The earliest atmosphere on Mercury
Mercury is a most unusual planet. The smallest planet in the solar system, and the closest planet to the sun, it is in a 3:2 spin resonance, slowly turning and experiencing scorching heat up to 430 degrees Celsius, and the night side frigid, down to.....»»
Simulated chemistry: New AI platform designs tomorrow"s cancer drugs
Scientists at UC San Diego have developed a machine learning algorithm to simulate the time-consuming chemistry involved in the earliest phases of drug discovery, which could significantly streamline the process and open doors for never-before-seen t.....»»
Nanoparticle catalysts convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide to make useful compounds
As a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) contributes to climate change as it accumulates in the atmosphere. One way to reduce the amount of unwanted CO2 in the atmosphere is to convert the gas into a useful carbon product that can be used to generat.....»»
Astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars
MIT astronomers have observed the elusive starlight surrounding some of the earliest quasars in the universe. The distant signals, which trace back more than 13 billion years to the universe's infancy, are revealing clues to how the very first black.....»»
Radio astronomers bypass disturbing Earth"s atmosphere with new calibration technique
An international team of researchers led by astronomers from Leiden University (Netherlands) has produced the first sharp radio maps of the universe at low frequencies. Thanks to a new calibration technique, they bypassed the disturbances of the Eart.....»»
Researcher: Climate models can run for months on supercomputers—but my new algorithm can make them ten times faster
Climate models are some of the most complex pieces of software ever written, able to simulate a vast number of different parts of the overall system, such as the atmosphere or ocean. Many have been developed by hundreds of scientists over decades and.....»»
Are carbon-capture models effective?
Reforestation efforts to restock depleted forests are important for addressing climate change and for both capturing and restoring carbon from the Earth's atmosphere. These types of solutions to mitigate carbon emissions are critical after 2023 prove.....»»
Rising mercury levels may contribute to declining Steller sea lion populations
A team of researchers from Texas A&M University and other institutions has made a surprising discovery about rising mercury levels in Steller sea lion pups that may have detrimental effects on the endangered species......»»
Research quantifies "gap" in carbon removal for first time—shows countries need more awareness, ambition and action
New research involving the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that countries' current plans to remove CO2 from the atmosphere will not be enough to comply with the 1.5ºC warming limit set out under the Paris Agreement......»»
International team cracks genomic code for earliest forms of terrestrial plant life
Plant life first emerged on land about 550 million years ago, and an international research team co-led by University of Nebraska–Lincoln computational biologist Yanbin Yin has cracked the genomic code of its humble beginnings, which made possible.....»»
Weak magnetic field may have supported diversification of life on Earth
An unusual reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field between 591 and 565 million years ago coincided with a significant increase in the oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Env.....»»
New computer algorithm supercharges climate models and could lead to better predictions of future climate change
Earth System Models—complex computer models that describe Earth processes and how they interact—are critical for predicting future climate change. By simulating the response of our land, oceans and atmosphere to manmade greenhouse gas emissions,.....»»
An AI model to reduce uncertainty in evapotranspiration prediction
When scientists look at the Earth's available water for ecosystem services, they don't just look at precipitation. They must also account for water moving from the ground to the atmosphere, a process known as evapotranspiration (ET)......»»
Artificial intelligence helps scientists engineer plants to fight climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has declared that removing carbon from the atmosphere is now essential to fighting climate change and limiting global temperature rise. To support these efforts, Salk Institute scientists are harne.....»»
Airborne observations of Asian monsoon sees ozone-depleting substances lofting into the stratosphere
Powerful monsoon winds, strengthened by a warming climate, are lofting unexpectedly large quantities of ozone-depleting substances high into the atmosphere over East Asia, new research shows......»»
A new electrochemical approach could reduce ocean acidity and remove carbon in the process
In the effort to combat the catastrophic impacts of global warming, we must accelerate carbon emissions reduction efforts and rapidly scale strategies to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and the oceans. The technologies for reducing ou.....»»
From the coast to the deep sea, changing oxygen levels affect marine life in different ways
Earth's atmosphere maintains a constant level of oxygen, whether it is a wintry, rainy day or hot summer. Across the ocean, oxygen concentrations vary enormously between different places and over time. Sometimes oxygen levels change within the course.....»»
Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
Climate change caused by CO2 emissions already in the atmosphere will shrink global GDP in 2050 by about $38 trillion, or almost a fifth, no matter how aggressively humanity cuts carbon pollution, researchers said Wednesday......»»
The Italian central Apennines are a source of CO₂, study finds
Tectonically active mountains play an important role in the natural CO2 regulation of the atmosphere. Competing processes take place here: At Earth's surface, erosion drives weathering processes that absorb or release CO2, depending on the type of ro.....»»
Using deep learning to image the Earth"s planetary boundary layer
Although the troposphere is often thought of as the closest layer of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, the planetary boundary layer (PBL)—the lowest layer of the troposphere—is actually the part that most significantly influences weather nea.....»»
The Rise of the Carbon Farmer
Farmers around the world are reigniting the less intensive agricultural practices of yesteryear—to improve soil health, raise yields, and trap carbon in the atmosphere back down in the soil......»»