Microbes feast on crushed rock in subglacial lakes beneath Antarctica
Pioneering research has revealed the erosion of ancient sediments found deep beneath Antarctic ice could be a vital and previously unknown source of nutrients and energy for abundant microbial life......»»
Trees reveal climate surprise: Microbes living in bark remove methane from the atmosphere
Tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere, according to a study published 24 July in Nature......»»
Surprise blast of rock, water and steam in Yellowstone sends dozens running for safety
A surprise eruption in Yellowstone National Park shot steam, water and dark-colored rock and dirt high into the sky Tuesday and sent sightseers running for safety......»»
Seafloor sediment reveals previously unknown volcanic eruption 520,000 years ago in south Aegean Sea
"Core on deck!" For two months, whenever I heard that cry, I would run up to the deck of the JOIDES Resolution to watch the crew pull up a 30-foot (10-meter) cylindrical tube filled with layered, multicolored rock and sediment drilled from the seaflo.....»»
Team develops a technique to detect nutrients in soil faster and more affordably
Every year, Missouri farmers lose millions of dollars in valuable nutrients that wash away into rivers and lakes. These nutrients—nitrates and phosphates found in fertilizers—are crucial for plant growth, but they wreak havoc on aquatic life when.....»»
The worst gadget of 2024 has a killer camera feature
The Rabbit R1 isn't very good, but beneath the mediocre camera hides a really cool feature that just might make it worth buying after all......»»
Mexico tries to bring drought-stricken lake back to life
Mexican authorities are releasing thousands of juvenile fish and cleaning up freshwater springs as part of efforts to rejuvenate one of the country's lakes stricken by drought and heat waves......»»
How mantle hydration changes over the lifetime of a subduction zone
Because of interactions with Earth's hot mantle, water-logged oceanic plates release water as they slide beneath less dense overriding plates in subduction zones. This water rises and hydrates the mantle above it, contributing to the formation of vol.....»»
Lunar infrastructure could be protected by autonomously building a rock wall
Lunar exploration equipment at any future lunar base is in danger from debris blasted toward it by subsequent lunar landers. This danger isn't just theoretical—Surveyor III was a lander during the Apollo era that was damaged by Apollo 12's descent.....»»
Signatures of life could survive near surfaces of the moons Enceladus and Europa, NASA experiment suggests
Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, have evidence of oceans beneath their ice crusts. A NASA experiment suggests that if these oceans support life, signatures of that life in the form of organic molecules (e.g. amino acids, nu.....»»
NASA"s Curiosity rover discovers a surprise in a Martian rock
Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal something never seen before on the Red Planet: yellow sulfur crystals......»»
Rare butterfly is behind "mass destruction" of rare Miami plants: Can both be protected?
A small butterfly once thought extinct has staged such a comeback in South Florida that it is now considered a bit of a garden pest—and a persistent problem for a renowned research facility where its caterpillars feast on a curated collection of tr.....»»
One more way to die: Tremors when Vesuvius erupted collapsed shelter walls
Two male skeletons showed signs of severe fracture and trauma injuries. Enlarge / Two skeletons found in the ruins of a Pompeii building may have been crushed by wall collapses triggered by earthquakes. (credit: Pompeii Archaeolo.....»»
Microbes found to destroy certain "forever chemicals" by cleaving stubborn fluorine-to-carbon bonds
A UC Riverside environmental engineering team has discovered specific bacterial species that can destroy certain kinds of "forever chemicals," a step further toward low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water sources......»»
Crown-of-thorns starfish larvae feast on toxic cyanobacteria, study finds
Researchers have uncovered an under-the-sea phenomenon where coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish larvae have been feasting on blue-green algae bacteria known as "sea sawdust.".....»»
Microbial structures in Antarctic lake could reveal more about how life evolved
In the depths of remote Antarctic lakes, communities of microorganisms are thriving where few life forms can survive. Scientists are studying structures formed by these communities to understand more about microscopic life in these extreme environmen.....»»
"Alien invasion": Researchers identify which exotic animals may soon hitchhike into Australia
Australia is renowned for its native flora and fauna, but did you know the continent is also home to about 3,000 "alien" species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes?.....»»
Ancient microbes offer clues to how complex life evolved
A new study published in Science Advances reveals a surprising twist in the evolutionary history of complex life. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a single-celled organism, a close relative of animals, harbors the r.....»»
2023 Rolling Hills Estates landslide likely began the winter before
Californians are familiar with landslides that occur around storms, when saturated soil and rock loses its grip and slips from its perch on the substrate. These types of landslides can be triggered by intense rainfall, and incoming storms can be a wa.....»»
Why saline lakes are the canary in the coalmine for the world"s water resources
When it comes to inland surface water bodies, saline lakes are unique. They make up 44% of all lakes worldwide and are found on every continent including Antarctica. These lakes' existence depends on a delicate balance between a river basin's water i.....»»
Unprecedented warming threatens Earth"s lakes and their ecosystems
Lakes, with their rich biodiversity and important ecological services, face a concerning trend: rapidly increasing temperatures. A recent study published in Nature Geoscience by an international team of limnologists and climate modelers reveals that.....»»