A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Sunday has detected a large and growing dome of freshwater in the western Arctic Ocean that could result in colder temperatures in Europe. Scientists from Britain's National Oceanography Centre used satellites to measure sea surface height from 1995 to 2010, revealing an area of the Arctic sea that has risen about 15 centimeters since 2002. Researchers concluded that weakening polar ice and strengthening arctic winds were responsible for sp... Read More
American BASE jumper Jeb Corliss won't be charged for the illegal jump off Cape Town's Table Mountain that sent him to the hospital last week, South Africa National Parks said on Thursday. The agency will fine Corliss 1,500 Rand—approximately $189—for the stunt. They also plan to fine the company that filmed the jump, and may deny the company a permit to film in South Africa's national parks in the future. Corliss clipped a ledge on the mountain's Africa Face during a wingsuit jump... Read More
Eleven-time ASP world champion Kelly Slater says that he doesn't understand why police in Chicago arrested surfer Rex Flodstrom for riding in Lake Michigan on Tuesday. "Surfing is not a crime," Slater Tweeted on Wednesday. Flodstrom, 40, was held for four hours and charged with disorderly conduct after police found him surfing at Oak Street beach. Slater said he may appear at Flodstrom's hearing in Chicago on February 16.
Read more at the Chicago Sun Times
A new smartphone application allows surfers and other beachgoers to track the movements of great white sharks in close to real time. Expedition White Shark picks up satellite readings from sharks tagged by researchers at the Marine Conservation Society. The tags send signals when the sharks swim near the surface, potentially reducing the risk of shark-human encounters. The app is also used as a marketing and fundraising tool: "We're hoping it raises public awareness about white sharks, which h... Read More
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has suspended 35 top runners from competition, including world record holder and defending Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, for skipping a mandatory training camp. If enforced, the ban could keep nearly all of the country's top runners from competing in August's London Olympic Games. Bekele's agent Jos Hermens said that the ban was a reaction to Ethiopia's poor showing at the 2011 world championships. "Of course, Kenenisa Bekele will be at the Olympics," Her... Read More
