As winds pick up dirt and sand, they also pick up any microbes adhering to those particles, potentially introducing them to new locations.
Israel
Posted inFeatures
Seeing Through Turbulence to Track Oil Spills in the Ocean
After oil and tar washed up on eastern Mediterranean beaches in 2021, scientists devised a way to trace the pollution back to its sources using satellite imagery and mathematics.
Posted inNews
Desert Life Conjures Organic Carbon from Thin Air
Without water, photosynthesis shuts down. To survive dry spells, desert microbes scavenge traces of hydrogen from the air and burn it for energy. Some even use hydrogen to fuel carbon fixation.
Posted inNews
Earth’s Magnetic Field Holds Clues to Human History
Items burned in the sacking of ancient cities are time capsules of geomagnetic data.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ancient Ruins Reveal 8th Century Earthquake in Sea of Galilee
Research into past seismic activity shows northeast Israel is still vulnerable to large quakes.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Causes Flash Floods in the Middle East?
Researchers zero in on the large-scale meteorological processes driving extreme precipitation events in the hot, arid desert region.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Dead Sea Provides Unique Insights on Water Evaporation
Scientists study the impacts of sunlight and wind on evaporation at one of Earth’s most unusual lakes.