FEATURES

24 The Arctic Ocean: So Much We Still Don't Know
An expedition to core the Arctic Ocean has uncovered fascinating facets of the Arctic's past over the last 65 million years. What the new research is primarily revealing is how much we have yet to learn.
Kathryn Moran and Jan Backman

30 Examining Antarctica
Last austral summer, an international research team met in Antarctica to pull up a core that is revealing much about the last 14 million years in Antarctica.
Tim Naish, Ross Powell, Rich Levy and the ANDRILL-MIS Science Team

34 Polar Robots Do a Cold Job
Though human scientists will continue to travel to dangerous and cold corners of the planet to perform research, robotic rovers will increasingly do some of the dirty work. New polar robots are doing just that.
Derrick J. Lampkin

36 Democracy, GDP and Natural Disasters
A groundbreaking new analysis of the effects of natural disasters around the world is revealing that the greater the democracy and national income, the lesser the impact of natural disasters on a country.
Gregory E. van der Vink and co-authors

NEWS NOTES

8 NEWS
Error in NASA climate data sparks debate * Chemicals worse for corals than oil * Indonesia mudflow caused by earthquake? * Saturn's G ring understood * Using the sun cycle to predict African rains * Bre-X scandal ends with acquittal * Talc may reduce friction at creeping fault * Current not responsible for Antarctica's ice? * Great floods cut off Britain * Homestake a gold mine for science * No Green Peter Nessie: just gas * Galaxies collide * Reaching for the stars in planet formation * Iran replaces oil ministers * Goodbye German coal * Hubble sees evolving galaxies * Mineral Resource of the Month: Selenium

VIEWS

7 A COMMENT ON...
Coastal Development: The Galveston Case, Part I
Our coastlines are being developed at a breakneck pace, despite calls to protect natural systems from scientists. However, researchers have a not-so-secret weapon that helps to convince the public of the error of its ways: geologic hazard maps.
Jim Gibeaut

46 A POLITICAL COMMENT ON...
Energy Independence and Climate Change: Linked but Separate
Many politicians see linking energy and climate change solutions as a win-win option, but it’s far more complicated than that, as many of the energy independence solutions are contrary to climate change solutions and vice versa.
Josh Trapani

68 GEOLOGIC COLUMN
Flicking Out on Mother Earth
Films about Earth are becoming increasingly popular, as the author realized during visits to some of the world’s finest film festivals.
Fred Schwab

DEPARTMENTS

4 FROM THE EDITOR
6 LETTERS: Perspectives from readers
22 WHERE ON EARTH?

40 TRENDS & INNOVATIONS
Europe’s Seas on the Brink of Disaster?
A new report indicates that Europe’s seas are in bad shape and face growing challenges, thanks to coastal development, overuse of fertilizers, overfishing and other human-induced problems. There is still time to save the seas, however.
Nicole Branan

42 GEOMEDIA
Movies: Saving Our Sun: A Review of Sunshine
Movies: Change Is in the Air: A Review of Arctic Tale
On the Web: And Your Carbon Footprint Is…

48 GEOMARKETPLACE
50 CLASSIFIEDS: Career opportunities

66 DOWN TO EARTH WITH...
Geologist Sarah Gaines

67 BENCHMARKS
October 1, 1958: NASA Launches Its Operations

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