The name "critical zone" may give off 1980s action thriller vibes, but it's the term scientists use to refer to the area of Earth's land surface responsible for sustaining life. A relatively small portion of the planetary ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 2, 2023
3
231
Trace metals are nutrient elements, like zinc, that animals and plants need in small amounts to function properly. Animals generally get trace metals in their diets or through environmental exposures, while plants take their ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 15, 2024
0
267
A quartet of researchers at Pennsylvania State University has assessed differing weathering conditions around the globe in an attempt to better understand the rate-limiting factors for major rock types.
We have been to the moon several times. Next time, we may go back for a considerable period. And concrete plans for a one-way ticket to Mars have already been forged. Food will have to be grown on location. Is this a distant ...
Space Exploration
Mar 28, 2013
2
0
Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil.
Earth Sciences
Oct 24, 2023
1
231
Plants need phosphorus to grow. Farmers' use of mineral phosphorus fertilizers has greatly increased soil phosphorus fertility and, consequently, crop yields. However, these fertilizers are made from rock phosphate, a non-renewable ...
Environment
Jan 6, 2023
0
128
Tailings, the waste left after extracting precious and critical minerals, often contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute soil, water, and even crops. There are over 1,800 tailings storage facilities around ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 28, 2023
0
60
(PhysOrg.com) -- Orbiting 31 miles above the lunar surface, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft will get a "front-row seat" to the total lunar eclipse on Dec. 10, 2011.
Space Exploration
Dec 9, 2011
0
0
The molecular mechanisms enabling plants to quickly adapt their rate of flower production in response to changing nutrient levels in soil have been revealed by researchers at the Sainsbury Laboratory.
Biotechnology
Jan 25, 2018
0
325
A Washington State University researcher has found that one-fourth of the carbon held by soil is bound to minerals as far as six feet below the surface. The discovery opens a new possibility for dealing with the element as ...
Environment
Nov 26, 2018
2
66
