Geomagnetic field flip-flops in a flash
Scientists unearth more evidence of superfast changes in Earth's magnetic polarity

Science & the Public: Academies recommend that IPCC make changes
Implementing some would make the group more nimble, others could render it less vulnerable to sloppy judgments

Primordial bestiary gets an annex
Burgess shale site expands to include thinner deposits

Most BP oil still pollutes the Gulf, scientists conclude
Breakdown is proving slower than expected

Worldwide slowdown in plant carbon uptake
Recent droughts stifled growth of terrestrial vegetation

Tsunami triggered by one-two punch
First recorded observation of unusual earthquake sequence

Perforated blobs may be early sponges
Australian find could be oldest fossil evidence of multicellular animals

Scour power
Big storms shift coastal erosion into overdrive

Forest loss slows in Brazilian Amazon
Between 2004 and 2009, rate of clearing dropped almost 75 percent

Rodent poop gauges ancient rains
Size of chinchilla pellets reveals past desert environment

Science & the Public: EPA rejects climate-change deniers' petitions
It said they got the science wrong.

Trailing dust devils
Whirlwinds create dark paths by sucking sand grains clean

Researchers create global map of tree height
Mapping changes over time could help track forest carbon content

Oldest dog debated
Fossil jaw may, or may not, come from oldest known example of man's best friend

Hole from on high
Egyptian impact crater first spotted on Google Earth