Earth Sciences

Volcanoes and wildfires are adding water vapor to the stratosphere, raising climate concerns

Moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires since 2005 have led to an increase in the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's atmosphere above the weather-filled troposphere. That's potentially ...

Ecology

Seagrass meadows could help nourish millions, new study finds

Seagrass meadows play a largely overlooked role in providing nutrition for coastal communities, a new study published in Cell Reports Sustainability has found. The research, led by scientists at Project Seagrass and Stockholm ...

Unraveling the glass-like nature of epithelial tissues

In a new study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have resolved a longstanding mystery by showing how epithelial tissues exhibit slow-moving, glass-like behavior despite their fast-paced biological activity. ...

New mechanism explains how nerve cells form one long output branch

DZNE researchers have uncovered a mechanism that determines why a neuron usually forms a single, long extension called an "axon"—a phenomenon that is fundamental to how our brain functions. Contrary to the common view that ...

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Tech Xplore

What if our homes could move?

Imagine living in a home that you could simply pick up and move when extreme weather strikes. Instead of bricks and mortar, it's made from materials sourced from the local environment and, if weather conditions change, you ...

China's pollution declines came at a cost

More than 20 years ago, the Chinese government instituted the Scientific Outlook on Development (SOD) program, tying local leaders' job performance evaluations to environmental quality improvements. More than 350 river monitoring ...

Uncovering the secrets of the basking shark's bizarre skin

New research reveals the unusual shape, size and pattern of the dermal denticles that cover basking sharks—thought to be unique to this species. Researchers propose that the shape and arrangement of the skin's scales protect ...

Varroa risk to Tasmanian crop pollination

A study by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) has highlighted the impact Varroa mites will have on crop pollination in Tasmania if the parasitic mites become established in the state. The study was prompted by the ...

Ancient atmospheric oxygen found in iron ore deposits

How do some of geology's most mysterious iron ore deposits form? This question has preoccupied the geosciences for more than a century. An international research team led by Dr. Stefan Peters from the Leibniz Institute for ...

A new net-membrane could clean up some tricky space debris

We've reported on all kinds of wacky ideas for capturing and deorbiting space debris safely. From electric tethers to lasers, engineers and scientists have been trying everything they can think of to deal with the ever-increasing ...

Record fireworks display choked Washington in toxic smoke

The U.S. capital, Washington, saw its worst air quality of the year over the July 4 weekend, as smoke from a massive fireworks display sent pollution soaring to levels considered very unhealthy for the entire public, data ...