ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:28 AM PDT A 15-year study details the origins and diversity of every known mineral on Earth, a landmark body of work that will help reconstruct the history of life on Earth, guide the search for new minerals and ore deposits, predict possible characteristics of future life, and aid the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life. |
| California's Dixie Fire shows impact of legacy effects, prescribed burns Posted: 30 Jun 2022 01:00 PM PDT The 2021 Dixie Fire burned over nearly 1 million acres in California and cost $637 million to suppress, making it the largest and most expensive wildfire to contain in state history. Fire history largely determined how severely the wildfire burned, and low-severity fire treatments had the largest impact on reducing the worst effects of the fire, according to a research team. |
| New flood maps clarify the risk homeowners face Posted: 30 Jun 2022 10:48 AM PDT Flooding in urban areas cost Americans more than $106 billion between 1960 and 2016, damaging property, disrupting businesses and claiming lives in the process. Now, new research outlines a simplified, cost-effective method for developing flood maps that reflects the uncertainty in flood predictions. |
| A closer look into the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bioaerosols and its monitoring Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT While there are many studies that discuss antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in soil and water environments, there is currently very little research that focuses on ARG in aerial environments. In a recent review, researchers have analyzed current research trends regarding ARG in bioaerosols, including their sources, methods of detection, and implications for the future. |
| Hidden in caves: Mineral overgrowths reveal 'unprecedented' sea level rise Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT Through intricate study of cave deposits in Spain, geologists identified a rapid rise in sea level that started during the Industrial Revolution. |
| Activating the indicator and performing a shoulder check -- essential also for zebra finches Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT Zebra finches communicate via eye contact and calls to coordinate their spatial positions during flocking flight |
| Common gene used to profile microbial communities Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT Computer scientists develop Emu, an algorithm that uses long reads of genomes to identify the species of bacteria in a community. The program could simplify sorting harmful from helpful bacteria in microbiomes like those in the gut or in agriculture and the environment. |
| Climate change in oceanwater may impact mangrove dispersal, study finds Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT Researchers examined 21st century changes in ocean-surface temperature, salinity, and density, across mangrove forests worldwide. Their study suggests that changes in surface-ocean density may impact the dispersal patterns of widely distributed mangroves species, and more likely so in the Indo-West Pacific region, the primary hotspot of mangrove diversity. |
| Posted: 30 Jun 2022 06:57 AM PDT New research highlights how the risk of wildfire is rising globally due to climate change -- but also, how human actions and policies can play a critical role in regulating regional impacts. The study shows that anthropogenic climate change is a 'push' factor that enhances the risk of wildfires globally. |
| Pioneering recycling turns mixed waste into premium plastics with no climate impact Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT Only a fraction of the material that could be turned into new plastic is currently recycled. Researchers have now demonstrated how the carbon atoms in mixed waste can replace all fossil raw materials in the production of new plastic. The recycling method is inspired by the natural carbon cycle and could eliminate the climate impact of plastic materials, or even clean the air of carbon dioxide. |
| Powerful links between methane and climate change Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT Using data gathered over the last four decades to study the effects of temperature changes and rain on the atmospheric concentration of methane, scientists have concluded that Earth could be both delivering more, and removing less, methane into the air than previously estimated, with the result that more heat is being trapped in the atmosphere. The study, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on 23 June, addresses the large uncertainty about the impact of climate change on atmospheric methane. The study finds that this impact could be four times greater than that estimated in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. |
| Romantic partners can influence each other's beliefs and behaviors on climate change Posted: 29 Jun 2022 01:11 PM PDT A team of researchers surveyed couples about their ideas on climate change and found that while many partners exhibited similar beliefs and behaviors around the issue, there also were many discrepancies. |
| 'Quake brain' effects suffered by resilient Cantabrians fade over time Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT New research suggests the brain function of otherwise-healthy individuals exposed to event trauma has the ability to 'bounce back' over time once the threat resolves. Researchers conducted a follow-up study on a group of Cantabrians, who had been exposed to trauma during the region's earthquakes over a decade ago. |
