The Antarctic Circumpolar Current could only develop once wind patterns aligned with new ocean passages 34 million years ago, a new study suggests.
News
Hurricane Helene Ravaged Farmers’ Topsoil. They’re Still Fighting to Build It Back.
“We’re dirt farmers. Our primary job is to tend the dirt. That’s the basis of everything.”
Location, Location, Location: The “Where” of Reforestation May Matter More Than the Extent
A new study finds that focusing reforestation efforts in strategic locations, such as the tropics, can accomplish global cooling levels comparable to less strategic reforestation efforts covering twice as much area.
What’s Below the Great Salt Lake? More Water
Pools of fresh water and salt water not far below the lake bed help explain some of the lake’s curious features, including mineral mounds and reed islands.
Cleanup of Battery Recycling Sites May Lower Childhood Lead Exposure
Unsound recycling of lead-acid batteries pollutes the soil around houses and agriculture fields in developing countries. Soil remediation might help in lowering the blood lead levels of children.
On the Seattle Fault, the Biggest Quakes Aren’t the Most Likely
Smaller quakes from secondary faults—which are not included in national seismic hazard modeling—occur more frequently than previously thought.
Alaska’s Wildfires Heat the Planet, but Canada’s Cool It
Using 2 decades of satellite data, researchers learned that wildfires in North America don’t follow the same script: In western Canada, snow reflectivity drives a cooling effect, whereas in Alaska, permafrost burning leads to net warming.
Asteroid Hosts All Ingredients for DNA and RNA
Samples collected from asteroid Ryugu contain the four genetic “letters” of DNA, reinforcing the hypothesis that the chemical origins of life were present when the solar system began.
A Peculiar Polymer Paired with Sunlight Could Remove PFAS
A new photocatalyst might help take the “forever” out of “forever chemicals” present in water.
Oceans Are Absorbing the Earth’s Excess Energy. That’s Bad News for Food Systems.
As the planet traps more energy than it releases, the pathways for global food production are being upended.
