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.....»»
The impact of human activity on air quality: A look at aerosol pollution before and after the Industrial Revolution
A recent study led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds new light on how human activities have altered the composition of the atmosphere over time, particularly focusing on secondary organic aerosols (SOA)......»»
James Webb is explaining the puzzle of some of the earliest galaxies
Webb has been causing bafflement in the field of cosmology. But the problem isn't that the universe is broken - it's that early black holes were playing tricks......»»
US grid adds batteries at 10x the rate of natural gas in first half of 2024
By year's end, 96 percent of the US's grid additions won't add carbon to the atmosphere. (credit: DOE) While solar power is growing at an extremely rapid clip, in absolute terms, the use of natural gas for electricity pr.....»»
Carbon emissions from forest soil will likely grow with rising temperatures
The soils of northern forests are key reservoirs that help keep the carbon dioxide that trees inhale and use for photosynthesis from making it back into the atmosphere. But a unique experiment led by Peter Reich of the University of Michigan is showi.....»»
From sun to Earth: A new network for comprehensive space weather monitoring
There's a lot going on between Earth's atmosphere and the sun. Accurately forecasting conditions in this area of space is challenging but critical to the safety of astronauts, satellites, and even ground-based systems such as power grids. Doing so re.....»»
Nitrogen deposition also reduces biodiversity on a larger scale, research shows
It has long been known that nitrogen deposition, where nitrogen is released from the atmosphere into soil or water, can lead to biodiversity loss on a small scale. New research shows that this effect can also be seen in larger areas of several kilome.....»»
Cluster mission set to end with reentry over South Pacific
On 8 September 2024, the first of four satellites that make up ESA's Cluster mission will reenter Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area......»»
Amazonian drought may have long-lasting effects on carbon cycle
The 2015–2016 El Niño hit the Amazon basin hard, causing a drought that severely reduced aboveground vegetation and caused the basin to release nearly 1 gigaton of carbon into the atmosphere......»»
Astronomers discover spectacular increase in the deuterium to hydrogen ratio in Venus"s atmosphere
Thanks to observations by the Solar Occultation in the Infrared (SOIR) instrument on the Venus Express space probe of the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers have discovered an unexpected increase in the abundances of two water molecule variants.....»»
Ancient tree resin artifacts provide earliest-known evidence of humans dispersing through the Pacific
Exactly when and how humans dispersed into and through the Pacific remains an intensely debated topic. Previous studies have been hampered by imprecise chronometric dating, making the exact timing and movement of people into the Pacific difficult to.....»»
Meteorites give the Moon its extremely thin atmosphere
Impacts that vaporize bits of the lunar surface maintain the Moon's thin atmosphere. Enlarge / Artist's rendition of the LADEE mission above the lunar surface. (credit: NASA/ Dana Berry) The Moon may not have much of an.....»»
"Mercury bomb" threatens millions as Arctic temperatures rise, study warns
The Yukon River flows west across Alaska toward the Bering Sea, eroding Arctic permafrost along its banks and transporting sediment downstream. Within that sediment lurks a toxic stowaway: mercury......»»
Wildfires are increasing toxic mercury in streams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, study finds
Wildfires have been burning across Idaho this summer, and their list of harmful impacts is long, from worsening health conditions because of smoke to challenges recovering millions in costs to fight them......»»
Rising mercury pollution in soil could be related to climate change, study suggests
In 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury went into effect, designed to help curb mercury emissions and limit exposure across the globe. However, a new study of mercury levels in soil suggests that the treaty's provisions might not be enough. A stu.....»»
New parameter enhances insights into the evolution of mantle"s redox states
The oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the mantle controls the speciation and mobility of volatiles within it, influencing the composition of volatiles released during mantle-derived magmatic activity, and thereby regulating the composition of the atmosphere......»»
The atmosphere in the room can affect strategic decision-making, study finds
The atmosphere within a group can influence the outcome of strategic decision-making, according to a new study co-authored by Bayes Business School (formerly Cass). The research is published in the Academy of Management Journal......»»
A hopper could explore more than 150 km of Triton"s surface in two years
Neptune's largest moon, Triton, is one of the most biologically interesting places in the solar system. Despite being hard to reach, it appears to have active volcanoes, a thin atmosphere, and even some organic molecules called tholins on its surface.....»»
Jamestown DNA helps solve a 400-year-old mystery and unexpectedly reveals a family secret
An ancient DNA (aDNA) study at the 17th-century English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, has identified two of the town's earliest settlers, and revealed an unexpected family secret......»»
Arctic Ocean may absorb less CO₂ than projected due to coastal erosion
As Earth warms, the Arctic Ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is waning due to melting permafrost and worsening coastal erosion, according to new research......»»
Mature forests are vital in frontline fight against climate change, research reveals
Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change—extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood, a new study reveals......»»