| Researchers identify the microbes in 100-year-old snail guts Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT The gut 'microbiomes' of long-dead animals could give researchers surprising insights into how climate change and other factors have shaped the Rocky Mountains and other ecosystems over decades. |
| Pollution exposure associated with multimorbidity risk Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT Exposure to the air pollution known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with an increased risk of having a cluster of multiple chronic diseases, according to a new study. |
| 'Safety in numbers' tactic keeps Pacific salmon safe from predators Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT A new study that leverages historical data has found unique support for a 'safety in numbers' strategy, where Pacific salmon living in larger groups have a lower risk of being eaten by predators. But for some salmon species, schooling comes at the cost of competition for food, and those fish may trade safety for a meal. |
| Enzyme of bacterial origin promoted the evolution of longhorned beetles Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT Larvae of longhorned beetles develop primarily in woody tissue, which is difficult for most organisms to digest. However, longhorned beetle larvae possess special enzymes to break down the various components of the plant cell wall. Researchers have now taken a closer look at a group of digestive enzymes found only in this beetle family. They resurrected the primordial enzymes, which first appeared in a common ancestor of longhorned beetles. Horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to the beetle as well as ancient and recent gene duplications promoted the evolution of this family of digestive enzymes and enabled longhorned beetles to degrade the main components of the plant cell wall, which make the bulk of their diet. |
| Changes in oceanographic fronts affect the gene flow among marine crab populations Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT In the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the intensity and location of the oceanographic fronts that limit the gene connectivity among populations of marine crabs vary over time. These dynamic changes alter the gene structure of the populations of marine crabs of commercial and gastronomic interest. |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT Companies selling ethical and sustainable products should use up-tempo major mode music in their marketing to help well-meaning consumers convert their good intentions into actual purchases, new research shows. |
| Thawing permafrost is shaping the global climate Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT How is climate change affecting the permanently frozen soils of the Arctic? What will the consequences be for the global climate, human beings, and ecosystems? And what can be done to stop it? |
| Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning? Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT Research on wastewater finds that a large spike in acetaminophen preceded a spike in viral RNA during one COVID-19 wave in Western New York. |
| Climate change is making plants more vulnerable to disease. New research could help them fight back Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT When heat waves hit, they don't just take a toll on people -- plants suffer too. That's because when temperatures rise, certain plant defenses don't work as well, leaving them more susceptible to attacks from pathogens and pests. Scientists say they have identified a specific protein in plant cells that explains why immunity falters as the mercury rises. They've also figured out a way to bolster plant defenses against the heat. |
| Destruction and recovery of kelp forests driven by changes in sea urchin behavior Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT A dramatic outbreak of kelp-eating sea urchins along the Central Coast of California in 2014, leading to a significant reduction in the region's kelp forests, was driven primarily by the emergence of sea urchins from their hiding places rather than an increase in the urchin population. In subsequent years, sea urchin movements enabled kelp forest recovery at sites that had been denuded 'urchin barrens.' Those are among the key findings of a long-term study of sea urchins and kelp forest dynamics in Monterey Bay. |
| Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would reduce risks to humans by up to 85% Posted: 29 Jun 2022 05:40 AM PDT New research quantifies the benefits of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and identifies the hotspot regions for climate change risk in the future. |
| New study investigates the microbiomes of dogs around the world Posted: 28 Jun 2022 02:01 PM PDT In a new study, researchers have sampled the fecal microbiomes across diverse geographical populations of dogs to better understand what they look like around the world. |
| Chemical risk assessment not up to par, researchers say Posted: 28 Jun 2022 02:01 PM PDT The current system of chemical risk assessment is inadequate and underestimates levels of flame retardants and other pollutants needed to cause harmful health effects, according to a recent analysis. |
