Geosciences posts
- August 30, 2012
- 12:56 PM
- 309 views
Score one for the little guys: cryptogam contributions to global carbon and nitrogen cycles
by matt in Geodermatophilia
A recent paper by Elbert et al. in Nature Geoscience estimates the global contribution of "cryptogamic covers" to nitrogen fixation and net primary productivity. One of the authors, Bettina Weber, recently presented this work at the Ecological Society of America meeting. The discussion about how carbon can be sequestered almost always revolves around carbon intense ecosystems, those which store a lot of carbon per unit area, or ecosystems which can produce a lot of biomass very quickly. Cryptoga........ Read more »
Wolfgang Elbert,, Bettina Weber,, Susannah Burrows,, Jörg Steinkamp,, Burkhard Büdel,, Meinrat O. Andreae, & Ulrich Pöschl. (2012) Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Nature Geoscience. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1486
- August 26, 2012
- 02:44 PM
- 329 views
The Logistics of Scientific Growth in the 21st Century
by caseybergman in I wish you'd made me angry earlier
Over the last few months, I’ve noticed an growing number of reports about declining opportunities and increasing pressure for early stage academic researchers (Ph.D. students, post-docs and junior faculty). For example, the Washington Post published an article in early July about trends in the U.S. scientific job market entitled “U.S. pushes for more scientists, but [...]... Read more »
Kealey T. (2000) More is less. Economists and governments lag decades behind Derek Price's thinking. Nature, 405(6784), 279. PMID: 10830939
Sauermann H, & Roach M. (2012) Science PhD career preferences: levels, changes, and advisor encouragement. PloS one, 7(5). PMID: 22567149
- August 25, 2012
- 05:47 AM
- 242 views
Finding nature’s part in Arctic ice loss puts spotlight on human role
by Andy Extance in Simple Climate
With Arctic ice heading for reaching its smallest area yet, Jonny Day from the University of Reading, UK and his colleagues have found an ocean circulation pattern could be responsible for up to three-tenths of the ice loss since the 1970s – but that humans remain most responsible.... Read more »
J J Day, J C Hargreaves, J D Annan and A Abe-Ouchi. (2012) Sources of multi-decadal variability in Arctic sea ice extent . Environmental Research Letters. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034011
- August 24, 2012
- 02:29 PM
- 381 views
How lake-like was Lake Pebas?
by Umberto in Up and Down in Moxos
What did the long-lived lake complex in (nowadays) western Amazonia look like during the Miocene?First a bit of context… The geological history of Amazonia has been profoundly influenced by the uplift of the Andes, which started during the Paleogene, about 65 to 34 million years ago (Ma). When the Andes reached the elevation of approximately 2000 meters, they caused massive rains because they stopped the movement of the clouds from east to west. This huge increase in precipitation resulted in ........ Read more »
Hoorn et al. (2010) Amazonia Through Time: Andean Uplift, Climate Change, Landscape Evolution, and Biodiversity. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1194585
Latrubesse et al. (2010) The late Miocene paleogeography of the Amazon Basin and the evolution of the Amazon River system. Earth-Science Reviews . DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2010.02.005
- August 23, 2012
- 06:47 AM
- 221 views
Robot Leads School of Fish
by United Academics in United Academics
Fish are willing to accept a robot as their new leader, research shows,... Read more »
Marras S, & Porfiri M. (2012) Fish and robots swimming together: attraction towards the robot demands biomimetic locomotion. Journal of the Royal Society, Interface / the Royal Society, 9(73), 1856-68. PMID: 22356819
- August 22, 2012
- 10:27 AM
- 506 views
A Sixth Sense
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Birds have long been known for their incredible navigational abilities. More than 4000 years ago, ancient Egyptians used carrier pigeons, the domesticated descendants of wild rock doves, to carry urgent messages to distant lands. They proved to be cheaper, faster and more efficient than human messengers and their use spread throughout the Mediterranean, central and northern Europe, and then throughout the world. Yet it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that scientists began to ask how they do it. To ........ Read more »
Mora, C.V., & Walker, M.M. (2012) Consistent effect of an attached magnet on the initial orientation of homing pigeons, Columbia livia. Animal Behaviour, 377-383. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.05.005
Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W. (2003) Avian navigation: from historical to modern concepts. Animal Behaviour, 257-272. DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2003.2054
Bingman, V. P., & Cheng, K. (2005) Mechanisms of animal global navigation: comparative perspectives and enduring challenges. Ethology Ecology , 295-318. DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2005.9522584
- August 22, 2012
- 08:26 AM
- 584 views
Experiment would test cloud geoengineering as way to slow warming
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Even though it sounds like science fiction, researchers are taking a second look at a controversial idea that uses futuristic ships to shoot salt water high into the sky over the oceans, creating clouds that reflect sunlight and thus counter global warming.... Read more »
