In a happy accident, scientists found a potential solution to an atmospheric chemistry mystery. Their findings could be a missing piece in the iodine cycle and in atmospheric models.
deserts
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Understanding Rare Rain Events in the Driest Desert on Earth
A new study reveals the atmospheric paths of storm events that can deliver a decade’s worth of rain in a few hours to the Atacama Desert.
Posted inNews
Invasive Plants and Climate Change Will Alter Desert Landscapes
In experiments conducted in Biosphere 2, invasive buffelgrass weathers higher temperatures and drought conditions better than its native brethren.
Posted inNews
Biocrust “Probiotics” Can Aid Dryland Restoration Efforts
Bacteria can speed up the growth of biocrust-forming organisms in nurseries, providing more material for restoration of degraded dryland soil.
Posted inNews
Dunes Dance to a New Rhythm in Climate Change
Dunes may morph or creep in new directions in a warming world.
Posted inNews
Greener, Wetter Arabia Was a Crossroads of Early Human Migration
Hand axes, hippo bones, and a stack of ancient lake beds show that arid Arabia experienced intervals of humid weather, spurring pulses of human migration over the past 400,000 years.
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
A Reminder of a Desert’s Past, Before Dingo Removal
A fence spans Australia’s Strzelecki Desert, keeping dingoes out of the southern side. Drone and satellite technology have illustrated how removing this top predator changes vegetation growth.
Posted inNews
Desert Microbes Mine for Water
Scientists studying a cyanobacterium isolated from rock samples in the Atacama Desert found out how the bacteria extract water to live. Their results may help identify likely sites for life on Mars.
Posted inNews
Modern Farming Kick-Starts Large Landslides in Peruvian Deserts
Large-scale irrigation programs have triggered giant, slow-moving landslides in arid valleys, leading to the destruction of both traditional and modern farmland.