| Chemicals in Fairbanks winter air Posted: 28 Jun 2022 11:46 AM PDT A chemical compound discovered in 2019 in Fairbanks' wintertime air accounts for a significant portion of the community's fine particulate pollution, according to new research that seeks to better understand the causes and makeup of the dirty air. The finding is the first measurement of how much hydroxymethanesulfonate, or HMS, is in Fairbanks' air. |
| Strategies beyond recycling to bolster circular economy for solar and battery technologies Posted: 28 Jun 2022 10:39 AM PDT In a new comprehensive literature review, researchers have discovered that alternatives to recycling may have untapped potential to build an effective circular economy for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery technologies. These alternative strategies, such as reducing the use of virgin materials in manufacturing, reusing for new applications, and extending product life spans, may provide new paths to building sustainable product life cycles. |
| New biobatteries use bacterial interactions to generate power for weeks Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have developed a 'plug-and-play' biobattery that lasts for weeks at a time and can be stacked to improve output voltage and current. |
| Tadpoles undergo surprising number of vision changes when becoming frogs Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Tadpoles see well underwater, but what happens when they become frogs and live primarily on land? Researchers, curious about the answer, found the eyes of tadpoles undergo a surprising number of changes. It's already known that tadpoles go through a physical metamorphosis on their way to becoming a frog, but what wasn't known is how their vision adapts at a molecular level across the life stages to a strikingly different environment. |
| Reassessment of greenhouse gas emissions from African lakes Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT A new study reassesses emissions of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere from African lakes. While it was previously assumed that these lakes were significant carbon dioxide sources, it has since been discovered that they really emit very little carbon dioxide but a lot of methane, adding to the emissions burden. |
| Seismic noise analysis could help monitor potential hazards in active mine Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT An active underground mine can be a seismically noisy environment, full of signals generated by heavy machinery at work and induced seismicity. Now, researchers working with data from a longwall coal mine demonstrate a way to extract and separate the signals generated from mining activity from the background seismic noise of the area. |
| Is AI good or bad for the climate? It's complicated Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Experts in AI, climate change, and public policy present a framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted relationship of AI with greenhouse gas emissions, and suggest ways to better align AI with climate change goals. |
| Update noise regulations to protect seals, porpoises Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Scientists review recent experiments and find noise regulations may need to be changed to protect porpoises, seals, and other sea-dwelling mammals. Current guidance for seals and porpoises is based on few measurements in a limited frequency range; the guidance is still valid for these frequencies, but investigators found substantial deviations in recent studies of the impact of low frequency noise on seals and high frequency noise on porpoises. |
| How did vertebrates first evolve jaws? Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT Scientists reveal clues about the evolutionary origin of jaws by studying the embryonic development of zebrafish -- an approach known as 'evo-devo.' Using imaging and cell tracing techniques in zebrafish, researchers who conducted the study conclusively showed that the pseudobranch originates from the same mandibular arch that gives rise to the jaw. |
| Simultaneous extreme weather created dangerous cascades in U.S. Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT Intense heat in the southwestern United States broke records last summer partly because it hit in tandem with an unusually severe drought, finds a new study measuring for the first time how the two extreme weather events dangerously interacted in real time. |
| Increasing heat waves affect up to half a billion people Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:32 AM PDT Extremely high temperatures have been reported by India and Pakistan in the spring. In a new scientific journal article, researchers paint a gloomy picture for the rest of the century. Heat waves are expected to increase, affecting up to half a billion people in South Asia every year. |
| Risk of miscarriage may increase during the summer Posted: 27 Jun 2022 02:00 PM PDT A new study found that miscarriage risk in North America increased by 44 percent in late August, compared to late February, indicating the need to explore possible links between extreme heat and pregnancy loss. |
| Repairing nature with DNA technology Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT The monumental global task to restore degraded ecosystems will need to include sophisticated technologies such as environmental DNA monitoring to understand and support the recovery of complex biospheres, international researchers say. Genomics provides some important 'weapons' in the fight to repair ecosystems -- from authenticating seed sources to improving the detection of invasive weeds or animals, says one of the researchers. |
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