A new data set combining sample data and remote sensing could give scientists the power to make accurate predictions at a global scale.
Natural Resources
Long Live the Laurentian Great Lakes
Living in Geologic Time: Billion-year-old rifting events set the stage for Earth’s greatest lakes.
How Much Modification Can Earth’s Water Cycle Handle?
The planetary boundaries framework defines how much human disturbance various Earth system processes can take, but it may not adequately depict the water cycle or the extent to which we’ve altered it.
Humans Colonized Polynesia Much Earlier Than Previously Thought
Evidence from mud, charcoal, and feces suggests humans arrived in East Polynesia during the driest period in 2 millennia.
Mountain Streams Exhale More Than Their Share of CO2
Streams that flow down mountainsides are more turbulent than those that run along forest floors, which leads to faster gas exchange between water and air.
Deepwater Horizon’s Legacy of Science
The biggest oil spill in history resulted in billions of dollars in settlements—and a massive scientific movement.
Modeling Under Pressure
At a critical moment in the effort to end one of the world’s worst oil spills, one scientist holed up in his office and pulled an all-nighter to calculate the well’s aquifer support.
Sustainable Agriculture Reflected in Cuba’s Water Quality
Water samples from 25 rivers in central Cuba are dominated by signs of rock weathering rather than fertilizer runoff, researchers working at Cuban and American institutions show.
Basalts Turn Carbon into Stone for Permanent Storage
Scientists have shown that mineral carbonation can permanently capture and store carbon quickly enough and safely enough to rise to the challenge of climate change.
The Ecological Costs of Removing California’s Offshore Oil Rigs
Offshore oil- and gas-drilling platforms are rich habitats for fish, and removing them completely would result in a loss of over 95% of fish biomass, new research has revealed.
