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mercury (Hg)

An illustration showing the interior of Mercury, including its crust; the mantle, with a red “snow zone” with illustrations of iron snowflakes; and the core.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Iron Snow Ebb and Flow May Cause Magnetic Fields to Come and Go

by Nathaniel Scharping 2 January 20242 January 2024

Lab experiments find that iron crystals in planetary cores may form in bursts, causing periodic dynamos.

A row of black volcanic scones in Halema’uma’u in Hawaii eject lava into the air. The background is obscured by smoke from the lava.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Humans Have Boosted Atmospheric Mercury Concentrations Sevenfold

by Rebecca Dzombak 3 November 20233 November 2023

A new baseline of volcanic contributions to the global mercury cycle reveals how drastically human activities have increased the element’s concentration in the atmosphere.

Geohealth research flowchart.
Posted inEditors' Highlights

Connecting the Dots Between Geohealth Research and Health Policy

by Gabriel Filippelli 27 September 202326 September 2023

Geohealth research is typically focused on environment-health impacts, but including physical and social mechanisms, and health and non-health trade-offs, can result in better policy benefits.

People in orange work suits crouch next to small clear cylinders with brown material inside.
Posted inNews

In the Deepest Ocean Reaches, a Potent Pollutant Comes to Rest

by Sean Cummings 9 December 20222 March 2023

Surprising amounts of mercury settling into deep-sea trenches may provide a fuller picture of the metal’s path through the environment, but pulling it to the surface is no easy feat.

In the foreground sits a yellow-beige pond, with tree trunks scattered about its surface. Two dredges that appear to be made of wood float by the banks, smoke rising from between them. In the background, the green rain forest towers, the blue sky smudged with white smoke.
Posted inNews

Mercury-Based Gold Mining Haunts Peruvian Rain Forests

by Alka Tripathy-Lang 15 December 202115 December 2021

In Peru, gold mining harms rain forests and human health. Satellite data can now track forest recovery in protected areas and the migration of informal miners to less regulated areas.

A group of snailfish, animals that live in deep-sea ecosystems, feeding on a dead fish
Posted inNews

Sinking Fish May Fast-Track Mercury Pollution to the Deep Sea

by Carolyn Wilke 22 December 202018 March 2022

Isotopic analysis indicates that mercury found in deep-sea organisms may have an origin in carrion from near the surface.

Chart showing mercury stable isotope concentrations in tree rings
Posted inEditors' Highlights

Trees Are Watching Us and Our Actions

by Ankur R. Desai 31 March 20205 May 2022

Annual growth rings in trees tell us more than climate history; they can also document the rise and fall of human industrial activities.

Microscopic image of a Chaetoceros large-cell diatom
Posted inResearch Spotlights

New Models Give Global Picture of Mercury Content in Oceans

by David Shultz 30 March 20205 June 2023

Concentrations of methylated mercury in high latitudes show the importance of sunlight and biological activity for cycling the metal.

Forest at the foot of Hailuogou Glacier, China
Posted inNews

The Give and Take of Mercury in Glacial Landscapes

Sarah Derouin, Science Writer by Sarah Derouin 11 February 20206 February 2023

As glacial ice melts, toxic mercury is released into the environment. But a new study shows vegetation may be an effective cleanup crew.

Posted inNews

A Volcanic Trigger for Earth’s First Mass Extinction?

Lucas Joel by L. Joel 30 May 201730 January 2023

Abnormally high levels of mercury in Ordovician rocks may imply that a huge surge of volcanism took place at a time when much of the planet’s ocean life vanished.

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Heat and Pollution Events Are Deadly, Especially in the Global South

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Resilient Solutions Involve Input and Data from the Community

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Decoding Crop Evapotranspiration

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