Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Groundbreaking images of root chemicals offer new insights on plant growth      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Applying imaging technology to plant roots, researchers have developed a new understanding of chemicals that are responsible for plant growth. The chemical 'roadmap' identifies where key molecules are distributed along corn roots and how their placement factors into the plant's maturation.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Plants remove cancer causing toxins from air      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A ground-breaking study has revealed that plants can efficiently remove toxic gasoline fumes, including cancer causing compounds such as benzene, from indoor air.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Arctic ground squirrels changing hibernation patterns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research analyzes more than 25 years of climate and biological data. The findings include shorter hibernation periods in arctic ground squirrels, as well as differences between male and female hibernation periods.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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.

Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Engineers harvest abundant clean energy from thin air, 24/7      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of engineers has recently shown that nearly any material can be turned into a device that continuously harvests electricity from humidity in the air. Researchers describe the 'generic Air-gen effect'-- nearly any material can be engineered with nanopores to harvest, cost effective, scalable, interruption-free electricity. The secret lies in being able to pepper the material with nanopores less than 100 nanometers in diameter.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Severe Weather Mathematics: Modeling
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.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Microplastics are harming gut health      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have found evidence that microplastics in the digestive tract of seabirds altered the microbiome of the gut -- increasing the presence of pathogens and antibiotic-resistant microbes, while decreasing the beneficial bacteria found in the intestines.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

'Sustainable' condenser tumble dryers create hundreds of tons of waterborne microfiber pollution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has revealed that drying laundry using a condenser tumble dryer leads to hundreds of tons of potentially harmful microfibers being released into waterways and oceans across the UK and Europe.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

New technique substantially reduces mouse damage to crops even during plagues      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A non-toxic method to prevent mice from devouring wheat crops has been shown to drastically reduce seed loss.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Volcanoes Paleontology: Climate
Published

Extinct offshore volcano could store gigatons of carbon dioxide      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study concludes that an extinct volcano off the shore of Portugal could store as much as 1.2-8.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of ~24-125 years of the country's industrial emissions. For context, in 2022 a total of 42.6 megatons (0.0426 gigatons) of carbon dioxide was removed from the atmosphere by international carbon capture and storage efforts, according to the Global CCS Institute. The new study suggests that carbon capture and storage in offshore underwater volcanoes could be a promising new direction for removal and storage of much larger volumes of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Researchers examine cooling power plants with brackish groundwater      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Nontraditional water sources can be deployed to help cope with climate-induced water risks and tackle the increasing water demand for decarbonization of fossil fuel-fired power plants, but that could increase the cost of electricity generation by 8 percent to 10 percent.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Modular builds may help construction industry weather a perfect storm      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have calculated the potential cost savings for builders who opt for modular construction techniques to avoid lengthy and expensive holdups caused by poor weather.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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.