Nancy Gohring. (2012) Experiment would test cloud geoengineering as way to slow warming. University of Washington News. info:/
- August 22, 2012
- 03:30 AM
- 75 views
Visualising the role of natural variability
by Ed Hawkins in Climate Lab Book
A new analysis by Clara Deser and colleagues (accepted for Nature Climate Change), provides some fantastic visualisations of the crucial role of natural variability in how we will experience climate. Essentially, Deser et al. perform 40 simulations with the same … Continue reading →... Read more »
Deser, C., Knutti, R., Solomon, S., & Phillips, A. (2012) Communication of the role of natural variability in future North American climate. Nature Climate Change, 2(12), 888-888. DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1779
- August 18, 2012
- 07:46 AM
- 292 views
Temperature rises could hamper developing world growth
by Andy Extance in Simple Climate
Annual variations show every 1°C temperature increase shaves 1.3 percent off a poor country’s growth, over the course of a given year, according to MIT economist Ben Olken. ... Read more »
Melissa Dell, Benjamin F. Jones and Benjamin A. Olken. (2012) Temperature Shocks and Economic Growth: Evidence from the Last Half Century . American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics. DOI: 10.1257/mac.4.3.66
- August 15, 2012
- 04:25 PM
- 277 views
Eclogite: mysterious visitor from the deep
by Metageologist in Metageologist
Fifty kilometres is not far. World-class marathon runners run 42km in a little over 2 hours. They only move along the earth’s surface though. Getting to 50 kilometres below your feet is a different thing entirely. It’s a place of … Continue reading →... Read more »
S. Angiboust, P. Agard, P. Yamato, & H. Raimbourg. (2012) Eclogite breccias in a subducted ophiolite: A record of intermediate-depth earthquakes?. Geology. DOI: 10.1130/G32925.1
- August 13, 2012
- 09:03 AM
- 350 views
Groundwater Supply Threatened by Overuse
by United Academics in United Academics
Most of the world’s aquifers are sustainable, but there are about 20% that are overusing groundwater, according to new research published in Nature. These non-sustainable aquifers provide water to an estimate of 1.7 billion people, mainly in regions of North America and Asia that still rely heavily on agriculture.... Read more »
Tom Gleeson, Yoshihide Wada, Marc F. P. Bierkens, & Ludovicus P. H. van Beek. (2012) Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature11295
- August 10, 2012
- 07:10 PM
- 553 views
University of Saskatchewan – Researchers discover new impact crater in the Arctic
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) have discovered a massive meteor impact from millions of years ago in Canada’s western Arctic.
Located on the northwestern part of Victoria Island, the impact crater, or astrobleme, is about 25 km wide and is Canada’s 30th known meteorite impact feature.... Read more »
University of Saskatchewan Research. (2012) University of Saskatchewan - Researchers discover new impact crater in the Arctic. University of Saskatchewan Research . info:/
- August 9, 2012
- 02:50 PM
- 235 views
How old is plate tectonics?
by Metageologist in Metageologist
Plate tectonics is the process that underpins much of our understanding of the Earth. It explains manymany aspects of the Earth, from magnetic patterns in oceanic rocks to the distribution of plants and animals. How unusual is it? Well, it … Continue reading →... Read more »
Cawood, P.A., Kröner, A., & Pisarevsky, S. (2006) Precambrian plate tectonics: criteria and evidence. GSA Today. DOI: 10.1130/GSAT01607.1
- August 8, 2012
- 01:57 PM
- 633 views
Diseased trees are source of climate-changing ga
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Diseased trees in forests may be a significant source of methane that causes climate change, according to a study by researchers at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Sixty trees sampled at Yale Myers Forest in northeastern Connecticut contained concentrations of methane that were as high as 80,000 times ambient levels. Normal air concentrations are less than 2 parts per million, but the Yale researchers found average levels o........ Read more »
Yale News. (2012) Diseased trees are source of climate-changing gas. Yale News. info:/
- August 4, 2012
- 09:40 PM
- 367 views
Why mosses can grow in the desert, and why their future is uncertain
by matt in Geodermatophilia
Readers of this blog won't be so surprised, but most people are unaware that mosses grow in deserts and semiarid zones. The reason they can do so is that desert mosses are dessication tolerators, meaning they are capable of drying without dying. While dry, they are in a state of suspended animation, simply waiting for the next hydration period so that biological activity - and hopefully - net photosynthesis can occur. They rehydrate literally in seconds, and are immediately active. You could m........ Read more »
Reed SC, Coe KK, Sparks JP, Houseman DC, Zelikova, TJ, Belnap J. (2012) Changes to dryland rainfall result in rapid moss mortality and altered soil fertility. . Nature Climate Change. DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1596
- August 3, 2012
- 06:00 PM
- 594 views
Scientists probe links between magnetic polarity reversals and mantle processes
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that variations in the long-term reversal rate of the Earth’s magnetic field may be caused by changes in heat flow from the Earth’s core into the base of the overlying mantle.... Read more »
