ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

What does a 'resilient' forest look like in California's Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees than we're used to, according to a study of frequent-fire forests.

Branching marine worms are bizarre creatures with one head but a body that branches over and over again into multiple posterior ends. Until now, only two species of these curious beasts, thought to be extremely rare, were known. However, a third species has now been discovered and described. The worm, named Ramisyllis kingghidorahi after King Ghidorah, Godzilla's monster enemy, was discovered in Japan.

A team of researchers looking for ways to upcycle biomass into new products has demonstrated that it is possible to efficiently turn industrially processed lignin into high-performance plastics, such as bio-based 3D-printing resins, and valuable chemicals. An economic and life-cycle analysis reveals the approach can be competitive with similar petroleum-based products, too.

Located near Naples, Italy, Vesuvius last had a violent eruption in 1944, towards the end of the Second World War. It could be a few hundred years before another dangerous, explosive eruption occurs, suggests a new study by volcano experts.

A team of researchers discovered an imperfection in how Rubisco functions in cowpea and how they can improve it across crops to increase productivity.

Researchers from the University of Kent's School of Biosciences have designed and built equipment that can be used to investigate bacterial biofuel production at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. This technology was then used to demonstrate that bacterial genetic engineering could be used to enhance biofuel production.

Researchers have developed a free, user-friendly tool that makes use of multiple computational models to help solid waste systems achieve their environmental goals in the most cost-efficient way possible.

Magma transports carbon dioxide stored in the Earth's mantle to volcanoes, where it is released into the atmosphere. A research team now presents results obtained using a new methodology to clarify the contribution of volcanoes to natural CO2 emissions.

Black eyed peas' ability to attract beneficial bacteria isn't diminished by modern farming practices, new research shows. Planting it in rotation with other crops could help growers avoid the need for costly, environmentally damaging fertilizers.

A new study simulated the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on a flight from London to Hanoi and on another flight from Singapore to Hangzhou.

Scientists monitoring the giant A68A Antarctic iceberg from space reveal that a huge amount of fresh water was released as it melted around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. 152 billion tonnes of fresh water -- equivalent to 20 x Loch Ness or 61 million Olympic sized swimming pools, entered the seas around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia when the megaberg A68A melted over 3 months in 2020/2021, according to a new study.

The English Channel prevents many rockpool species 'making the jump' from Europe to the UK, new research shows.

A new study finds pollination reduced by almost a third when diesel fumes and ozone were present - the negative impact of these common air pollutants on pollination were observed in the natural environment.

The release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for almost a quarter of global warming, is being studied around the world, from Arctic wetlands to livestock feedlots. A team has discovered a source much closer to home: 349 plumes of methane gas bubbling up from the seafloor in Puget Sound, which holds more water than any other U.S. estuary.

Computer simulations of snow cover can accurately forecast avalanche hazard, according to a new international study. Currently, avalanche forecasts in Canada are made by experienced professionals who rely on data from local weather stations and on-the-ground observations from ski and backcountry ski operators, avalanche control workers for transportation and industry, and volunteers who manually test the snowpack.

Wild populations must continuously adapt to environmental changes or risk extinction. For more than fifty years, scientists have described instances of 'rapid evolution' in specific populations as their traits (phenotypes) change in response to varying stressors. For example, Spanish clover has developed a tolerance for copper from the mine tailings in which it grows, and the horn size of Alberta bighorn sheep has decreased due to trophy hunting. But until now it hasn't been possible to reach any overarching conclusions about how different factors (such as harvesting, climate change, invasive species, or pollution) shape this rapid (now called 'contemporary') evolution.

A study discusses how advances in global lightning detection have provided novel ways to characterize explosive volcanism.