Romans Recycling, Dinosaur Colour, Gravity Mission

This podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) looks at how the Romans recycled glass, dinosaur colour, and what Europe's gravity mission tells us about ocean currents.

The height of the world's oceans can vary by as much as 200 metres. These huge differences depend almost entirely on very slight changes in gravity across the world. The rest – in the region of just over (or under) a metre – is down to ocean circulation.

In this Planet Earth Podcast, we find out how Europe's gravity space mission is helping scientists understand how much height is caused by gravity and how much by ocean currents. The satellite is so sensitive researchers are finding out about ocean currents they never knew existed. And that will help them get a better grip on how global warming affects these currents. Sue Nelson goes to the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton to find out more.

We also hear that even the Romans recycled glass. Richard Hollingham goes to Norwich to meet the archaeologists who are discovering more.

Finally, scientists now have a way of figuring out what colour dinosaurs were. Richard goes to Bristol University to get the low-down from one of the scientists at the forefront of this research.

A transcript of the recording is provided to assist those who find text-based content more accessible than audio.

This podcast is dated 8 February 2011.

NERC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) partnership of research councils.

• URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx6mo