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Categories: Archaeology: General, Geoscience: Earth Science
Published Petit-spot volcanoes involve the deepest known submarine hydrothermal activity, possibly release CO2 and methane
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Underwater volcanism and its hydrothermal activity play an important role in marine biogeochemical cycles, especially the carbon cycle. But the nature of hydrothermal activity at 'petit-spot' volcanoes have not been revealed at all. Now, scientists reveal that petit-spot hydrothermal activity occurs on the deepest seafloor known to date and could release carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, which may have implications for the global carbon cycle.
Published Thermal energy stored by land masses has increased significantly
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There are many effects of climate change. Perhaps the most broadly known is global warming, which is caused by heat building up in various parts of the Earth system, such as the atmosphere, the ocean, the cryosphere and the land. 89 percent of this excess heat is stored in the oceans, with the rest in ice and glaciers, the atmosphere and land masses (including inland water bodies). An international research team has now studied the quantity of heat stored on land, showing the distribution of land heat among the continental ground, permafrost soils, and inland water bodies. The calculations show that more than 20 times as much heat has been stored there since the 1960s, with the largest increase being in the ground.
Published Ground beneath Thwaites Glacier mapped
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ground beneath Antarctica's most vulnerable glacier has now been mapped, helping scientists to better understand how it is being affected by climate change. Analysis of the geology below the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica shows there is less sedimentary rock than expected -- a finding that could affect how the ice slides and melts in the coming decades.
Published Mitigating climate change through restoration of coastal ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are proposing a novel pathway through which coastal ecosystem restoration can permanently capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrass and mangroves -- known as blue carbon ecosystems -- naturally capture carbon through photosynthesis, which converts carbon dioxide into living tissue.
Published 4,000-year-old plague DNA found -- the oldest cases to date in Britain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified three 4,000-year-old British cases of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria causing the plague -- the oldest evidence of the plague in Britain to date.
Published Robot centipedes go for a walk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers show how their multilegged walking robot can be steered by inducing a dynamic instability. By making the couplings between segments more flexible, the robot changes from walking straight to moving in a curved path. This work can lead to more energy-efficient and reliable robotic navigation of terrain.
Published Global flash droughts expected to increase in a warming climate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have published new findings on how our warming climate will affect the frequency of flash droughts and the risk to croplands globally.
Published Early toilets reveal dysentery in Old Testament Jerusalem
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Study of 2,500-year-old latrines from the biblical Kingdom of Judah shows the ancient faeces within contain Giardia -- a parasite that can cause dysentery.
Published River erosion can shape fish evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study of the freshwater greenfin darter fish suggests river erosion can be a driver of biodiversity in tectonically inactive regions.
Published Saving our soil: How to extend US breadbasket fertility for centuries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Midwestern United States has lost 57.6 billion tons of topsoil due to farming practices over the past 160 years, and the rate of erosion, even following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidelines, is still 25 times higher than the rate at which topsoil forms. Yet, we need not despair: researchers recently reported that no-till farming, which is currently practiced on 40 percent of cropland acres in the Midwest, can extend our current level of soil fertility for the next several centuries. This has implications for everything from food security to climate-change mitigation.
Published Iron-rich rocks unlock new insights into Earth's planetary history
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study suggests iron-rich ancient sediments may have helped cause some of the largest volcanic events in the planet's history.
Published Deep sea surveys detect over five thousand new species in future mining hotspot
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There is a massive, mineral-rich region in the Pacific Ocean -- about twice the size of India -- called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), which has already been divided up and assigned to companies for future deep-sea mining. To better understand what may be at risk once companies start mining, a team of biologists has built the first 'CCZ checklist' by compiling all the species records from previous research expeditions to the region. Their estimates of the species diversity of the CCZ included a total of 5,578 different species, an estimated 88% - 92% of which are entirely new to science.
Published New method predicts extreme events more accurately
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has used global storm-resolving simulations and machine learning to create an algorithm that can deal separately with two different scales of cloud organization: those resolved by a climate model, and those that cannot be resolved as they are too small. This new approach addresses the missing piece of information in traditional climate model parameterizations and provides a way to predict precipitation intensity and variability more precisely.
Published Consistent link between the seaside and better health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seaside residents and holidaymakers have felt it for centuries, but scientists have only recently started to investigate possible health benefits of the coast. Using data from 15 countries, new research confirms public intuition: Living near, but especially visiting, the seaside is associated with better health regardless of country or personal income.
Published Simultaneous atmospheric and marine observations directly beneath a violent, Category 5 typhoon in the North-West Pacific
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have successfully conducted a simultaneous marine and atmospheric measurements at multiple locations directly beneath a violent, Category 5, which is the strongest class, typhoon in the North-West Pacific, before it reached land.
Published Coastal ecosystems are a net greenhouse gas sink, new research shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new greenhouse gas budget shows coastal ecosystems globally are a net greenhouse gas sink for carbon dioxide (CO2) but emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) counteract some of the CO2 uptake, according to researchers.
Published Researchers want to use 'biochar' to combat climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new review of research suggests that the nature-based technology biochar -- a carbon-rich material -- could be an important tool to use in agriculture to help mitigate climate change.
Published Montreal protocol is delaying first ice-free Arctic summer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that the 1987 global treaty, designed to protect the ozone layer, has postponed the occurrence of the first ice-free Arctic by as much as 15 years.
Published Eruption of Tonga underwater volcano found to disrupt satellite signals halfway around the world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers found that the Hunga-Tonga eruption was associated with the formation of an equatorial plasma bubble in the ionosphere, a phenomenon associated with disruption of satellite-based communications. Their findings also suggest that a long-held atmospheric model should be revised.
Published Earlier snowpack melt in Western US could bring summer water scarcity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mountain snowpack, typically seen as the water tower of the Western United States and Canada, is in decline, according to a new study. Researchers created the Snow Storage Index to assess snow water storage from 1950-2013 and found that storage has significantly declined in more than 25% of the Mountain West, in part because more snow is melting during winter and spring.