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Categories: Anthropology: General, Geoscience: Landslides
Published Landslide risk remains years after even a weak earthquake
(via sciencedaily.com) Satellite observations have revealed that weak seismic ground shaking can trigger powerful landslide acceleration -- even several years after a significant earthquake.
Published Ancient DNA from medieval Germany tells the origin story of Ashkenazi Jews
(via sciencedaily.com) Extracting ancient DNA from teeth, an international group of scientists peered into the lives of a once-thriving medieval Ashkenazi Jewish community in Erfurt, Germany. The findings show that the Erfurt Jewish community was more genetically diverse than modern day Ashkenazi Jews.
Published Interdisciplinary environmental history: How narratives of the past can meet the challenges of the anthropocene
(via sciencedaily.com) A new article discusses vital methodological issues for humanities-based historical inquiry and argues that the challenges of the Anthropocene demand interdisciplinary research informed by a variety of historical narratives.
Published Human evolution wasn't just the sheet music, but how it was played
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of researchers has identified a group of human DNA sequences driving changes in brain development, digestion and immunity that seem to have evolved rapidly after our family line split from that of the chimpanzees, but before we split with the Neanderthals.
Published 'Primordial super-enhancers' provide early snapshot of the mechanisms that allowed for multicellularity
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has found that organelle-like transcriptional condensates are an ancient and flexible tool used by cells to drive rapid gene expression.
Published Satellites cast critical eye on coastal dead zones
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have found a new and better way to use remote sensing to understand where coastal dead zones are and predict changes.
Published 1,700-year-old spider monkey remains discovered in Teotihuacán, Mexico
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The complete skeletal remains of a spider monkey -- seen as an exotic curiosity in pre-Hispanic Mexico -- grants researchers new evidence regarding social-political ties between two ancient powerhouses: Teotihuacán and Maya Indigenous rulers. The remains of other animals were also discovered, as well as thousands of Maya-style mural fragments and over 14,000 ceramic sherds from a grand feast. These pieces are more than 1,700 years old.
Published Oldest evidence of the controlled use of fire to cook food, researchers report
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The remains of a huge carp fish mark the earliest signs of cooking by prehistoric human to 780,000 years ago, predating the available data by some 600,000 years, according to researchers.
Published Using 1980s environmental modeling to mitigate future disasters: Could Japan's 3/11 disaster have been prevented?
(via sciencedaily.com) On March 11, 2011, multiple catastrophes in Japan were triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, including the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This event, also known as the 3/11 disaster, is what is known as a compound disaster. Now that over a decade has passed since this event, researchers are investigating how to prevent the next compound disaster.
Published Report outlines plans for major research effort on subduction zone geologic hazards
(via sciencedaily.com) Subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, produce the most devastating seismic, volcanic, and landslide hazards on the planet. A new report presents an ambitious plan to make major advances in understanding subduction zone hazards by bringing together a diverse community of scientists in a long-term collaborative effort, deploying new instrumentation in subduction zones, and developing more sophisticated and accurate models.
Published Physics of disaster: How mudslides move
(via sciencedaily.com) A devastating fire followed by an intense rainstorm triggered mudslides in Southern California in 2018 that claimed 23 lives. New findings elucidate the physics behind the deadly disaster that may inform predictive models of future mudslides.
Published Seismic sensing reveals flood damage potential
(via sciencedaily.com) Rapidly evolving floods are a major and growing hazard worldwide. Currently, their onset and evolution is hard to identify using existing systems. However, seismic sensors already in place to detect earthquakes could be a solution to this problem. Researchers show that a seismometer can sense a flood, such as the devastating one that hit Germany in July 2021, up to 1.5 km away. This could act as an early warning to save lives and lessen damage. They also found that being able to measure the 'seismic footprint' of the flood provides information on its magnitude, velocity and trajectory in real time, which could be used for future flood protection.
Published Under pressure: Rethinking coastal land use and adaptation strategies
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers recently published a study looking at land use changes from the past and the importance of taking factors such as socio-economic development and the dynamic nature of coastal environments into consideration to make these areas more resilient to climate change.
Published Report shows tectonics to be main driver of hillslope 'connectivity'
(via sciencedaily.com) A new large-scale analysis of hillslope connectivity at the continental scale was recently published. The study gives new understanding of mechanisms that determine how effectively hillslopes drive floods and landslides, as well as promote the presence of wetlands.
Published New nationwide strategy brings scientists, communities together to help reduce landslide risks
(via sciencedaily.com) Landslides are inevitable, but landslide disasters are not. With this in mind, the U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report that details the strategic actions necessary to equitably reduce the Nation's risk from landslide hazards.
Published Ancient landslide destroyed area size of Cincinnati
(via sciencedaily.com) University of Cincinnati geologists reconstructed a massive landslide in Nevada that wiped out an area the size of a small city more than 5 million years ago. Researchers pieced together details of the Blue Diamond landslide, a natural disaster that sent rocks and boulders tumbling more than 6 miles across what is now a desert outside Las Vegas. The landslide in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area had such mass and force that it propelled fragmented rock 2 miles uphill, cresting the enormous Blue Diamond Hill, and flattened an area larger than downtown Cincinnati. Rubble from the landslide stretches over an area of more than 7 square miles.
Published We need to change how we think about soil
(via sciencedaily.com) With record temperatures this summer along with dry conditions, ongoing concerns about food security, wildlife habitats and biodiversity, having a healthy soil system is more vital and challenging than ever before. But what does the term 'soil health' mean and how should we measure it? New research says that how we think about, measure and study soil must be changed to give a better understanding of how to manage this resource effectively, with academics proposing an entirely new approach for assessing soil health.
Published How charred detritus dispersed from Goleta Beach in wake of 2018 Montecito, California, debris flow
(via sciencedaily.com) The catastrophic debris flow that affected Montecito, Calif., in early January, 2018 was the result of a rare confluence of severe events. The Thomas Fire had been raging for weeks in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and an unusually strong winter storm dumped half an inch of rain in five minutes on the newly-charred hills above the suburban enclave. With the tough vegetation that holds the hillsides in place burned off by the fire, tons of water, silt, burnt plant matter and rocks roared down the slopes and engulfed the community below, causing massive damage and the death of 23 residents.
Published New model developed to predict landslides along wildfire burn scars
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have augmented a physics-based numerical model to investigate and predict areas susceptible to debris flows. This augmented model eventually could be used in an early warning system for people living in high-risk areas, enabling them to evacuate before it's too late. Information from model simulations also could be used to design new infrastructure -- such as diversion bars that deflect fast-moving water away from homes and roads -- for high hazard zones.
Published Mangrove and reef restoration yield positive returns on investment for flood protection, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Restoration of mangroves and coral reefs can be a cost-effective solution for coastal flood reduction in more than 20 countries across the Caribbean. Researchers used methods from the risk and insurance industry to provide rigorous valuations of these natural defenses and show that they can deliver a positive return on investment, with the benefits from reduced flood damage exceeding the costs of restoration. The results point toward new opportunities to support restoration efforts with funds from sources that support hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and disaster recovery, including FEMA.