Planet Earth - Summer 2009
NERC's award-winning free magazine, Planet Earth, is aimed at non-specialists with an interest in environmental science.
This issue is no longer in print.
* Unless specified, all articles are less than 1MB in size.
Leader Research for our future - excellent science with impact.
News (1·4MB) Carbon capture and storage a step closer, new ice shelf collapsing, reptiles flew earlier and other stories in brief.
Sea, cells, genes, smells, on the seashore One molecule, dimethyl sulfide, affects cloud formation, bird behaviour and the smell of the seaside.
Close to the madding crowd Large parts of crowd behaviour can be regarded as self-organised with surprising properties.
(Cover story) Reap what we sow (1·3MB) What effect are nitrogen-based fertilisers having on the carbon cycle?
Going underground (1MB) Malta has a serious nitrate pollution problem. But where is it all coming from?
The read planet (1MB) Investigating why Mars became such a desolate place.
Where lightning strikes twice (1MB) Repeated lightning strikes make a group of islands in Sweden perfect for comparing old with new boreal forests.
Hair of the dog (1·1MB) Collecting samples from African wild dogs to ensure captive breeding programmes conserve genetic diversity.
Climate change New findings and unintended consequences.
The other CO2 problem (1·4MB) Schoolchildren have created a cartoon to communicate how the world's oceans are becoming more acidic.
Explosive research Monitoring Montserrat's volcano - past, present and future.
Mapping from on high (1·1MB) Using satellites to identify rocks and plants in Antarctica.