ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News |
| Invasive species and climate change impact coastal estuaries Posted: 05 May 2022 03:09 PM PDT Native species in California's estuaries are expected to experience greater declines as invasive species interact with climate change, according to a new study. |
| Land-building marsh plants are champions of carbon capture Posted: 05 May 2022 03:09 PM PDT Human activities such as marsh draining for agriculture are increasingly eating away at saltwater and freshwater wetlands that cover only 1% of Earth's surface but store more than 20% of all carbon dioxide absorbed by ecosystems worldwide. A new study shows that it's not too late to reverse the losses if we use innovative restoration practices that replicate natural landscape-building processes that enhance the restored wetlands' carbon-storing potential. |
| Water scarcity predicted to worsen in more than 80% of croplands globally this century Posted: 05 May 2022 11:38 AM PDT Agricultural water scarcity is expected to increase in more than 80% of the world's croplands by 2050, according to a new study. |
| The mystery solved about the active phase in catalytic carbon dioxide reduction to methanol Posted: 05 May 2022 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have been able to study the surface of a copper-zinc catalyst when carbon dioxide is reduced to methanol. A better knowledge of the catalytic process and the possibility of finding even more efficient materials opens the door for a green transition in the chemical industry. |
| In sediments below Antarctic ice, scientists discover a giant groundwater system Posted: 05 May 2022 11:32 AM PDT A team has mapped a huge, actively circulating groundwater system in deep sediments in West Antarctica. They say such systems, probably common in Antarctica, may have as-yet unknown implications for how the frozen continent reacts to, or possibly even contributes to, climate change. |
| Only 10 vaquita porpoises survive, but species may not be doomed, scientists say Posted: 05 May 2022 11:32 AM PDT The world's smallest marine mammal -- the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, which lives only in Mexico's Sea of Cortez -- is believed to have only 10 living members, if that, of the species. The vaquita is widely thought to be on the verge of extinction, but a new scientific analysis by a team of biologists concludes the species remains relatively healthy and can survive -- if the illegal use of 'gillnet' fishing ceases promptly. |
| Understanding how sunscreens damage coral Posted: 05 May 2022 11:32 AM PDT Researchers reveal a mechanism by which oxybenzone, a common sunscreen component, damages corals. The surprising findings could help guide the development and marketing of effective, coral-safe sunscreens. |
| Newly proposed search strategies improve computational cost of the bicycle-sharing problem Posted: 05 May 2022 08:47 AM PDT Bicycle sharing is an attractive zero-carbon transportation option for a world that is being increasingly disrupted by climate change. But bikes need to be restored at bike ports every now and then. Calculating the optimal way to restore bicycles is time consuming and computationally expensive. Recently, researchers have built upon their previous optimization algorithm to propose two strategies to reduce computational costs while maintaining the performance of the algorithm. |
| Global bird populations steadily declining Posted: 05 May 2022 08:46 AM PDT Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions. Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines. |
| Rapid adaptation of deep learning teaches drones to survive any weather Posted: 05 May 2022 05:56 AM PDT Neural-Fly technology could one day build the future of package delivery drones and flying cars. |
| 'Lost' coral species resurrected Posted: 05 May 2022 05:56 AM PDT With about one-third of the world's corals currently under threat of extinction due to climate change, researchers have made the encouraging discovery of a 'lost' species of coral that had been hidden for more than 50 years. |
| New technology reduces heavy-duty diesel emissions to meet stringent CARB 2027 NOx requirements Posted: 04 May 2022 02:08 PM PDT Engineers have demonstrated the effectiveness of new technology to cut diesel emissions. The advancement successfully reduced heavy-duty diesel engine nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2027 standards. |
| Baby corals are just as susceptible as adults to deadly reef disease Posted: 04 May 2022 02:08 PM PDT Baby corals are just as susceptible as adults to a deadly disease that has been spreading across Florida's reefs since 2014, according to a new study. The findings showed that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) infects baby corals with similar severity and mortality that we see in adult colonies. This is the first study to show the impacts of any coral disease on baby corals. |
| Will climate change increase the risk of aflatoxin in U.S. corn? Posted: 04 May 2022 12:12 PM PDT As climate change continues to alter weather patterns around the planet including the Midwest, researchers are modeling the impact on crops such as corn. |
