Environment

Benjamin Johnson May 24, 2018 15

A global expert on infrastructure says that China’s plan to crisscross half of the Earth with massive transportation and energy projects is environmentally the riskiest venture ever undertaken. Distinguished Professor William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia notes: “China…

Benjamin Johnson May 19, 2018 13

Latest research finds plant debris in lake sediment affects methane emissions. The flourishing reed beds created by changing climates could threaten to double the already significant methane production of the world’s northern lakes. A new study of chemical reactions that…

Benjamin Johnson May 16, 2018 6

The collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica could significantly affect global sea levels. It already drains an area roughly the size of Britain or the U.S. state of Florida, accounting for around 4 percent of global sea-level rise…

Benjamin Johnson May 11, 2018 44

A new study by geoscientists at the University of Liverpool has identified the temperature at which cooling magma cracks to form geometric columns such as those found at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Geometric columns occur in many types…

Benjamin Johnson May 08, 2018 14

A study of the most recent near-reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field by an international team of researchers, including the University of Liverpool, has found it is unlikely that such an event will take place anytime soon. There has been…

Benjamin Johnson May 05, 2018 20

Scientists have discovered a completely new type of opal formed by a common seaweed that harnesses natural technology by self-assembling a nanostructure of oil droplets to control how light reflects from its cells to display a shimmering array of colors…

Benjamin Johnson May 03, 2018 5

A North Carolina State University study examining the effects of urbanization on the evolution of fish body shape produced both expected and surprising results: One fish species became more sleek in response to urbanization, while another species became deeper bodied…

Benjamin Johnson May 01, 2018 13

Crescent dunes and meandering rivers can “forget” their initial shapes as they are carved and reshaped by wind and water, while other landforms keep a memory of their past shape, suggests new research. Leif Ristroph from New York University and…

Benjamin Johnson Apr 29, 2018 23

For centuries, the prevailing science has indicated that all of the nitrogen on Earth available to plants comes from the atmosphere. But a study from the University of California, Davis, indicates that more than a quarter comes from Earth’s bedrock.…

Benjamin Johnson Apr 24, 2018 72

Scientists conclude methane-producing microbes date back 3.5 billion years, supporting the hypothesis that they could have contributed to early global warming.  Early forms of life very likely had metabolisms that transformed the primordial Earth, such as initiating the carbon cycle…