University of Liverpool, & University News. (2012) Scientists probe links between magnetic polarity reversals and mantle processes. Nature Geoscience. info:/
- August 2, 2012
- 07:04 AM
- 1,052 views
Palm Trees May Grow on Antarctica due to Global Warming
by United Academics in United Academics
Scientists are studying the early Eocene period (around 55 to 48 million years ago) to figure out what the consequences of prolonged global warming would be in the long term. During the early Eocene period, the levels of CO2 were much higher than they are now and, as scientists have recently discovered, temperatures in Antarctica at the time ranged from 10C in winter to 25C in summer (50F to 77F).... Read more »
Jörg Pross, Lineth Contreras, Peter K. Bijl, David R. Greenwood, Steven M. Bohaty, Stefan Schouten, James A. Bendle, Ursula Röhl, Lisa Tauxe, J. Ian Raine.... (2012) Persistent near-tropical warmth on the Antarctic continent during the early Eocene epoch. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature11300
- July 24, 2012
- 04:22 AM
- 368 views
Global Warming Killed My Friend’s Dog
by csoeder in Topologic Oceans
I sit at the Carrboro Really Free Market, on the first caturday in July. I sit in the shade and the banners are blowing lazily in the breeze; still it’s nearly 100 degrees; the humidity jacks it up to 103, and the breeze is welcome but ineffectual. Air quality is ‘Orange’: ozone levels ‘may approach [...]... Read more »
John A. Church, & Neil J. White. (2006) A 20th century acceleration in global sea-level rise. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI: 10.1029/2005GL024826
Fortunat Joos, & Renato Spahni. (2008) Rates of change in natural and anthropogenic radiative forcing over the past 20,000 years. PNAS, 105(5). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0707386105
Andrew C. Kemp, Benjamin P. Horton, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Michael E. Mann, Martin Vermeer, & Stefan Rahmstorff. (2011) Climate related sea-level variations over the past two millennia . PNAS. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015619108
Le Conte Y, & Navajas M. (2008) Climate change: impact on honey bee populations and diseases. Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics), 27(2), 485. PMID: 18819674
Jesse A. Logan, & James A. Powell. (2001) Ghost Forests, Global Warming . AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST , 47(3), 160-172. info:/
Asbury H. Sallenger Jr, Kara S. Doran, & Peter A. Howd. (2012) Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America. Nature Climate Change. DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1597
Benjamin H Strauss, Remik Ziemlinski, Jeremy L Weiss, & Jonathan T Overpeck. (2012) Tidally adjusted estimates of topographic vulnerability to sea level rise and flooding for the contiguous United States. Environ. Res. Lett. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014033
E. Zorita, T. F. Stocker, & H. von Storch1. (2008) How unusual is the recent series of warm years?. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI: 10.1029/2008GL036228
- July 23, 2012
- 09:30 AM
- 705 views
Try Not to Step on Any Pythons
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
Last spring, as I stood in a dry marsh on the border of Everglades
National Park, I paused to study the vast landscape. I squinted my eyes to make
out any movement in the endless sea of green before me, straining to see my
quarry as the morning Florida sun rose and drew sweat on my forehead while
simultaneously baking the dirt into my skin. I was looking so intently because
I knew there ... Read more »
Dorcas ME, Willson JD, Reed RN, Snow RW, Rochford MR, Miller MA, Meshaka WE Jr, Andreadis PT, Mazzotti FJ, Romagosa CM.... (2012) Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(7), 2418-22. PMID: 22308381
Pyron RA, Burbrink FT, & Guiher TJ. (2008) Claims of potential expansion throughout the U.S. by invasive python species are contradicted by ecological niche models. PloS one, 3(8). PMID: 18698351
Rodda GH, Jarnevich CS, & Reed RN. (2011) Challenges in identifying sites climatically matched to the native ranges of animal invaders. PloS one, 6(2). PMID: 21347411
M.E. Dorcas, J. D. Willson, & J. W. Gibbons. (2011) Can invasive Burmese pythons inhabit temperate regions of the southeastern United States?. Biological Invasions, 793-802. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9869-6
J. D. Willson, M. E. Dorcas, & R. W. Snow. (2011) Identifying plausible scenarios for the establishment of invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus) in Southern Florida. Biological Invasions, 1493-1504. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9908-3
- July 21, 2012
- 10:00 PM
- 541 views
Earthquakes Reveal Magma Plumbing Beneath Volcanoes
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
A helicopter battled near-hurricane-force winds as a team of seismologists fought its way through a treacherous mountain pass to reach the Alaska Peninsula’s Katmai area. Their goal: to install a network of seismometers around the Katmai Volcanoes, the source of the largest volcanic eruption since Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in 1815.... Read more »
Crystal Gammon, OurAmazingPlanet Contributor. (2012) Earthquakes Reveal Magma Plumbing Beneath Volcanoes. Live Science. info:/
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