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News tagged with desert

Splitting the SKA - why a dual-site setup is a win for everyone

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a concept that's been slowly growing and evolving since 1991. But recently this ambitious project took a giant leap towards reality with the announcement of a SKA site decision.

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created May 28, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Genes culled from desert soils suggest potential medical resource

Despite their ecologic similarity, soils from three geographically distinct areas of the American southwest harbor vastly different collections of small, biosynthetic genes, a finding that suggests the existence of a far ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created May 21, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Disputed dinosaur fossil auctioned for $1M in NYC

(AP) -- A fossil of a fearsome T. Rex relative has been auctioned in New York City despite the Mongolian government's objections and a judge's order blocking the sale.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Engineers aim to boost the future of renewable energy by collecting solar power in space

Solar power gathered in space could be set to provide the renewable energy of the future thanks to innovative research being carried out by engineers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 16, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (6) | comments 9 | with audio podcast

Mojave Desert tests prepare for NASA Mars Roving

(Phys.org) -- Team members of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission took a test rover to Dumont Dunes in California's Mojave Desert this week to improve knowledge of the best way to operate a similar rover, ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created May 14, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Ancient network of rivers and lakes found in Arabian Desert

(Phys.org) -- Satellite images have revealed that a network of ancient rivers once coursed their way through the sand of the Arabian Desert, leading scientists to believe that the region experienced wetter ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 01, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 11 | with audio podcast

Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis solar project

The Feb. 27 letter from the chairman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes was pleading and tough. It asked President Barack Obama to slow the federal government's "frantic pursuit" of massive solar energy projects in the Mojave ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Apr 26, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 5

New evidence argues against prehistoric extraterrestrial impact event

(Phys.org) -- Evidence used to support a possible extraterrestrial impact event is likely the result of natural processes, according to a new collaborative study led by U.S. Geological Survey scientists.

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Apr 23, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (17) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

$7M spaceport runway extension OK'd

(AP) -- The nearly two-mile-long runway at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico will have to be extended to accommodate Virgin Galactic's sleek rocket-powered spacecraft, spaceport officials confirmed ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 30, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Sandfish lizard slithers into science spotlight

In less than a second, a sandfish lizard can dig its way into the sand and disappear. Blink and you miss it. The sandfish's slithering moves are inspiring new robotic moves that could one day help search-and-rescue crews ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Mar 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Ants can learn vibrational and magnetic landmarks

(PhysOrg.com) -- Foraging desert ants always find their way back to the nest, even when it is only marked by a magnetic cue, vibration, or carbon dioxide.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Mar 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Preserved bone of Pterosaur found in stomach of Velociraptor

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered a bone from a pterosaur (giant flying reptile or 'pterodactyl') in the guts of the skeletal remains of a Velociraptor (small predatory theropod dinosaur) that l ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Mar 06, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Culture not genes drives humans forward

Evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading Professor Mark Pagel argues that our cultural influences are more important to our success as a species than our genes in his new book published this week.

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created Feb 27, 2012 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (5) | comments 3

Google Street View to launch in Botswana

Botswana will be the second African country to launch Google Street View, officials announced Thursday, saying the technology would boost the nation as a diamond exporter and safari destination.

Technology / Internet

created Feb 23, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Archaeologists discover Jordan's earliest buildings

(PhysOrg.com) -- Some of the earliest evidence of prehistoric architecture has been discovered in the Jordanian desert, providing archaeologists with a new perspective on how humans lived 20,000 years ago.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Feb 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (10) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Desert

A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than 400 millimetres (16 in). A common definition distinguishes between true deserts, which receive less than 250 millimetres (10 in) of average annual precipitation, and semideserts or steppes, which receive between 250 millimetres (10 in) and 400 to 500 millimetres (16 to 20 in). Deserts can also be described as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. In the Köppen climate classification system, deserts are classed as BWh (hot desert) or BWk (temperate desert). In the Thornthwaite climate classification system, deserts would be classified as arid megathermal climates.

For more information about Desert, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.