd Fun: Rearranging the Continents

I confess that the thought had never occurred to me, ha!  Well, whaddyaknow?

Awesome: LEGO Man in Space

Check out what a couple of enterprising high school students from Toronto did with LEGO, a camera, and a helium-filled weather balloon!  Read all about it, and then watch this delightful (and beautiful) video footage.  Outstanding.

Volcano Forms New Island in Red Sea

Meet the new hotness.

Northern Lightweights: Finland and Norway Squabble Over the Aurora Borealis

The short version:

The Norwegian tourist board is unhappy about an attempt by its counterpart in Finland to market the country using a video of the northern lights. The Norwegians claim the Finns are trying to "steal" the celestial phenomenon from them.

My advice to the Aurora Borealis: start a bidding war and then agree to work for the winner. Oh, and here is the offending (but very cool) Finnish tourism video ad:

Awesome: A Rainbow Cloud

Lovely!  Who needs a silver lining when you can have this?

Proof that God Is A Woman

Astronomers discover an entire planet made of diamond.


UPDATE: I knew this sounded familiar somehow!  It turns out that Life Imitates "Doctor Who"!

LOL: Best Tweet for the DC Earthquake

I have no idea who this guy is, but he has the wittiest tweet of the moment!

Photo of the Day: Irrigation Seen From the Air

Surprisingly beautiful!  Do see it in full size.

If You Built It, They Will Come

The "Field of Dreams" principle apparently does not apply to British breezes for wind turbines.

History and Geology in Japan: Yappari?

History and the predicting of tsunami events.

Japan: Shinmoedake Volcano Erupts Again

Japan just can't catch a break!  On the other hand, it's reasonable to wonder if the massive seismic volatility of the last few days has affected the volcano.  Shinmoedake had last erupted in January.

Heroic Geekery: Japan's Earthquake Architecture

It has frequently been pointed out that Japan is one of the best-prepared nations in terms of natural disaster preparation.  In a sense, it has to be, as it is sited on a dangerous geological zone prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.  Some while ago, some of my friends did a research project on Japan's earthquake architecture and efforts to design buildings that could withstand tremors, and it was absolutely mind-boggling.  But it paid off.  Look at this video footage of office buildings in Tokyo.  The skyscrapers swayed in the 8.9 quake (one of the biggest ever recorded), but they did not collapse. Utterly amazing.  See, good engineering can and does save lives.  More here.

Amazing Photos as Japan's Mount Shinmoedake Volcano Erupts

Take a look at the raw power of nature.  Two words: Volcanic lightning!

Awesome Photography: Gorgeous Norway

WOW!

Today in History: August 24-25, 79 AD

Mount Vesuvius erupted in Campania, south-central Italy, covering Pompeii with ash and Herculaneum with mud, thus preserving these two famous archaeological sites.  Note: neither city was covered with LAVA.  If they had been, we wouldn't be able to dig there today.

OK, callously amusing graphic (via a fellow history nerd) after the fold.