Machine learning can enhance our ability to identify communities of microorganisms and how they change in response to climate change over time.
silicon & silica
Posted inNews
Clays May Have Slowed Earth’s Recovery After the Great Dying
Without tiny marine organisms using silica for shells, Earth’s oceans generated more clay, released more carbon dioxide, and kept Earth warmer for longer.
Posted inNews
Middle-of-the-Road Mountains Form the Best Carbon Sinks
Silicate rock weathering has a sweet spot: erosion that isn’t too fast or too slow.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Talc May Make Mexico’s Subduction Zone More Slippery
Production of the weak, water-bearing mineral at the interface between the Cocos and North American Plates could contribute to the occurrence of poorly understood episodic tremor and slow slip.
Posted inNews
Silicate Weathering Throttles the Global Thermostat
The natural breakdown of some rocks sucks carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Knowing how quickly it happens could help scientists engineer solutions to the climate crisis.
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Unraveling the Mystery of a Rare Mineral on Mars
The discovery of tridymite in Mars’s Gale Crater triggered debate about the rare mineral’s origins. A research team recently suggested a scenario with explosive implications.
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Ocean Acidification May Drive Diatom Decline
Diatoms contribute to global oxygen production, marine food webs, and carbon sequestration, but scientists predict that diatom populations will decline due to ocean acidification associated with climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Small Catchments Sustain Silicon Signatures Following Storms
Watersheds have unique patterns of silicon export due to differences in subsurface water routing and biogeochemical reactions.
Posted inNews
Better Together: Perovskites Boost Silicon Solar Cell Efficiency
Scientists engineer a way to layer materials to boost efficiency without interrupting manufacturing processes.
Posted inNews
State-of-the-Art Technology, Serendipity, and Secrets of Stonehenge
The first comprehensive analysis of what the sarsen stones are made of came about with new technology—and good old-fashioned luck.