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ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News |
| New understanding of plant nutrient response could improve fertilizer management strategies Posted: 10 Dec 2021 09:18 AM PST Green is a color that is almost universally associated with plants -- for good reason. The green pigment chlorophyll is essential to plants' ability to generate food; but what happens if they don't have enough of it? New work reveals the complex, interdependent nutrient responses underpinning a potentially deadly, low-chlorophyll state called chlorosis that's associated with an anemic, yellow appearance. It could usher in more environmentally friendly agricultural practices -- using less fertilizer and fewer water resources. |
| Seasonal temperature impacts patient lab results Posted: 10 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST Ambient temperature influences the results of some of the most used laboratory tests, and these distortions likely affect medical decision making, such as whether to prescribe medications, researchers report. The authors say that laboratories could statistically adjust for ambient temperature on test days when reporting lab results to account for day-to-day variability. |
| An easy relationship between a beetle and its yeast symbiont Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Lizard beetles farm yeast inside bamboo stems for their developing larvae to eat. Scientists have now found that, contrary to other insect-fungus relationships, the job of the yeast in this one does not involve digesting the complex sugars in bamboo's woody tissues for its host. |
| New phenomenon: Forest mammals eavesdrop on messy monkeys Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Researchers have discovered a unique phenomenon among forest mammals -- eavesdropping. Their study demonstrates that various animal species depend on one another in more ways than ever imagined when it comes to finding food. Consequently, one species' disappearance from a habitat can have major consequences. |
| Differentiating friends from foes in the fungal root microbiome Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:28 AM PST A collaborative project has shed light on the fungal genetic determinants that explain why some fungi from the root microbiome can colonize roots and cause disease more efficiently than others. |
| Virtual conferences are better for the environment and more inclusive Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:17 PM PST A research team led by engineers found that virtual conferences are more inclusive than in-person events, and also carry a smaller environmental footprint. |
| ‘Super trees’ may help save Houston … and beyond Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:14 PM PST Statisticians are sharing strategies to identify 'super trees' for urban areas that help mitigate pollution, flooding and heat. |
| A beetle chemical defense gland offers clues about how complex organs evolve Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:26 AM PST Rove beetles are among the chemists of the insect world, concocting noxious compounds within their bodies that are weaponized to ward off predators, enabling the beetles to survive in leaf litter and soil in ecosystems across the planet. Investigators studying a species of rove beetle report how two distinct cell types have come together to form a specialized gland for making and secreting these defensive cocktails. The work has implications for mapping out the evolution of more sophisticated organs found across the animal kingdom, including in humans. |
| Climate-only models likely underestimate species extinction Posted: 09 Dec 2021 10:39 AM PST To accurately predict species' distributions and risk of extinction, models must include more than just climate, according to new research. |
| Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:44 AM PST A new genomics marker tool has been shown to accurately identify tilapia species and tell apart their hybrids, providing a novel resource to help develop aquaculture and empower conservation in Tanzania, Africa. Crucially, the new tool offers a cheaper solution than full genome data analysis -- the current approach to monitoring local biodiversity. |
| Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:43 AM PST A new study suggests that persistent exposure to air pollutants in residential communities can impact health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. |
| A tool to speed development of new solar cells Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Researchers have developed a computational simulator that can help predict whether changes to materials or design will improve performance in new photovoltaic cells. |
| Previously unrecorded Chilean tsunami identified Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST A large earthquake off the coast of south-central Chile in 1737 may have caused a substantial tsunami that was absent from historical records. Historical records are used to predict how often tsunamis are likely to occur in a region in the future. Until now, it was previously believed that tsunami-causing earthquakes had occurred in this area of Chile three times since the 1570s, including after the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of 1960. However, this discovery of an unrecorded tsunami means that tsunamis may have struck the Chilean coast more frequently than previously believed. This means the average time between historical tsunami occurrences could be significantly reduced, to an average of 130 years. |
| Fire hastens permafrost collapse in Arctic Alaska Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST While climate change is the primary driver of permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, a new analysis of 70 years of data reveals that tundra fires are accelerating that decline, contributing disproportionately to a phenomenon known as 'thermokarst,' the abrupt collapse of ice-rich permafrost as a result of thawing. |
| China’s crops at risk: Climate change boosts spread of crop pests and diseases Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Crop pests and diseases in China have significantly increased, with climate change being one of the relevant drivers, new research finds. |
| Circular economy: Researchers show how synthetic rubber raw material can be degraded Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:56 AM PST Enzymes are capable of degrading synthetic polyisoprene. The specific conditions for that have now been created and exploited. Polyisoprene is the principal component of natural rubber and of many types of rubber also used in car tires, for example. Up until now, it has only been possible to degrade polyisoprene, with a composition similar to naturally occurring rubber. The present research could provide important insights toward a circular economy. |
