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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published Astronomers share climate-friendly meeting solutions



Carbon emissions associated with air travel to professional conferences make up a sizable fraction of the emissions produced by researchers in academia.
Published Scientists show ancient village adapted to drought, rising seas



Researchers have unveiled evidence for ancient human resilience to climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Published Researchers develop an AI model to reduce uncertainty in evapotranspiration prediction



Evapotranspiration (ET) includes evaporation from soil and open water pools such as lakes, rivers, and ponds, as well as transpiration from plant leaves. The difference between precipitation and ET indicates the water balance available for societal needs, including agricultural and industrial production. However, measuring ET is challenging. A new study presents a computer model that uses artificial intelligence (AI) for ET prediction based on remote sensing estimates.
Published Climate change and mercury pollution stressed plants for millions of years



The link between massive flood basalt volcanism and the end-Triassic (201 million years ago) mass-extinction is commonly accepted. However, exactly how volcanism led to the collapse of ecosystems and the extinction of entire families of organisms is difficult to establish. Extreme climate change from the release of carbon dioxide, degradation of the ozone layer due to the injection of damaging chemicals, and the emissions of toxic pollutants, are all seen as contributing factors. One toxic element stands out: mercury.
Published Low-intensity grazing is locally better for biodiversity but challenging for land users, a new study shows



A team of researchers has investigated the motivation and potential incentives for and challenges of low-intensity grazing among farmers and land users in Europe.
Published Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap



Researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation industry.
Published Big data reveals true climate impact of worldwide air travel



A new study that looked at nearly 40 million flights in 2019 calculated the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel for essentially every country on the planet. At 911 million tons, the total emissions from aviation are 50 per cent higher than the 604 million tons reported to the United Nations for that year.
Published A virus could help save billions of gallons of wastewater produced by fracking



An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater -- or produced water -- is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report. The major waste stream has proved both difficult and costly to treat because of the chemical complexity of the water.
Published Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind plant adaptation: New insights into the evolution of a water-saving trait in the pineapple family (bromeliaceae)



Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Tillandsia (air plants). This sheds light on the complex actions that cause plant adaptation and ecological diversity.
Published E-bike incentives prove to be worth the investment



Electric bicycle rebates have exploded in popularity in North America as transportation planners try to get people out of their cars and into healthier, more climate-friendly alternatives. However, questions remain: Are new cycling habits sustainable? Who benefits most from these incentives? And are they worth the cost? Researchers now have some answers.
Published Fading lights: Multiple threats to North America's firefly populations



Scientists have applied a data-driven approach to understanding firefly population dynamics on a continental scale. Key findings from this new study indicate that fireflies, part of the beetle order, are sensitive to various environmental factors, from short-term weather conditions to longer climatic trends, including the number of growing-degree days related to temperature accumulations.
Published How can forests be reforested in a climate-friendly way?



Europe's forests have already been severely affected by climate change. Thousands of hectares of trees have already died due to drought and bark beetles. Scientists have now investigated which trees can be used for reforestation. Their findings: only a few tree species are fit for the future, such as English oak in the UK. However, mixed forests are important for the survival of forests, otherwise the forest ecosystem as a whole could be weakened.
Published Fixin' to be flexitarian: Scrap fish and invasive species can liven up vegetables



Greening the way we eat needn't mean going vegetarian. A healthy, more realistic solution is to adopt a flexitarian diet where seafoods add umami to 'boring' vegetables. A gastrophysicist puts mathematical equations to work in calculating the umami potential of everything from seaweed and shrimp paste to mussels and mackerel.
Published Mobile device location data is already used by private companies, so why not for studying human-wildlife interactions



When did you last go anywhere without your cell phone? From maps and weather apps to social media platforms, we give consent for our phones to trace our footsteps and behavior. These curated mobility data are often used for personalized advertisements. Scientists now argue mobility data can offer so much more -- it is key to understanding human-wildlife interactions for guiding policy decisions on sustainability-related issues and should be free and accessible for research.
Published Energy trades could help resolve Nile conflict



Scientists have shed light on a new, transformative approach that could help resolve a dispute over the Nile river's water resources.
Published How geography acts as a structural determinant of health



In unincorporated communities in the United States-Mexico borderlands, historically and socially marginalized populations become invisible to the healthcare system, showing that geography acts as a structural determinant of health for low-income populations.
Published Ancient Maya blessed their ballcourts



Using environmental DNA analysis, an international team of researchers identified a collection of plants used in ceremonial rituals in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah in Mexico. The plants, known for their religious associations and medicinal properties, were discovered beneath a plaza floor where a ballcourt was built.
Published Scientists capture X-rays from upward positive lightning



Researchers have for the first time recorded X-rays being produced at the beginning of upward positive lightning flashes; an observation that gives important insight into the origins of this rare -- and particularly dangerous -- form of lightning.
Published Genetic hope in fight against devastating wheat disease



Fungal disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) is on the rise due to increasingly humid conditions induced by climate change during the wheat growing season, but a fundamental discovery could help reduce its economic harm.
Published Recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge ash



Chemical and heat treatment of sewage sludge can recover phosphorus in a process that could help address the problem of diminishing supplies of phosphorus ores.