Results of in situ experiments on natural microbial communities suggest that biological crusts can protect soils from erosion, but their protective role could be compromised under predicted future climate scenarios.
Australia
Posted inNews
Layered Zone Beneath Coral Sea Suggests Ancient Magma Ocean
Scientists studying South Pacific earthquakes suggest that an ultralow-velocity zone at the core-mantle boundary may be a remnant of a molten early Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Australian Megafires
Models suggest that thousands of Australians experienced dangerous levels of air pollution for several months, leading to more than a hundred deaths.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracking from Space how Extreme Drought Impacts Carbon Emissions
Carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires combined with reduced carbon uptake by intact ecosystems during the 2019-202
0 fire season to approximately double Australia’s annual carbon emissions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Current History: Exploring the Past of the Tasman Leakage
A new study sheds light on an important Pacific-to-Atlantic connecting current, including the global changes that led to its flowing that ushered in near-modern ocean circulation.
Posted inOpinions
Australia’s Unfolding Geoscience Malady
Brutal university cuts are putting at risk an industry crucial to addressing climate change Down Under and around the world. Saving geoscience will require a community reckoning.
Posted inNews
Famine Weed Becomes More Toxic, Invasive in Carbon-Rich Atmosphere
A noxious weed’s success in Australia could indicate that some plants are benefitting from our carbon-rich atmosphere, becoming more invasive, competitive, and toxic.
Posted inNews
A Reminder of a Desert’s Past, Before Dingo Removal
A fence spans Australia’s Strzelecki Desert, keeping dingoes out of the southern side. Drone and satellite technology have illustrated how removing this top predator changes vegetation growth.
Posted inNews
Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems
Drone surveillance reveals just how big a contribution sea cucumbers make to reef habitats.
Posted inScience Updates
Geological Surveys Unite to Improve Critical Mineral Security
A three-nation consortium is pooling geological expertise and resources to address vulnerabilities in supplies of these crucial natural resources.