Plants have evolved several ways to use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich sugars and oxygen (photosynthesis). But when water becomes scarce, that process can become much more difficult. Researchers led by Wolfram Weckwerth at the University of Vienna have now uncovered how one especially water efficient form of photosynthesis (CAM) evolved […]
An amateur astronomer searching satellite maps for possible camping locations in Quebec ended up spotting something far more unusual: evidence of a previously unrecognized impact crater. Earth has only about 200 confirmed impact structures, although geologists believe hundreds more have yet to be identified. One of those hidden structures now appears to have been found, […]
Engineers have created a new type of concrete that is stronger than conventional concrete while also capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The findings, reported in Carbon Research, suggest that adding carefully selected natural materials could give concrete a second role beyond construction by helping remove CO2 from the surrounding air. Researchers at Mepco Schlenk […]
As the 2026 El Niño strengthens across the Amazon, new research is drawing attention to a conservation priority that often receives less emphasis: protecting forests that are still standing from damage caused by fires and logging. Efforts to stop deforestation and restore cleared land are central to many conservation programs. But a new study published […]
Coal ash, red mud, and mine tailings are usually treated as major waste problems. Yet these enormous waste streams also contain valuable materials, including silica, rare earth elements, and other critical minerals. A research team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has received a $3.3 million award from the National Science Foundation’s Growing Convergence Research […]
Arctic sea ice does not always move the way wind alone would predict. New research led by UC Riverside suggests that a simple but overlooked process may help explain the difference: individual pieces of ice repeatedly collide with one another. The findings could eventually help scientists improve forecasts of how sea ice moves across the […]
A powerful eruption at Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau sent ash high into the atmosphere, disrupting thousands of flights and worsening air quality across parts of the country. Anak Krakatau is a small but highly active volcano located between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. Its eruptions are often relatively modest, but the volcano is also […]
New research from Colorado State University suggests that irrigating U.S. crops may deliver a surprisingly large climate benefit by allowing farmers to produce more food without converting additional natural land into agriculture. Irrigation increases crop yields, which means the same amount of food can be grown on a smaller area. According to the researchers, if […]
When Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted beneath the South Pacific in January 2022, the explosion ranked among the most powerful volcanic events of the modern era. But researchers have now uncovered an unexpected consequence of that eruption: the enormous volcanic cloud appears to have helped destroy some of the methane pollution produced by the volcano itself. […]
A coral reef off the coast of Benin that was thought to be dead for decades has been found alive and apparently healthy. Surveys conducted in the 1960s, which were primarily designed to locate productive fishing grounds, identified what appeared to be a deep-water coral reef. At the time, researchers concluded that the reef was […]
