GREEN scientists have been accused of overstating the dangers of climate change by researchers who found that the number of people killed each year by weather-related disasters is falling.

Earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter Scale felt in Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Coastal Plain areas Sunday morning; no injuries or damage reported.

A mild earthquake was felt throughout Israel Sunday morning, the fourth tremor to be registered in the country in the last two weeks.

Reports of the quake poured in from the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and the Coastal Plain areas.

Head of the Geophysical Institute of Israel Rami Hopshteter reported that the quake measured 4.0 on the Richter Scale, and that the quake's epicenter was, yet again, the Dead Sea.

Last Saturday, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake was felt throughout the country. No injuries or damage were reported.

According to reports, the earthquake hit around 00:19 am, originating in Israel's plains area.

Earlier in the week, two earthquakes, measuring 3 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, were felt throughout Israel, also causing no damage or injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Snow and ice plastered a wide area of the Midwest on Saturday, disrupting campaigning by presidential hopefuls, disrupting airport and highway traffic and causing the death of at least one person.

Santa Ana, Calif. - Southern California's weather turned from dangerously dry to extremely wet Friday as storms brought the threat of mudslides and flash floods to areas burned by recent wildfires, causing evacuation orders.

Longchao Lake, a mysterious lake located in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, swells and shrinks three times a day!

With no ditch or other lakes nearby, how does the lake come up with three regular one-hour swells-and-shrinks at 8 am, 12 am and 4 pm respectively every day?

Chongqing Economic Times reported that the lake's mysterious moves have finally prompted a latest scientific investigation of the lake organized by Chongqing Exploitation Association and local hydrology and geology experts. The two-day investigation starts on Friday.

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Mysterious Longchao Lake located in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Strange mixtures of helium gas have been discovered leaking from the ground in Nevada. To the surprise of geologists, helium-3 and other gases, which are normally associated volcanoes, are seeping up through non-volcanic ground there.

The discovery could reveal some secrets about how hot fluids deep in the crust control earthquakes as well as lead to new geothermal energy sources.

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Scientists detected excess helium-3 at the Dixie Valley geothermal plant in central Nevada, shown here.

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.2 hit Indonesia's Sumatra Island on Saturday morning, but there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency on Saturday started issuing volcanic activity warnings for areas centering around seven active volcanoes including one which is undersea in line with a revised meteorological business law, noting that there has been no change in the levels of activity themselves.

Scientists have revealed an important discovery that raises doubts concerning the viability of plans to fertilize the ocean to solve global warming, a projected $100 billion venture. Research performed at Stanford and Oregon State Universities, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, suggests that ocean fertilization may not be an effective method of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major contributor to global warming.

SAN FRANCISCO - Hundreds of dead or injured seabirds have washed up on the shores of Monterey Bay in recent weeks, and scientists believe a red tide of marine algae is to blame.