Articles tagged with Deserts
UK researchers have discovered electrically charged ash in the plume of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. The finding contradicts models and adds a new dimension to understanding volcanic plumes' impact on air travel. Detailed measurements reveal self-renewing charge within the plume, which affects particle behavior and growth.
A new study from Ben-Gurion University found that older drivers are more sensitive to potential hazards and focus on risky situations. The research showed that experienced and older-experienced drivers were equally proficient at hazard detection, whereas young-inexperienced drivers struggled with detecting hazardous events.
Desert locusts that swarm together have larger brains with altered proportions compared to solitary locusts. Their bigger brains are thought to help them cope with the challenges of living in large groups and finding varied food sources.
Martu hunter-gatherers' traditional practices have reshaped Australia's Western Desert habitats, creating biologically diverse areas. The use of fire in their hunting grounds encourages the growth of diverse vegetation, allowing small mammals to thrive.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered that desert ants can locate odour sources in a map-like manner and use this information for navigation. The ants need both antennae to smell the scenery in stereo, enabling precise location of their nests after foraging for food.
Researchers found that fat garden warblers, like those studied in Italy, take significantly shorter breaks during migration. They typically move on by nightfall, while thin birds wait for nearly two days to replenish their fat reserves. This study highlights the importance of ecologically-intact resting grounds for migratory birds.
A new assay developed by USDA researchers can safely and reliably mark termites and other insects over vast acreage, allowing for their movements to be tracked. The method uses egg white, cow milk or soy milk proteins and has been shown to be effective in tracking the desert subterranean termite.
A new study calculates that ecosystems will need to shift about 0.42 kilometers per year to keep pace with global climate change over the next century. Mountainous habitats can move more slowly, while flatter ecosystems must move rapidly.
Research reveals global warming favors the growth of cold-hardy winter annuals in the Sonoran Desert, shifting climate change's impact on plant species. Cold-adapted species, such as popcorn flower and red filaree, are becoming more common due to the delayed onset of winter rains.
Researchers found that lizards change their diet from ants to other prey when threatened by predators, as they move less and catch less mobile prey. The species' diet data showed a significant reduction in seed consumption and an increase in diverse food sources.
Researchers discovered that certain cyanobacteria species have evolved rope-building traits to resist erosion and stabilize soil substrates in arid environments. This adaptation allows them to thrive in areas where other microbes would struggle to survive.
A new Cornell study finds that rising temperatures cause nitrogen to escape from desert soils, leading to decreased plant life and soil fertility. The researchers warn that this could exacerbate air pollution and contribute to further desertification.
Researchers at Max-Planck Institute found that people walk in circles without noticing, especially when sun or moon visibility decreases. Increasing uncertainty about walking direction causes these circular paths.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology studied sandfish locomotion, finding they use wave motion to propel themselves through granular media. The animals' speed depends only on wave frequency, not density.
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research have won the CleanTech 2009 Excellence Award in Environmental Studies. The institute is recognized for its research on desert environments and sustainable uses, contributing to a better understanding of global warming's impact on drylands.
Research reveals that desert dust accelerates snowmelt in Colorado alpine meadows, changing how plants respond to seasonal climate cues and affecting their annual growth cycles. This could lead to increased competition for resources among plants and potentially alter the composition of alpine meadows.
A mathematical algorithm has been devised to address population relocation due to climate change, taking into account various costs and planning priorities. The multi-objective optimization approach aims to ensure fair and economically viable relocation decisions.
A 90-million-year-old dinosaur herd composed entirely of juveniles of the Sinornithomimus species was discovered in the Gobi Desert. The site provides a rare snapshot of social behavior, suggesting that immature individuals were left to fend for themselves when adults were preoccupied with nesting or brooding.
Research by Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology reveals that desert ants, like Cataglyphis fortis, utilize a combination of visual landmarks and unique scent signatures to guide them back to their nests. This groundbreaking study challenges the long-held notion that these ants rely solely on self-generated pheromone trails.
Researchers discovered that desert locusts have higher serotonin levels when behaving in a swarm-like manner, which may help identify individual neurons driving this behavior and lead to more effective pest control. Desert locust swarms can devastate crop yields, with 20% of the world affected by this species.
