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Earth
An underappreciated source of methane discovered in shallow coastal waters
Coastal waters: underestimated methane source coverage. Credit: Tim de Groot Shallow coastal waters are hotspots for methane emissions, releasing large amounts of this powerful greenhouse gas into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. New research reveals how tides, seasons, and ocean currents have a huge impact on methane emissions, and how tiny microorganisms called methanotrophs can help reduce that…
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Earth
Deciphering the source and formation mechanism of haze using coal combustion experiments and sulfur isotopes
Sulfur isotope composition of pyrite in coal samples and sulfates produced by coal combustion. (Image from USTC). Credit: Yanan Shen et al. A research team led by Professor Shen Yan’an of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has made significant progress in studying the sources and formation mechanisms of haze. Through coal combustion experiments and high-precision sulfur…
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Earth
Volcanic ash as a nutrient source: the impact of the Hunga Tonga eruption on the South Pacific ecosystem
GEOTRACES GP21 cruise track and Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcanic eruption scattering volcanic ash. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52904-3 The January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) released approximately 2.9 billion tons of volcanic material into the atmosphere and across the South Pacific. In early 2022, a scientific expedition (GEOTRACES GP21) investigated the impact of this…
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Biology
Amplify the impact of marine research imagery using Marimba, an open source Python framework
Chris Jackett unveiled the marimba in front of scientists and engineers from around the world at the recent Marine Imaging Workshop 2024. Credit: Alan Williams/CSIRO It’s not always easy to see the big picture when you’re deeply immersed in a project. Innovation often requires taking a step back to assess how the impact of science can actually be amplified. Chris…
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Earth
Open source footprint tools: businesses and investors can now get smarter about nature
Elana Kimbrel Global impact hotspots vary by ecosystem service and biodiversity indicators. Credit: Communications Earth & Environmental (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01797-7 Global economic development has brought many benefits to people around the world, but many of them have come at the expense of nature. However, governments, financial institutions, and businesses are increasingly recognizing that this paradigm undermines the long-term viability of…
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Space & Cosmos
New research shows that most of the space rocks that hit Earth come from a single source
The sight of a fireball streaking across the sky brings wonder and excitement to children and adults alike. It reminds us that the Earth is part of a much larger and incredibly dynamic system. Each year, approximately 17,000 of these fireballs not only enter the Earth’s atmosphere, but also survive the perilous journey to the surface. This gives scientists a…
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Physics
Research team succeeds in ultra-fast switching of tiny light source
Intense light pulses in the terahertz range separate the charged, emissive trions into individual electrons and neutral excitons. Credit: Giuseppe Meneghini Ultrathin materials consisting of just a few atomic layers hold promise for applications in electronics and quantum technology. An international team led by the Technical University of Dresden has made remarkable progress in experiments carried out at the Helmholtz…
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Biology
Seabird “food theft” could be source of deadly avian flu
Credit: Kindel Media from Pexels The deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus, which has killed millions of birds around the world since 2021 and can rarely infect humans, could spread through the food-stealing behaviour of some seabirds. A study published in the journal Conservation Letters suggests that food theft, also known as “kleptoparasitism,” in which some seabirds such as frigatebirds and…
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