Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a versatile geochemical tool being used in a wide range of applications, from Mars rovers to earthly rock identification.
News
New Contamination Concern for Colorado Streams
Abandoned hardrock mines and climate change cause metals and other elements to leach into streams. They also put rare earth elements into the water, a new study finds.
For Venice’s Floodgates to Work, Better Forecasts Are Needed
Climate change increases massive storm surges, which may be more than Venice’s flood-control system can handle.
Las bombas de calor pueden reducir las emisiones de los hogares, pero no en todas partes
Un nuevo estudio muestra que, en los lugares correctos, las bombas de calor pueden ayudar a los propietarios a reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, ahorrar en costos de calefacción y aire acondicionado, y promover la salud pública.
Deep-Ocean Cooling May Have Offset Global Warming Until 1990
New machine learning techniques have estimated ocean temperatures below 2,000 meters, leading to a new model of warming trends.
Researchers Trace Threats to Groundwater in India
A handful of new studies analyze the depletion and contamination of groundwater, as well as the effects of climate change—and how communities are responding.
Greener, Wetter Arabia Was a Crossroads of Early Human Migration
Hand axes, hippo bones, and a stack of ancient lake beds show that arid Arabia experienced intervals of humid weather, spurring pulses of human migration over the past 400,000 years.
Drone Rules Make Tracking Down Faults a Difficult Feat
Regulations differ from country to country, but on one point, they’re relatively uniform: Drones must remain within their operators’ line of sight. How do earthquake scientists collect drone data while working within the rules?
Chinese Architecture Evolved with Changes in Snowfall
Roof design in northern China changed over centuries in response to extreme snow events, new research suggests.
Freshwater Mussel Shells May Retain Record of Alpine Snowpack
A new study explores a possible proxy for seasonal freshwater input that could elucidate changes in alpine snowpack as the planet warms.