Shrinking Amazon?

• Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change, scientists say


• Scientists say 4C rise would kill 85% of the Amazon rainforest


• Even modest temperature rise would see 20-40% loss within 100 years

Read more in Guardian.co.uk

Sea levels may rise by over a metre

Scientists have predicted:

• Sea levels could rise by more than a metre by the end of the century as a result of a warming climate, twice as much as previously predicted.
• It is unlikely sea level rise will be less than 50cm up to the end of the century, as oceans warm and expand, mountain glaciers melt and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica lose ice.
• Low-lying coastal areas which are home to a tenth of the world's population could be flooded.
• The massive areas of ice in Greenland and Antarctica are already contributing more, and faster, to sea level rise than was anticipated.
• Large areas of the Norfolk Broads and Thames estuary are likely to vanish under sea by 2100 and cities such as London and The researchers also said countries such as Bangladesh and Burma and areas including South East Asia and Africa would be most at risk from sea level rises.Hull will need new flood defences.

Press Association

Scientists warn of catastrophic rises in sea level

what's making front page news?

interesting to browse on this website to look at the stories hitting the front pages of various newspapers across the globe

article on migration - IB

Number of eastern European migrants falls 40% as UK recession bites
Guardian

Nuclear Power

Nuclear power? Yes please...

Independent

The green movement must learn to love nuclear power

The mid-air collision and Pacific Ocean quirk that turned UK white

Guardian article here

Volcano erupts in Japan

Fantastic footage on the BBC website here
and an article here

Key points:

• Mount Asama volcano erupted at 1:51 a.m. Monday 2nd Feb 2009
• Situated 145km NW of Tokyo.
• Mount Asama is 2,568m (8,425 ft) high, with snow-covered peaks.
• No lava flows could be seen.
• Smoke billowed about 2,000 meters into the air and caused ash to drift over parts of the capital, Tokyo.
• Rocks were thrown more than 1 km from the crater
• There have been no reports of injuries or serious damage.
• The meteorological agency issued a crater proximity warning Sunday after detecting swelling at the top of the volcano, which is seen as a precursor of an eruption. It also raised the alert level from level 2 (do not approach the crater) to level 3 (do not go within four kilometers of the crater).
• Traffic in the area has been restricted and 45,000 local people warned to be ready to leave their homes should the danger intensify.
• It last erupted in August, 2008, causing no major damage.
  The last major eruption of Mount Asama took place in September 2004, when it spewed ash and rock as far as 200km away.
  
  Questions:
  What is 'ash'?
  This volcano lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire. What type of plate boundary exists here and can you name the plates?