Showing 20 articles starting at article 721
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Geoscience: Geography
Published What turned Earth into a giant snowball 700 million years ago? Scientists now have an answer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Inspired during field work in South Australia's Flinders Ranges, geoscientists have proposed that all-time low volcanic carbon dioxide emissions triggered a 57-million-year-long global 'Sturtian' ice age.
Published Replacing animal-based foods with alternative proteins would unlock land for carbon removal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's coal-generated power while simultaneously removing substantial CO2 from the atmosphere.
Published Green doesn't always mean clean: Cleaning products urgently need better regulation, researchers warn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say there needs to be better regulation and more guidance for consumers about how safe cleaning products really are.
Published BESSY II: Molecular orbitals determine stability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carboxylic acid dianions (fumarate, maleate and succinate) play a role in coordination chemistry and to some extent also in the biochemistry of body cells. A team has now analyzed their electronic structures using RIXS in combination with DFT simulations. The results provide information not only on electronic structures but also on the relative stability of these molecules which can influence an industry's choice of carboxylate dianions, optimizing both the stability and geometry of coordination polymers.
Published How kelp forests persisted through the large 2014-2016 Pacific marine heatwave
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research reveals that denser, and more sheltered, kelp forests can withstand serious stressors amid warming ocean temperatures.
Published Researchers reveal elusive bottleneck holding back global effort to convert carbon dioxide waste into usable products
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Think of it as recycling on the nanoscale: a tantalizing electrochemical process that can harvest carbon before it becomes air pollution and restructure it into the components of everyday products. The drive to capture airborne carbon dioxide from industrial waste and make it into fuel and plastics is gaining momentum after a team of researchers uncovered precisely how the process works and where it bogs down.
Published Structural isomerization of individual molecules using a scanning tunneling microscope probe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has succeeded in controlling the chirality of individual molecules through structural isomerization. The team also succeeded in synthesizing highly reactive diradicals with two unpaired electrons. These achievements were made using a scanning tunneling microscope probe at low temperatures.
Published New study points to more climate extremes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found similarities between long-term climatic changes in South Australia and temperate agricultural areas in Argentina -- highlighting similarities across these Southern Hemisphere countries. As temperature records tumble, and the threat of bushfires and dry conditions looms large, researchers renew the urgency of calls to make more concerted efforts to prepare for climate extremes in South Australia.
Published Chemists decipher reaction process that could improve lithium-sulfur batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lithium-sulfur batteries have exceptional theoretical capacity and performance in combination with an element in abundant supply. But the intricate reaction mechanism, particularly during discharge, has been challenging to solve. Researchers have identified the key pathways to a complex sulfur reduction reaction that leads to energy loss and reduced battery life span. The study's findings establish the whole reaction network for the first time and offer insight into electrocatalyst design for improved batteries.
Published A new origin story for deadly Seattle fault
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Seattle fault zone is a network of shallow faults slicing through the lowlands of Puget Sound, threatening to create damaging earthquakes for the more than four million people who live there. A new origin story, proposed in a new study, could explain the fault system's earliest history and help scientists improve hazard modeling for the densely populated region.
Published Solving an age-old mystery about crystal formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A crystals expert has published an answer to how crystals are formed and how molecules become a part of them, solving an age-old mystery about crystal formation.
Published Number of shark bites consistent with recent trends, with small spike in fatalities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There was an increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and an uptick in fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year. A scientific database of global shark attacks, confirmed 69 unprovoked bites in 2023. Although this is higher than the most recent five-year average of 63 attacks, the data remain consistent with long-term trends.
Published Unveiling the generation principles of charged particles 'trion' in 2D semiconductor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers pioneer dynamic manipulation and the generation principles of trion at the nanoscale using tip-enhanced cavity-spectroscopy.
Published Small but mighty -- study highlights the abundance and importance of the ocean's tiniest inhabitants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research sheds light on tiny plankton, which measure less than 0.02mm in diameter but can make up more than 70% of the plankton biomass found in the ocean.
Published Study challenges the classical view of the origin of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and warns of its vulnerability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Circumpolar Current works as a regulator of the planet's climate. Its origins were thought to have caused the formation of the permanent ice in Antarctica about 34 million years ago. Now, a study has cast doubt on this theory, and has changed the understanding of how the ice sheet in Antarctic developed in the past, and what this could mean in the future as the planet's climate changes.
Published Vitamin B12 adaptability in Antarctic algae has implications for climate change, life in the Southern Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The algae P. antarctica has two forms of the enzyme that makes the amino acid methionine, one needing B12, and one that is slower, but doesn't need it. This means it has the ability to adapt and survive with low B12 availability. The presence of the MetE gene in P. antarctica gives the algae the ability to adapt to lower vitamin B12 availability, giving it a potential advantage to bloom in the early austral spring when bacterial production is low. P. antarctica takes in the CO2 and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. Understanding its ability to grow in environments with low vitamin B12 availability can help climate modelers make more accurate predictions.
Published Direct view of tantalum oxidation that impedes qubit coherence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have used a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and computational modeling to get a closer look and deeper understanding of tantalum oxide. When this amorphous oxide layer forms on the surface of tantalum -- a superconductor that shows great promise for making the 'qubit' building blocks of a quantum computer -- it can impede the material's ability to retain quantum information. Learning how the oxide forms may offer clues as to why this happens -- and potentially point to ways to prevent quantum coherence loss.
Published In a warming world, climate scientists consider category 6 hurricanes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For more than 50 years, the National Hurricane Center has used the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to communicate the risk of property damage; it labels a hurricane on a scale from Category 1 (wind speeds between 74 -- 95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds of 158 mph or greater). But as increasing ocean temperatures contribute to ever more intense and destructive hurricanes, climate scientists wondered whether the open-ended Category 5 is sufficient to communicate the risk of hurricane damage in a warming climate.
Published Unveiling Oxidation-induced Super-elasticity in Metallic Glass Nanotubes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Oxidation can degrade the properties and functionality of metals. However, a research team recently found that severely oxidized metallic glass nanotubes can attain an ultrahigh recoverable elastic strain, outperforming most conventional super-elastic metals. They also discovered the physical mechanisms underpinning this super-elasticity. Their discovery implies that oxidation in low-dimension metallic glass can result in unique properties for applications in sensors, medical devices and other nanodevices.
Published Permafrost alone holds back Arctic rivers -- and a lot of carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first evidence that the Arctic's frozen soil is the dominant force shaping Earth's northernmost rivers, confining them to smaller areas and shallower valleys than rivers to the south. But as climate change weakens Arctic permafrost, the researchers calculate that every 1 degree Celsius of global warming could release as much carbon as 35 million cars emit in a year as polar waterways expand and churn up the thawing soil.