A new study establishes a link between Arctic sea ice dynamics and the region's changing atmospheric chemistry, potentially leading to increased amounts of mercury deposited in sensitive ecosystems. The pumping effect created by opening and closing sea ice leads forces down additional mercury to restart chemical reactions.
Researchers will measure mercury in atmosphere, snowpack, and soil to track its movement in the tundra. The study aims to understand the role of soils in mercury cycling and assess a theory of enhanced mercury deposition during Arctic winters.
Researchers have found that funeral pyres in South Asia emit significant amounts of sunlight-absorbing organic carbon aerosols, known as brown carbon. This finding highlights the importance of quantifying and characterizing regional combustion activities to enhance climate models.
Researchers attribute Arctic surface temperature variation from 1900 to present to a combination of greenhouse gas emissions, anthropogenic sulfate aerosols, and volcanic eruptions. The study demonstrates the importance of aerosols in climate forcing and sheds light on the environmental and economic impacts of Arctic climate change.
The Desert Research Institute will provide information and technical capacity to develop effective clean water solutions and improve the quality of drinking water in developing countries. The research aims to address water scarcity, diseases, and climate change challenges.
Justin Huntington, a Desert Research Institute assistant research professor, has been selected to join the National Science Team supporting the new Landsat Data Continuity Mission Satellite. The team will focus on developing and enhancing Landsat derived evapotranspiration and surface energy products.
A pioneering study reveals a diverse community of bacteria in Lake Vida, one of Earth's coldest and most isolated ecosystems. The brine, approximately six times saltier than seawater, harbors an abundance of life that survives at subzero temperatures without oxygen.
A comprehensive comparison of marine microbial diversity at the poles reveals vast differences between Southern and Arctic oceans. The study highlights the importance of researching Earth's polar regions in the face of climate change, and identifies further research needs to understand sea ice, seasonal shifts, and freshwater inputs.
A five-year study funded by NASA Astrobiology Institute aims to detect and study deep subsurface microbial life on Earth and beyond. Researchers will test instrumentation in extreme environments like Death Valley and oceanic crust.
A new research published in Science magazine reveals a significant increase in black carbon in Arctic snow during the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to industrial pollution. The study, led by Drs. Joe McConnell and Ross Edwards, found that soot concentrations rose substantially, leading to changes in Arctic climate forcing.
The Bechtel Foundation has donated $300,000 to support the development of an atomic testing museum at the Desert Research Institute's Frank H. Rogers Building. The museum will feature exhibits on the Cold War role of the Nevada Test Site and traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution.