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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Space: Cosmology
Published How pollution may remain in water after oil spill cleanups



The way oil drops break up at the water's surface means some oil may not get cleaned up after a spill.
Published Rural belts around cities can reduce urban summer temperatures by up to 0.5°C



The key to cooling 'urban heat islands' may lie in the countryside, according to a new study.
Published Study shows new efficiency standards for heavy trucks could boost energy use



A new study suggests that the U.S. government's push to increase heavy-duty trucks' energy efficiency could encourage more shipping by truck instead of rail, reducing the policies' anticipated effectiveness by 20%.
Published Minerals play newly discovered role in Earth's phosphorus cycle



Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation. Discovery is important for food security, which requires phosphorus as a crop fertilizer.
Published Another intermediate-mass black hole discovered at the center of our galaxy



So far, only about ten intermediate-mass black holes have been discovered in the entire universe. The newly identified black hole causes surrounding stars in a cluster to move in an unexpectedly orderly way.
Published Groundcherry gets genetic upgrades: Turning a garden curiosity into an agricultural powerhouse



Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That's the groundcherry (Physalis grisea) -- a little-known relative of tomatoes that's been quietly growing in gardens and small farms across North America for centuries. Now, this humble fruit is getting a 21st-century upgrade thanks to some cutting-edge genetic research.
Published Microbes found to destroy certain 'forever chemicals'



An environmental engineering team has discovered that specific bacterial species can cleave the strong fluorine-to-carbon bond certain kinds of 'forever chemical' water pollutants, offering promise for low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water.
Published Sea ice's cooling power is waning faster than its area of extent



As sea ice disappears and grows less reflective, the Arctic has lost around a quarter of its cooling power since 1980, and the world has lost up to 15%, according to new research.
Published Diatom surprise could rewrite the global carbon cycle



When it comes to diatoms that live in the ocean, new research suggests that photosynthesis is not the only strategy for accumulating carbon. Instead, these single-celled plankton are also building biomass by feeding directly on organic carbon in wide swaths of the ocean. These new findings could lead to reduced estimates regarding how much carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air via photosynthesis, which in turn, could alter our understanding of the global carbon cycle, which is especially relevant given the changing climate.
Published Research tracks 66 million years of mammalian diversity



New research has examined the fossil record going back 66 million years and tracked changes to mammalian ecosystems and species diversity on the North American continent.
Published Children living in greener neighborhoods show better lung function



A large study of 35,000 children from eight countries has found a 'robust' link between exposure to green spaces in early childhood and better lung function. The study used data from 10 European birth cohorts from 8 countries to conduct a meta-analysis. This assessment of the data was done at the individual level for each participant.
Published Researchers predict fewer, pricier strawberries as temperatures warm



Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to new research.
Published Smart soil can water and feed itself



A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.
Published Bridging the 'Valley of Death' in carbon capture



PrISMa is a new platform that uses advanced simulations and machine learning to streamline carbon capture technologies, by taking into account the perspectives of diverse stakeholders early in the research process.
Published Forests endure as carbon sink despite regional pressures



Despite facing regional threats like deforestation and wildfires, the world's forests continue to be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. A new study reveals these vital ecosystems have consistently absorbed carbon dioxide for the past three decades, even as disruptions chip away at their capacity. The study, based on long-term ground measurements combined with remote sensing data, found that forests take up an average of 3.5 0.4 billion metric tons of carbon per year, which is nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels between 1990 and 2019.
Published Could intensive farming raise risk of new pandemics?



Industrialized farming is often thought to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases because of better control, biosecurity and separation of livestock. A new study examines the effect of social and economic factors -- which are often overlooked in traditional assessments.
Published Nature-based solutions to disaster risk from climate change are cost effective



A new global assessment of scientific literature finds that nature-based solutions (NbS) are an economically effective method to mitigate risks from a range of disasters -- from floods and hurricanes to heatwaves and landslides -- which are only expected to intensify as Earth continues to warm.
Published Microplastic pollution increases sea foam height and stability



Researchers examine the specific impacts of microplastics on the geophysics of sea foam formation in the critical zone where water meets air in the top layer of the ocean. They devised two simulations for their work -- a column filled with sea water injected with air and a laboratory-scale breaking wave channel to test the impacts of wave height on sea foam in the surface microlayer -- and tested their effects on sea foam formation, stability, and duration.
Published Sun-like stars found orbiting hidden companions



Astronomers have uncovered what appear to be 21 neutron stars in orbit around stars like our Sun. The discovery is surprising because it is not clear how a star that exploded winds up next to a star like our Sun.
Published Weather experts discover new effect of storm -- in a teacup



A new study reveals that Storm Ciaran cut an invisible path of mayhem across southern Britain last autumn, destroying any possibility that 20 million people could have a proper cup of tea at breakfast. The storm's record-breaking low pressure meant the boiling point of water was below the crucial 100 degrees Celsius required for a decent cuppa.