| Rapid rise of decarbonization potentials of rooftop PV plus EVs in residential houses Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:26 AM PST Cities are responsible for 60-70% of energy-related CO2 emissions. As the world is increasingly urbanized, it is crucial to identify cost-effective pathways to decarbonize. Here, we propose a 'SolarEV City' concept, in which integrated systems of cities' roof-top PVs with EVs as batteries can supply affordable and dispatchable CO2-free electricity for citie's dwellers, which can reduce CO2 emission by 54-95% with 26-41% of potential cost savings by 2030. |
| Large future changes in climate variability Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:26 AM PST Large future changes in climate variability. New computer model simulations identify widespread changes in climate variability under sustained anthropogenic forcing. |
| Exposure to toxic metals may increase risk of clogged arteries Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:26 AM PST Toxic metals in the environment may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can prevent blood and oxygen from reaching major organs. Arsenic and cadmium, metals that can be found in food, water and tobacco, plus titanium, which can come from dental and orthopedic implants, cosmetics or auto manufacturing, were associated with a higher likelihood of having clogged arteries in the neck, leg and heart in this study of auto assembly workers in Spain. Current global environmental, occupational and food safety standards may be insufficient to protect people from the adverse effects of metals, according to study authors. |
| Ocean tides are gatekeepers of groundwater discharge to Hawai‘i coastal zone Posted: 08 Dec 2021 01:51 PM PST A new study showed that while precipitation and sea level drive coastal groundwater levels, it is sea level, especially tides, that play gatekeeper on the amount of groundwater discharging to Hawai'i's coastal zone. |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2021 01:11 PM PST Exposure to chronic, environmentally relevant concentrations of pesticides registered for use in forest management had adverse effects on the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria. |
| Does air pollution reduce the benefits of physical activity on the brain? Posted: 08 Dec 2021 01:11 PM PST A new study shows that people who do vigorous physical activities, like jogging or playing competitive sports, in areas with higher air pollution may show less benefit from that exercise when it comes to certain markers of brain disease. The markers examined in the study included white matter hyperintensities, which indicate injury to the brain's white matter, and gray matter volume. Larger gray matter volumes and smaller white matter hyperintensity volumes are markers of overall better brain health. |
| Ammonite muscles revealed in 3D from Jurassic fossil Posted: 08 Dec 2021 09:34 AM PST Researchers have revealed the soft tissues of a 165-million-year-old ammonite fossil using 3D imaging. |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2021 09:34 AM PST The movement of water masses in the ocean, its circulation, is an essential component of the global climate system. Researchers have now been able to show that circulation in the deep ocean was significantly slowed down during the last glacial period. Analyses of sediment samples show that the decomposition of organic carbon in the water masses of the deep sea consumed the oxygen available there. |
| Bird singing contests: A clash of culture and conservation Posted: 08 Dec 2021 08:03 AM PST For thousands of years, people have been keeping wild birds. It is often a deeply ingrained part of the culture. An examination of the scientific literature on this topic finds that bird-singing contests currently take place in at least 22 countries using at least 36 species of birds. |
| UK university can reduce CO2 emissions by 4% with shorter winter semesters Posted: 08 Dec 2021 08:02 AM PST Researchers found that shifting learning weeks to the summer term and extending the winter vacation period can reduce the university's yearly CO2 emissions by more than 4%. |
| Yeast cells cause embedded objects to rise via the microbial Brazil nut effect Posted: 08 Dec 2021 08:02 AM PST Researchers have dubbed a newly discovered phenomenon, where microbe-generated gas bubbles create granular fluctuations on the wet sandy floors of waterbodies, the microbial Brazil nut effect. |
| Newly discovered fish songs demonstrate reef restoration success Posted: 08 Dec 2021 06:01 AM PST Whoops, croaks, growls, raspberries and foghorns are among the sounds that demonstrate the success of a coral reef restoration project. |
| 2,700-year-old leather armor proves technology transfer happened in antiquity Posted: 08 Dec 2021 06:00 AM PST Researchers have investigated a unique leather scale armor found in the tomb of a horse rider in Northwest China. Design and construction details of the armor indicate that it originated in the Neo-Assyrian Empire between the 6th and 8th century BCE before being brought to China. |
| Fish help control crown-of-thorns starfish numbers on Great Barrier Reef Posted: 08 Dec 2021 06:00 AM PST Reef fish, such as emperors, tropical snappers and rockcods, help keep numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish in check on the Great Barrier Reef. New research has found the abundance of the coral-eating starfish increases in places where fish species, particularly those who eat the starfish, are removed. |
| New research makes waves tackling the future of tsunami monitoring and modeling Posted: 08 Dec 2021 06:00 AM PST Rising sea levels are already impacting coastal residents and aggravating existing coastal hazards, such as flooding during high tides and storm surges. New research indicates that future sea-level rise will also have impacts on the heights of future tsunamis. |
| Wearable sensor measures airborne nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes Posted: 08 Dec 2021 05:59 AM PST Some studies have shown that nicotine, an addictive substance in electronic cigarettes, increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. But to get a full understanding of its potential health effects, a real-time nicotine monitoring device is needed. Such a device could also help vapers -- as well as non-vapers who encounter second-hand smoke -- measure their exposure. Now, researchers report that they have developed a battery-free, wearable device that could accomplish this task. |
| Wastewater helps decipher the popularity of new synthetic drugs Posted: 08 Dec 2021 05:59 AM PST Over the years, hundreds of new synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of illegal and legal substances have emerged. The underground nature of each drug's development and distribution makes its international popularity hard to track. Now, using wastewater from the days near the 2021 New Year holiday, researchers report an increased international usage of some synthetic drugs, including eutylone and 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) compared to the previous year. |
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