America
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Science
Oldest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Mayan lowlands
Researchers scouting the Crooked Tree Wildlife Refuge CTWS have found evidence of large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facilities. Credit: Belize River East Archeology (BREA) Project Archaeologists at the University of New Hampshire and their team have collected data showing the existence of large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facilities. Discovered in Belize’s largest inland wetland, the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the researchers believe it…
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Environment
Why is South America burning?
A helicopter sprays water on a forest fire in the hills of Quito on September 25, 2024. A record wave of wildfires, driven by severe drought linked to climate change and deforestation, is wreaking havoc across South America. The fire killed at least 30 people, blanketed the city in toxic smoke and caused millions of dollars in economic losses. This…
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Earth
Ocean dust identifies oldest ice near South America dating back 1.5 million years
Benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotopes and marine and ice dust records from ODP site 1090, IODP site U1537, Dome Fuji (DF), and Epica Dome C (EDC). Dating back up to 2 million years. Climate cycles are indicated by dominant patterns of 40,000-year, 100,000-year, and irregular mid-Pleistocene transitions (MPTs). Credit: Past Climate (2024). DOI: 10.5194/cp-20-1437-2024 Earth’s climate has experienced significant changes over…
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Environment
Studies have shown that South America is facing an increased risk of heat waves, droughts and fires.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain In parts of South America, the number of extremely hot, dry and fire-prone days per year has tripled since 1970. South America is warming at a similar rate to the global average. However, some parts of the subcontinent are at increased risk of multiple simultaneous extreme weather events. These compound extreme weather events could have amplified…
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