An environmental engineer addresses some of public health’s biggest problems.
soils
Researchers Find Bacterial Communities Deep Beneath the Atacama
Extremophile microbes exist in the gypsum-rich “fringes” of the driest place on Earth.
Unlocking Earth’s Terrestrial Sedimentary Record with Paleosols
Harnessing the micro-stratigraphy of pedogenic carbonates, scientists have demonstrated that age determination of fossil soils is possible via uranium-lead dating.
New Observations Provide Insight into Soil Desiccation Cracking
A new application of distributed fiber optic sensing provides early detection of soil desiccation cracking behavior and illustrates, for the first time, the phenomenon of soil crack breathing.
Agricultural Lands Are Losing Topsoil—Here’s How Bad It Could Get
A new study says topsoil erosion is likely to increase under climate change, though policy changes now could help stem the loss.
Cómo el volcán Tungurahua arrojó metales pesados en el suministro alimentario de Ecuador
Cuando el volcán Tungurahua de Ecuador entró en erupción múltiples veces entre 1999 y 2016, las comunidades agrícolas cercanas fueron cubiertas por ceniza, la cual dejó metales pesados en sus cultivos.
How Soil Symbionts Could Unlock Climate-Smart Agriculture
By tracing the evolutionary history of beneficial soil microbes, scientists hope to unearth a sustainable solution for producing food to feed a growing global population.
How Tungurahua Volcano Dropped Heavy Metals into Ecuador’s Food Supply
When Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano erupted multiple times between 1999 and 2016, nearby farming communities were covered in ash, which left heavy metals in their crops.
Cracking Soils Could Accelerate Climate Change
Climate change is expected to lead to more frequent and intense drought, which in turn causes soil to crack, releasing more carbon dioxide and further warming the planet.