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December 2007
vol. 52, no. 12

FEATURES

24 A Changing Climate
First, Margaret Leinen sits down with Geotimes to discuss some of the big climate topics of the year, such as how the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report is changing the political and scientific landscape. Then we take a look at the question of regulating carbon dioxide and fuel efficiency standards. Finally, we examine the famous faces of climate change.
Plus! Glacial melting, icebergs providing nutrients, scientists competing for climate prizes and more climate stories

30 Energy Shifts
Perhaps no two fields are more linked than climate and energy in the big stories of 2007, as evidenced by our discussion with Truman Semans about how the business world is getting involved in the climate and energy debate, and our look at how Congress seeks to link the two issues.
Plus! Peak ethanol, the new precious metals, standardizing oil and gas reserves and more energy stories

36 Hazards
As man meets nature in the built environment, disaster often occurs, as we discuss with Scott Burns. Such disaster includes the massive wildfires in Greece and California, the floods in the American Midwest and England and the drought in the American South. Additionally, Kevin Trenberth gives us a look at the growing discussion of “geoengineering” Earth to our benefit.
Plus! Earthquakes, mud volcanoes, tsunami legislation and other hazards stories

42 Deep Earth
This year, much research has been published on everything from new seismological techniques to see Earth’s inner structure to defining the core-mantle boundary, as Rob van der Hilst and Guy Masters tell Geotimes.
Plus! Early Earth research, finding Tibet’s missing anchor, drilling the San Andreas Fault and more deep Earth stories

47 Planetary Exploration
Arguably two of the biggest space stories this year were the ongoing search for water on Mars and figuring out what’s going on with our sun: Richard Zurek tells Geotimes about Mars, and Dan Baker speaks solar.
Plus! Twelve months of Hubble discoveries, other planets’ cores, the latest on Saturn and its moons and other space stories

54 Ancient Life
Genetics stole some of the paleontology spotlight this year. Geotimes talked with Ian Barnes about using DNA to learn more about extinct creatures. And Olaf Bininda-Emonds and John Wible detail the latest thinking in mammalian evolution.
Plus! Homo finds, dinosaur discoveries and more paleontology stories