ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty
• Glaciers sizzle as they disappear into warmer water
• Lakes discovered beneath Greenland ice sheet
• Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil
• Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson's disease from pesticides
• Subarctic lakes are drying up at a rate not seen in 200 years
• Big brains are all in the genes
• Reef fish find it's too hot to swim
• A brooding marine worm found in Antarctica
• Archaeological dig near Stonehenge uncovers sink hole of evidence from Neolithic period
• Fiery drama of star birth, death
• Seahorse heads have 'no wake zone' made for catching prey

Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:04 PM PST Gemini observations support an unexpected discovery in the galaxy Messier 101. A relatively small black hole (20-30 times the mass of our sun) can sustain a hugely voracious appetite while consuming material in an efficient and tidy manner -- something previously thought impossible. The research also affects the long quest for elusive intermediate-mass black holes.

Glaciers sizzle as they disappear into warmer water Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:01 PM PST The sounds of bubbles escaping from melting ice make underwater glacial fjords one of the loudest natural marine environments on earth, according to research.

Lakes discovered beneath Greenland ice sheet Posted: 27 Nov 2013 10:09 AM PST Scientists have discovered two subglacial lakes 800 meters below the Greenland Ice Sheet. Subglacial lakes are likely to influence the flow of the ice sheet, impacting global sea level change. The discovery of the lakes in Greenland will also help researchers to understand how the ice will respond to changing environmental conditions.

Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil Posted: 27 Nov 2013 09:24 AM PST Biologists have identified a cryptic new species of wild cat living in Brazil. The discovery is a reminder of just how little scientists still know about the natural world, even when it comes to such charismatic creatures. The findings also have important conservation implications for the cats, the researchers say.

Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson's disease from pesticides Posted: 27 Nov 2013 09:23 AM PST Study uses patient-derived stem cells to show that a mutation in the α-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's disease.

Subarctic lakes are drying up at a rate not seen in 200 years Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:53 AM PST The decrease in snowfall observed in recent years in Canada's subarctic regions has led to worrisome desiccation of the regions' lakes.

Big brains are all in the genes Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:53 AM PST Scientists have moved a step closer to understanding genetic changes that permitted humans and other mammals to develop such big brains.

Reef fish find it's too hot to swim Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:06 AM PST A team of researchers has shown that ocean warming may reduce the swimming ability of many fish species, and have major impacts on their ability to grow and reproduce.

A brooding marine worm found in Antarctica Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:03 AM PST Brooding is a usual behavior in animals. However, to observe it in a marine worm is exceptional and, more surprisingly, it guards eggs from external threats.

Archaeological dig near Stonehenge uncovers sink hole of evidence from Neolithic period Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:01 AM PST An archaeology team has delved back into a Neolithic site at Damerham, Hampshire, and uncovered a sink hole of material that may hold vital information about the plant species that thrived there 6,000 years ago. Scientists say the find was completely unexpected and had initially confused the team digging on the farmland.

Fiery drama of star birth, death Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:01 AM PST The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have now used the power of ESO's Very Large Telescope to explore one of its lesser known regions. This new image shows clouds of gas and dust where hot new stars are being born and are sculpting their surroundings into odd shapes. But the image also shows the effects of stellar death — filaments created by a supernova explosion.

Seahorse heads have 'no wake zone' made for catching prey Posted: 26 Nov 2013 09:39 AM PST Seahorses are slow, docile creatures, but their heads are perfectly shaped to sneak up and quickly snatch prey, according to marine scientists.

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