http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- Into its second week in orbit, Proba-2's spacecraft platform has proven to be in excellent health. This leaves the way clear for commissioning the many new technology payloads aboard the mini-satellite, among the smallest ever flown by ESA. http://www.physorg.com/news177179866.html Space & Earth Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:50:01 EST news177179866 Research scientists at Nova Scotia Agricultural College have been working steadily to find effective organic methods to control weeds in cultivated blueberry crops. One resulting study, published in a recent issue of the ASHS journal HortScience, reported on the efficacy of three organic mulches used on highbush blueberry (HBB) produced under organic production practices. The research team determined that the major factor influencing weed suppression by compost mulches (for certain weed species) was likely mulch thickness and bulk density, which provide a barrier to weed growth and prevents light penetration to the soil surface. http://www.physorg.com/news176565121.html Biology Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:02 EST news176565121 (PhysOrg.com) -- The second satellite in ESA's Earth Explorer series - the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission - and the second demonstration satellite under ESA's Project for Onboard Autonomy (Proba-2) were launched into orbit last night from northern Russia. http://www.physorg.com/news176368627.html Space & Earth Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:18:00 EST news176368627 Generating energy on a large scale by mixing salt and fresh water is both technically possible and practical. The worldwide potential for this clean form of energy - 'blue energy' or 'blue electricity' - is enormous. However, it will be necessary to work actively on several essential technological developments and to invest heavily in large-scale trials. On 3 November, Jan Post hopes to obtain his doctorate on this subject from Wageningen University, The Netherlands. http://www.physorg.com/news176125611.html Technology Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:02 EST news176125611 A new European Earth observation satellite will be launched in the early hours of Monday morning (2 November 2009) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. http://www.physorg.com/news176030951.html Space & Earth Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:40:06 EST news176030951 A company from one of ESA's Business Incubation Centres has used space technology to develop a scanner to spot weaknesses in dike structures. It is being used to inspect dikes and dams on the Danube river and in the Netherlands. http://www.physorg.com/news171272283.html Space & Earth Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:38:48 EST news171272283 The world's peak ocean science body has adopted a new definition of seawater developed by Australian, German and US scientists to make climate projections more accurate. http://www.physorg.com/news167319012.html Space & Earth Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:00:01 EST news167319012 Following an agreement between ESA, Krunichev Space Centre and Eurockot Launch Services, ESA's next Earth Explorer mission SMOS and a secondary payload, the technology demonstrator Proba-2 satellite, will now launch on 2 November 2009. http://www.physorg.com/news164892059.html Space & Earth Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:21:25 EST news164892059 ESA's next Earth Explorer, SMOS, has just passed the all-important Flight Acceptance Review, signifying that all the elements that make up the mission are in place for launch later this year. The satellite can now be prepared for its journey to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. http://www.physorg.com/news162745439.html Space & Earth Thu, 28 May 2009 16:04:35 EST news162745439 (PhysOrg.com) -- We know that average sea levels have risen over the past century, and that global warming is to blame. But what is climate change doing to the saltiness, or salinity, of our oceans? http://www.physorg.com/news160410249.html Space & Earth Fri, 01 May 2009 15:24:41 EST news160410249 Seawater is a complex, dynamic mixture of dissolved minerals, salts, and organic materials that despite scientists best efforts, presents difficulties in measuring its potential to contain and disperse energy. Like the water itself, the calculations scientists employ to measure seawater are fluid, undergoing significant revisions and clarifications over the years as research techniques and instrumentation continues to evolve. http://www.physorg.com/news153061487.html Space & Earth Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:06:53 EST news153061487 While global-warming-induced coastal flooding moves populations inland, the changes in sea level will affect the salinity of estuaries, which influences aquatic life, fishing and recreation. http://www.physorg.com/news146400560.html Space & Earth Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:49:20 EST news146400560 In future, climate change will bring an increase in salty surfaces on the Earth and in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. However, this higher CO2 has some positive effects on the physiology of barley plants and increases its tolerance to salinity. This is the conclusion of the PhD thesis of Ms Usue Pérez-López, defended at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). http://www.physorg.com/news134643125.html Space & Earth Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:52:05 EST news134643125