Fertile terra preta soils were created through centuries of carefully managed land use. Scientists are taking cues from these soils to better sequester carbon and improve soil for agriculture.
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Africa’s Earth, Wind, and Fire Keep the Amazon Green
Jet streams sprinkle North African dust over the Amazon, providing the rain forest with much needed nutrients. Changing wind patterns and increasing smoke may shift the system.
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A Global Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory Becomes a Reality
Building on the successful Argo network of seafaring temperature and salinity sensors, work is underway to deploy 1,000 floats equipped to study ocean biogeochemistry in greater detail than ever.
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Striking Out into the Field to Track Slip on the Sumatran Fault
An international team overcame many challenges, including from the COVID-19 pandemic, to deploy a dense seismic network along an understudied fault system that poses hazards to millions in Indonesia.
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A Cagey Approach to Speedy and Safe Seafloor Deployments
Researchers devised a simple way to deliver ocean bottom seismometers accurately to the seafloor to study ongoing seismic and volcanic activity near the islands of Mayotte.
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Distributed Sensing and Machine Learning Hone Seismic Listening
Fiber-optic cables can provide a wealth of detailed data on subsurface vibrations from a wide range of sources. Machine learning offers a means to make sense of it all.
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Long-Term Planning For Deep-time Labs
When directors depart argon labs, what happens to their expensive equipment, skilled staff, and institutional knowledge?
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The Young Earth Under the Cool Sun
How did our planet avoid being frozen solid during the early days of our solar system?
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Updating Dating Helps Tackle Deep-Time Quandaries
Geochronologists are finding fresh approaches to familiar methodologies, especially by zapping rocks with lasers to tackle classic Precambrian problems.
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Tidally Locked and Loaded with Questions
Tidally locked planets always present the same face to their host stars. What does this mean for their potential to support life?