Researchers identified over 1,000 dinosaur tracks at a site in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, providing evidence of wet intervals during the Early Jurassic Period. The site includes rare tail-drag marks, revealing at least four dinosaur species gathered at the watering hole.
A UC Riverside botanist is investigating how Southern California's plants affect the region's drought. The research aims to identify plant species most susceptible to drought and predict water evaporation from desert chaparral ecosystems.
Researchers propose using oil and gas flare-off energy to release water from gypsum deposits, creating a vast source of clean drinking water. The process has been successfully tested and could solve the water shortage problem in dry areas, enabling irrigation and fertility improvement.
Research published in International Journal of Health Geographics found that supermarkets are building in newer suburbs, leaving smaller shops and food deserts in their wake. Residents living in food deserts face poor access to supermarkets, leading to higher prices for basic supplies and devastating health effects.
Researchers discovered that cyanobacteria in desert soils can fix atmospheric carbon dioxide, adding nutrients to the soil. The exchange of carbon between soils and atmosphere is significant in deserts, with small changes affecting fragile ecosystems supporting millions of poor pastoral farmers.
A UC Riverside-led study has discovered a vast pool of nitrate in near-surface desert soils under 'desert pavement', which could contaminate surface and groundwaters. The researchers warn that disruptions to these areas could result in wind erosion, transporting high levels of nitrate to groundwater or surface waters.
A UW researcher found that dust from the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts in China and Mongolia is routinely present in the air over the western United States during spring months. Particles of 2.5 microns or less, which can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, increase in concentration in years with large Asian dust storms.
Scientists have confirmed that microbes can travel across continents on dust particles, surviving for centuries and defying intercontinental transport. Geo-chemical analyses of Charles Darwin's samples revealed diverse microbes, including ascomycetes and eubacteria, with wind-fractionated dust from West Africa reaching the Caribbean.
A new NASA study estimates that most US ground-level particulate pollution comes from regional sources within North America. The research found that controlling local pollution emissions is the most effective way to manage US air quality.
The Los Angeles basin has entered a relatively quiet period of seismic activity, with smaller and less frequent earthquakes reported over the past thousand years. The study's findings suggest that seismic clusters in the Mojave Desert alternate with periods of calm in the urban fault network.
A rare mutualistic relationship between a moth and cactus in the Sonoran Desert shows that one species can control the population of the other, challenging traditional ecological theory. The research has implications for understanding community ecology and the stability of mutualistic communities.
The University of Colorado at Boulder will collaborate with major partners to design and build a 25-meter far-infrared telescope in the Atacama Desert. The telescope will enable scientists to study early stages of star and galaxy formation, as well as solar system origins.
A study of 5,500 women found that smokers had shorter careers, lower pay, and more disciplinary actions than non-smokers. Smokers were also more likely to be discharged for medical or behavioral reasons.
Researchers from TU Delft have successfully applied seismic interferometry to extract information from seismic noise, which can be used to search for new oil fields. The method has shown promising results in a desert in the Middle East.
Researchers have found that mature trees in the Eastern Desert of Egypt are in significant decline, with over 50% disappearing between 1965 and 2003. The traditional resource management practices developed by desert people are being replaced by commercial charcoal production, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable forest management.
The Wildlife Conservation Society has fitted GPS collars on eight saiga antelopes in the Mongolian Gobi Desert, aiming to better understand their movements and develop a comprehensive conservation strategy. The saiga numbers have plummeted by 95% due to poaching for Chinese medicines and competition with livestock.
Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison found a link between dust storms and hurricane frequency in Atlantic, suggesting that dust may help suppress brewing hurricanes. The study suggests that long-term changes in hurricanes may be related to multiple factors.
A study on Kentish plovers found that females are more likely to desert if there are local unpaired males, suggesting a strategy likely to persist in evolution. In species with young requiring extensive parental care, cooperative rearing is more likely to endure.
Researchers at MIT have found a unique cloud forest in Oman where trees extract moisture from passing clouds, but the ecosystem is under threat from over-grazing camels. The trees' ability to collect water from fog may not be enough to recover if the camels continue to eat too much foliage.
Researchers at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus conducted a landscaping experiment to examine the impact of environmental surroundings on human behavior. The study found that individuals living in areas with lush landscapes preferred more recreational spaces, while those in desert environments barely knew their neighbors.