| Scientists identify the most extreme heatwaves ever recorded globally Posted: 04 May 2022 11:45 AM PDT A new study has revealed the most intense heatwaves ever across the world -- and remarkably some of these went almost unnoticed decades ago. |
| California's 2020 wildfire season Posted: 04 May 2022 11:45 AM PDT A new study summarizing the 2020 California wildfire year said just over 9,900 wildfires burned 4.3 million acres in 2020. That's twice the previous record but only average compared to burn rates before Euro-American settlement. Fire severity is the far greater concern. |
| Major 2020 Alaska quake triggered neighboring 2021 temblor Posted: 04 May 2022 11:45 AM PDT A study of two powerful earthquakes in adjacent areas off the Alaska Peninsula in 2020 and 2021 shows a connection between the two. It also suggests they may be a part of an 80-year rupture cascade along the fault. |
| Correct dosage for ultraviolet disinfection against COVID Posted: 04 May 2022 08:04 AM PDT When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, ultraviolet radiation became one of the go-to methods for preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, along with facemasks, hand sanitizer and social distancing. The problem: There was little research showing what UV dosage kills the virus. In a new study, researchers lay the foundation for health standards about what offers true disinfection. |
| Cold-survival strategies in animals: A spectrum, not either-or Posted: 04 May 2022 08:04 AM PDT Animals have three main strategies to survive the freezing temperatures of winter: migrating, remaining in place and resisting the cold, and reducing body temperature and metabolic rate in a state called torpor. |
| Fungi-based meat alternatives to help save Earth's forests Posted: 04 May 2022 08:04 AM PDT Substituting 20 % of meat from cattle with microbial protein -- a meat alternative produced in fermentation tanks -- by 2050 could halve deforestation, a new analysis finds. The market-ready meat alternative is very similar in taste and texture, but is a biotech product which -- by replacing beef -- involves much less land resources and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land-use change. This goes under the assumption of a growing world population's increasing appetite for beefy bites, and it is the first time researchers have projected the development of these market-ready meat substitutes into the future, assessing their potential impact on the environment. |
| A new wearable technology -- for plants Posted: 04 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Plants can't speak up when they are thirsty. And visual signs, such as shriveling or browning leaves, don't start until most of their water is gone. To detect water loss earlier, researchers have created a wearable sensor for plant leaves. The system wirelessly transmits data to a smartphone app, allowing for remote management of drought stress in gardens and crops. |
| Landslides can have a major impact on glacier melt and movement Posted: 04 May 2022 06:29 AM PDT Using satellite imagery to study the effects of a 2019 landslide on the Amalia Glacier in Patagonia, a research team found the landslide helped stabilize the glacier and caused it to grow by about 1,000 meters over the last three years. |
| Urbanization linked to poor ecological knowledge, less environmental action Posted: 04 May 2022 05:26 AM PDT A new study highlights a sharp contrast between urban and suburban ways of thinking about coastal ecosystems. The authors of the study used statistical and cognitive science techniques to analyze data from a survey of 1,400 residents across the U.S. East Coast. Their results showed that surveyed residents of urban centers often held a more simplistic, and less realistic, understanding of coastal ecosystems than residents in suburban areas. The research also uncovered a lower propensity to take pro-environmental actions among urban populations. |
| Comprehensive regional diagnostic of microbial ocean life using DNA testing Posted: 04 May 2022 05:26 AM PDT Scientists have used tools of genetics research akin to those used in genealogical research to evaluate the diversity of marine life off the California coast. Large-scale 'metabarcoding' methods could revolutionize how society understands forces that drive seafood supply, planet's ability to remove greenhouse gases. |
| Children's products labeled water- or stain-resistant may contain PFAS Posted: 04 May 2022 05:22 AM PDT Seems like kids are always getting into something, so products marketed toward them often claim to repel liquids. Some items contain potentially harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to accomplish this feat, but companies aren't required to disclose these 'forever chemicals' on labels. Now, researchers show that some children's products advertised as water- or stain-resistant contain PFAS, even items labeled 'green' or 'nontoxic.' |
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