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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Geoscience: Landslides
Published Mountain growth influences greenhouse effect
(via sciencedaily.com) A group of researchers has taken advantage of different erosion rates and investigated how uplift and erosion of rocks determine the balance of carbon emissions and uptake. The surprising result: at high erosion rates, weathering processes release carbon dioxide; at low erosion rates, they sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Published Bacteria help plants grow better
(via sciencedaily.com) A current study by scientists sheds light on an unusual interdependence: Maize can attract special soil bacteria that, in turn, help the plants to grow better. In the long term, the results could be used to breed new varieties that use less fertilizer and therefore have less impact on the environment.
Published Scientists develop eco-friendly pollen sponge to tackle water contaminants
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have created a reusable, biodegradable sponge that can readily soak up oil and other organic solvents from contaminated water sources, making it a promising alternative for tackling marine oil spills. Made of sunflower pollen, the sponge is hydrophobic thanks to its coat of natural fatty acid. In lab experiments, the scientists showed the sponge's ability to absorb oil contaminants of various densities, such as gasoline and motor oil, at a rate comparable to that of commercial oil absorbents.
Published Ozone pollution harms maize crops, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has shown that ozone in the lower layers of the atmosphere decreases crop yields in maize and changes the types of chemicals that are found inside the leaves.
Published With drop in LA's vehicular aerosol pollution, vegetation emerges as major source
(via sciencedaily.com) Organic aerosol pollutants have decreased in the Los Angeles area due to strict vehicle emissions controls, but aerosol levels still rise in hot weather to unhealthful levels. While some attribute these aerosols to household cleaning products, researchers have identified a more probable cause: chemicals emitted by vegetation. Given the number of trees in LA, like the isoprene-emiting Mexican fan palm, it's likely that 25% of organic aerosols are from plants.
Published Twice as much carbon flowing from land to ocean than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study provides new estimates of this elusive component of the global carbon cycle.
Published Chemical processes identified as key to understanding landslides
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study results are based on investigations of repeated mass movements and are expected to benefit planning, maintenance, and development of transportation infrastructure in affected areas.
Published Study predicts the oceans will start emitting ozone-depleting CFCs
(via sciencedaily.com) The ocean, a longtime reservoir for CFC-11, will become a source of the ozone-depleting chemical by middle of next century.
Published Oil in the ocean photooxidizes within hours to days, new study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study demonstrates that under realistic environmental conditions oil drifting in the ocean after the DWH oil spill photooxidized into persistent compounds within hours to days, instead over long periods of time as was thought during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This is the first model results to support the new paradigm of photooxidation that emerged from laboratory research.
Published Red Snapper in the Gulf show signs of stress after Gulf oil spill
(via sciencedaily.com) Nearly all of the Red Snapper sampled in the Gulf of Mexico over a six-year period following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill showed evidence of liver damage.
Published Recyclable bioplastic membrane to clear oil spills from water
(via sciencedaily.com) Polymer scientists have developed a polymer membrane from biobased malic acid. It is a superamphiphilic vitrimer epoxy resin membrane that can be used to separate water and oil. This membrane is fully recyclable. When the pores are blocked by foulants, it can be depolymerized, cleaned and subsequently pressed into a new membrane.
Published Legume trees key to supporting tropical forest growth
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found that nitrogen-fixing legume trees can support themselves and surrounding trees not only with increased access to nitrogen, but with other key nutrients through enhanced mineral weathering.
Published Sea level rise up to four times global average for coastal communities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that coastal populations are experiencing relative sea-level rise up to four times faster than the global average. The study is the first to analyze global sea-level rise combined with measurements of sinking land. The impacts are far larger than the global numbers reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The high rates of relative sea-level rise are most urgent in South, South East and East Asia.
Published Want to cut emissions that cause climate change? Tax carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Putting a price on producing carbon is the cheapest, most efficient policy change legislators can make to reduce emissions that cause climate change, new research suggests.
Published Gulf Oil Spill's long-lasting legacy for dolphins
(via sciencedaily.com) Health impacts from a 2010 spill are found even in dolphins born years later.
Published COVID-19 lockdown highlights ozone chemistry in China
(via sciencedaily.com) Recently, the ozone season in China has been getting longer, spreading from summer into early spring and late winter. The COVID-19 lockdown can help explain why. Researchers found that decreases in NOx emissions are driving increased ozone pollution in late winter in China.
Published Post-wildfire landslides becoming more frequent in southern California
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Southern California can now expect to see post-wildfire landslides occurring almost every year, with major events expected roughly every ten years, a new study finds. The results show Californians are now facing a double whammy of increased wildfire and landslide risk caused by climate change-induced shifts in the state's wet and dry seasons, according to researchers who mapped landslide vulnerability in the southern half of the state.
Published Forests' long-term capacity to store carbon is dropping in regions with extreme annual fires
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have analysed decades' worth of data on the impact of repeated fires on ecosystems across the world. Their results show that repeated fires are driving long-term changes to tree communities and reducing their population sizes.
Published Traditional hydrologic models may misidentify snow as rain, new citizen science data shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Normally, we think of the freezing point of water as 32°F - but in the world of weather forecasting and hydrologic prediction, that isn't always the case. In the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevada, the shift from snow to rain during winter storms may actually occur at temperatures closer to 39.5°F, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Lynker Technologies, and citizen scientists from the Tahoe Rain or Snow project.
Published Long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution increases risk of heart and lung disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Analysis of records for more than 63 million Medicare enrollees from 2000 to 2016 finds long-term exposure to air pollution had a significant impact on the number of people hospitalized for cardiac and respiratory conditions. Researchers examined three components of air pollution: fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Even levels lower than national standards affected heart and respiratory illnesses.