A fleet of underwater robots will work together to make detailed observations of the ocean without human aid. The project has potential implications for ocean forecasting, marine conservation, and exploration of other environments.
A study by J. Marshall Shepherd found a significant increase in rainfall in arid cities like Phoenix and Riyadh due to urbanization and human activities. This change has real implications for water resource management, agricultural efficiency and urban planning.
Scientists discover that desert varnish on rocks in arid environments can bind organic compounds and DNA, making it a potential indicator of life on Mars. The research suggests that Martian desert varnish could contain ancient microbial signatures or chemical signs of past life.
Researchers found that sand gazelles' livers and hearts decrease in mass during food and water restriction. The animals also store fats in their brains to secure brain metabolism during prolonged deprivation.
A joint research effort is testing a micro-climate cooling system to be placed in soldiers' boots and under their battledress hoods. The device aims to lower the wearer's core body temperature, potentially providing relief for desert soldiers operating in hot environments.
Researchers find patterns of cracks and thin fins on Mars resembling those formed by damp sand in New Mexico. The discoveries suggest the presence of water on Mars beyond polar ice caps.
Researchers motivated ants with melon-tuna flavored crumbs to navigate a horizontal barrier, allowing them to crawl under without stopping. Ants visually assessed the barrier height using their antennae when it was made invisible.
A hydrological mapping study found that the Judea Group Aquifer in Israel's desert has an average yearly volume of 100 million cubic meters, with only 20% currently used. The remaining water could supply 5% of Israel's total freshwater needs and meet the potable water needs of several towns at a lower cost.
Researchers discovered ancient ship timbers at Wadi Gawasis site, dating back approximately 4,000 years, indicating a 2,000-mile round-trip voyage to Punt, a southern Red Sea trading center. The findings confirm the Egyptians had the naval technology to travel long distances by sea.
Using genetic evidence from over 20 species of locusts, researchers found that ancestors of the African desert locust flew across the Atlantic, giving rise to diverse New World species. The study's findings suggest high-altitude winds were essential for the swarm's flight, with modern-day examples supporting this hypothesis.
Researchers have detected methane-producing bacteria in arid desert soils, which is a promising sign for future life detection missions to Mars. The study suggests that methane could be used as a biological signature for certain living organisms.
Researchers uncover fossils of two new species, Biretia fayumensis and Biretia megalopsis, in Egypt's Fayum desert, dating back 37 million years. The discoveries confirm that the common ancestor of humans, monkeys, and apes originated in Africa, with one species appearing to be nocturnal.
The Virginia Tech team has refined and tested their vehicles, Cliff and Rocky, for the DARPA Grand Challenge. The vehicles will navigate a 150-mile course in the Mojave Desert with no human intervention.
The Carnegie Mellon rover Zoë will travel 180 kilometers in Chile's Atacama Desert, seeking micro-organisms and mapping their habitats. The results may enable future robots to search for life on Mars and advance our understanding of Earth's distribution of life.
A recent study found that desert vegetation can maintain dry conditions in the soil, minimizing leaching of wastes into underlying aquifers. This has important implications for radioactive and hazardous waste disposal, as well as water resources management.
Archaeologists have discovered ancient sheep dung in the Negev Desert, revealing the earliest evidence of domestic herding in the region. The dung dates back an estimated 7,000 years and has preserved valuable information about the lives of early pastoral nomads.
A groundbreaking study reveals a new type of ecosystem born from the intersection of nature and city life. The Phoenix urban ecosystem is characterized by higher abundance of plants and animals due to consistent access to water resources.
Scientists used NASA Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) to analyze vegetation and soil changes in response to rain variation over large areas. They found that long-term decrease in litter cover is the most evident sign of desertification, with significant changes in green vegetation and bare soil areas.
Scientists at the University of Nevada discovered that plants absorb mercury from the atmosphere through their leaves, releasing it back into the environment. This finding has significant global implications for mercury controls and highlights the need for a collaborative effort to mitigate mercury pollution.
Gene deserts, once thought to be 'junk DNA,' play a crucial role in regulating gene activity. Researchers discovered stable desert regions with non-coding regulatory elements and variable regions with limited functionality.