How simulations could help get PFAS out of soil
Michigan State University chemists are discovering new information to help remediate "forever chemicals" by showing for the first time how they interact with soil at the molecular level......»»
New plant-based glitter shows no harm to soil organisms
Plastic pollution is everywhere. Each year, over 368 million metric tons of plastics are produced with over 13 million metric tons of it ending up in the soil where it can be toxic to wildlife......»»
Study finds it could take over 40 years to flush PFAS out of groundwater
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater in North Carolina's Cumberland and Bladen counties, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. The study.....»»
Increasing plant diversity in agriculture can promote soil carbon sequestration
A study carried out at the University of Helsinki demonstrates that boosting plant diversity in agriculture can increase plant biomass and improve plant–microbe interactions, both of which promote the storage of carbon in the soil......»»
Cosmic-ray neutron rover assists in estimating mesoscale soil moisture on eastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau
Soil water resources are crucial for hydrological processes and ecosystem functions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, accurately measuring soil moisture distribution in this region is challenging due to diverse ecosystems, complex terrain, and.....»»
The transition to a circular bioeconomy requires getting prices right, study says
Conventional food and agricultural production systems employ a linear "take, make, waste" approach: taking natural resources from the Earth to make food and fuel, generating waste that contaminates the soil and water, and emitting harmful pollutants......»»
Scientists explore geothermal energy potential in supercritical reservoirs
A team of EPFL scientists has provided insight into the mechanisms at work in geothermal reservoirs located deep underground, known as supercritical reservoirs. Through a combination of computer simulations and lab experiments, they showed that rocks.....»»
Capturing finer-scale topographic differences improves Earth system model capability to reproduce observations
Earth system models (ESMs), used in climate simulations and projections, typically use grids of 50–200 km resolution. These are considered relatively coarse with limited ability to resolve land surface variability......»»
New research uncovers how climate and soil shape tree and shrub wood density across ecosystems
An article published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences has provided new insights into how wood density in trees and shrubs adapts to different climate and soil conditions. Led by Dr. Song Xiang from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chine.....»»
Decades-long research reveals new understanding of how climate change may impact caches of Arctic soil carbon
Utilizing one of the longest-running ecosystem experiments in the Arctic, a Colorado State University-led team of researchers has developed a better understanding of the interplay among plants, microbes and soil nutrients—findings that offer new in.....»»
Why PFAS-enriched foam is forming on some of the cleanest lakes in the country
A curious phenomenon springs up occasionally on New York's Finger Lakes: white foam, sometimes in miles-long swathes, almost as if a massive washing machine emptied out into the water......»»
Report: Global drought threatens food supplies and energy production
In July 2024, global temperatures reached unprecedented levels, breaking historical records with an average of 17.16°C. This extreme heat has led soil water to evaporate, leaving the vegetation and biodiversity more fragile and under stress in many.....»»
The biodiversity jukebox: How sound can boost beneficial soil microbes to heal nature
In a race against time, scientists are exploring new ways to restore natural systems. Alongside traditional methods such as planting trees, reducing pollution and reintroducing native species, a surprising new tool is emerging: sound. Ecologists can.....»»
AI model detects impervious surfaces in aerial images
In accordance with the German Sustainability Strategy, new impervious surfaces are to be limited to less than 30 hectares per day nationwide. In order to verify whether this target is met, it must be possible to monitor soil sealing at regular interv.....»»
New synthesis strategy could speed up PFAS decontamination
Rice University engineers have developed an innovative way to make covalent organic frameworks (COFs), special materials that can be used to trap gases, filter water and speed up chemical reactions. COFs have the potential to address significant envi.....»»
Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain—new study
Small plastic particles are everywhere: in the soil where our food is grown, in the water we drink and in the air we breathe. They got there from the plastic we throw away, which ends up in landfill sites, rivers and seas. There the plastic waste slo.....»»
Enhancing hurricane forecasts: Simulations reveal reducing estimates of atmospheric friction improves storm predictions
Hurricanes and other extreme weather events are expensive in lives and money. From 1980 to 2023, weather and climate disasters caused about $2.6 trillion in damages in the U.S., according to NOAA estimates. In 2022 alone, the U.S. experienced 18 disa.....»»
Study suggests moon may have been captured from space rather than formed from collision particles
Over six missions to the moon, from 1969 to 1972, Apollo astronauts collected more than 800 pounds of lunar rock and soil. Chemical and isotopic analysis of that material showed that it was similar to the rock and soil on Earth: calcium-rich, basalti.....»»
Presence of bacteria in soil makes flowers more attractive to pollinators, study shows
Bacteria that live in soil and help roots fix nitrogen can boost certain plants' capacity to reproduce, according to an article published in the American Journal of Botany describing a study of this mechanism in Chamaecrista latistipula, a legume bel.....»»
Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops
Nitrogen in the soil, where plants can readily utilize it, benefits crop growth and health. However, nitrogen leaving the soil—whether through leaching into the groundwater table, flowing with surface runoff into streams or escaping into the air as.....»»
Researchers explore novel approach to map forest dieback in satellite images
Forests and woodlands cover one third of Earth's surface and play a critical role in carbon sequestration, water regulation, timber production, soil protection, and biodiversity conservation. Accelerated by climate change, the decline of these and ot.....»»