Showing 20 articles starting at article 441
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Environmental: General, Paleontology: Fossils
Published Mussels downstream of wastewater treatment plant contain radium, study reports
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Burrowed into streambeds and rarely moving for their decades-long lifespans, freshwater mussels are biomonitors, meaning they indicate how clean their environment is, according to researchers. As the bivalves feed on organic matter and filter the water around them, their inner tissues and hard shells begin to reflect whatever is in their environment -- including radioactive particles.
Published Fjords are effective carbon traps regardless of oxygen levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The fjords on Sweden's west coast act as effective carbon traps regardless of whether the bottom water is oxygen-rich or not.
Published Trout in mine-polluted rivers are genetically 'isolated'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Trout living in rivers polluted by metal from old mines across the British Isles are genetically 'isolated' from other trout, new research shows.
Published New coral disease forecasting system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research has led to a new tool for forecasting coral disease that could help conservationists step in at the right times with key interventions. Ecological forecasts are critical tools for conserving and managing marine ecosystems, but few forecasting systems can account for the wide range of ecological complexities in near-real-time.
Published Novel mobile air monitoring technology yields greater insight into post-disaster pollution levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has found that high resolution mass spectrometry could be a valuable tool for identifying and assessing air-borne contaminants produced by natural and human-made disasters.
Published 'Ugly' fossil places extinct saber-toothed cat on Texas coast
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source This fossil looks like a lumpy, rounded rock with a couple of exposed teeth that are a little worse for wear, having been submerged and tumbled along the floor of the Gulf of Mexico for thousands of years before washing up on a beach. But when it was X-rayed a doctoral student saw there was more to the fossil that met the eye: a hidden canine tooth that had not yet erupted from the jaw bone. It was just what researchers needed to identify the fossil as belonging to a Homotherium, a genus of large cat that roamed much of the Earth for millions of years.
Published People are altering decomposition rates in waterways
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humans may be accelerating the rate at which organic matter decomposes in rivers and streams on a global scale, according to a new study. That could pose a threat to biodiversity in waterways around the world and increase the amount of carbon in Earth's atmosphere, potentially exacerbating climate change. The study is the first to combine a global experiment and predictive modeling to illustrate how human impacts to waterways may contribute to the global climate crisis.
Published Historic iceberg surges offer insights on modern climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A great armada entered the North Atlantic, launched from the cold shores of North America. But rather than ships off to war, this force was a fleet of icebergs. And the havoc it wrought was to the ocean current itself. The future of the Atlantic circulation will be determined by a tug-o-war between Greenland's decreasing ice flux and its increasing freshwater runoff.
Published Every drop counts: New algorithm tracks Texas daily reservoir evaporation rates
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a more accurate method for tracking reservoir evaporation rates that will improve water planning and management.
Published New method makes hydrogen from solar power and agricultural waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have helped design a new method to make hydrogen gas from water using only solar power and agricultural waste such as manure or husks. The method reduces the energy needed to extract hydrogen from water by 600%, creating new opportunities for sustainable, climate-friendly chemical production.
Published Controlling ion transport for a blue energy future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers probed the transit of cations across a nanopore membrane for the generation of osmotic energy. The team controlled the passage of cations across the membrane using a voltage applied to a gate electrode. This control allowed the cation-selective transport to be tuned from essentially zero to complete cation selectivity. The findings are expected to support the application of blue energy solutions for sustainable energy alternatives worldwide.
Published Origins of 'Welsh dragons' finally exposed by experts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A large fossil discovery has helped shed light on the history of dinosaurs in Wales.
Published High groundwater depletion risk in South Korea in 2080s
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Team utilizes advanced statistical techniques to project the future groundwater depletion risk.
Published Musankwa sanyatiensis, a new dinosaur from Zimbabwe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fossils found on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe represent a completely new dinosaur species. This remarkable find, named Musankwa sanyatiensis, marks only the fourth dinosaur species named from Zimbabwe.
Published Rapid urbanization in Africa transforms local food systems and threatens biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Urbanization in Africa is accelerating quickly, showing no signs of slowing down. An international team of researchers addresses critical gaps in our understanding of how this urbanization affects local food and ecological systems, emphasizing the importance of recognizing shifts in dietary patterns.
Published Antibiotic pollution disrupts the gut microbiome and blocks memory in aquatic snails
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Antibiotics prevent snails from forming new memories by disrupting their gut microbiome -- the community of beneficial bacteria found in their guts.
Published A drying Salton Sea pollutes neighboring communities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dust particles from the Salton Sea's exposed lakebed increased air pollution in local communities, found a new study. The pollution coincides with reduced flows into the lake and diversions to San Diego.
Published Abandoned farmlands could play a role in fighting climate change: A new study shows exactly where they are
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The team used machine learning to map nearly 30 million acres of United States cropland abandoned since the 1980s, creating a tool that could guide decisions about how to balance production of energy and food.
Published Electrochromic films -- like sunglasses for your windows?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Advances in electrochromic coatings may bring us closer to environmentally friendly ways to keep inside spaces cool. Like eyeglasses that darken to provide sun protection, the optical properties of these transparent films can be tuned with electricity to block out solar heat and light. Now, researchers report demonstrating a new electrochromic film design based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that quickly and reliably switch from transparent to glare-diminishing green to thermal-insulating red.
Published Risky path to meeting climate targets for Stockholm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Swedish capital Stockholm aims to capture more carbon dioxide than is emitted by 2030. Therefore, the city is investing in new technology at a combined heat and power plant. But it is a strategy that has been adopted without sufficient discussion of the risks.