Articles tagged with Lakes
A Michigan State University study found that septic tanks are contaminating freshwater sources with fecal bacteria, threatening water quality and human health. The research used a novel source-tracking method to analyze 64 river systems in Michigan and identified areas with high numbers of septic systems as hotspots for pollution.
Researchers reconstruct Pangea's plate thickness before its break-up, finding a boomerang-shaped arc formed by thick plates. The study reveals the boomerang's shape is controlled by plate thickness and deformation.
A recent study by the University of California - Davis found that algae concentrations are key to maintaining Lake Tahoe's iconic blue color, contradicting previous assumptions about the relationship between clarity and blueness. The report also highlights improvements in water clarity and climate change impacts on the lake.
A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that 10% of health care providers write an antibiotic prescription for nearly every patient (95 percent or more) who walks in with a cold, bronchitis or other acute respiratory infection. This variation is driven by individual provider habits rather than differences in patient char...
Research suggests warmer water temperatures in Lake Erie can lead to lower-quality eggs and larvae that struggle to survive. Yellow perch failure to adapt their spawning schedule contributes to the decline of this commercially important species, with numbers standing at only half of their peak in the 1960s.
Researchers at the University of Toronto predict which plants and animals may be vulnerable to climate change by analyzing historical data on 30 fish species in over 1,500 lakes. The study found that bass and smaller fish species can wipe out vulnerable fish species due to predation and resource competition.
A new study reveals surprisingly high geothermal heating beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, contributing to melting of basal ice and potentially supporting microbial life. The measurement could help explain the ice sheet's rapid melting and destabilization, essential for predicting future behavior.
The 2015 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom season is expected to be the most severe in recent years, with blooms peaking in September. The severity index measures 8.7, indicating a higher risk of blooms in high concentration areas and potential water quality issues.
Researchers predict a severe harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie, with expected severity index of 8.7, posing risks to swimmers, boaters, and drinking water supply. The bloom will develop from west to east and peak in September, with local weather conditions influencing its impact.
A California lake fire has burned over 11,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest, with 150 structures threatened. The fire's proximity to hiking trails and high-pressure weather conditions are hindering containment efforts.
A new study found that toxic algal blooms in reservoirs on the Klamath River can travel over 180 miles downriver and create unsafe water conditions. The blooms can accumulate to concentrations that pose health risks to people, pets, and wildlife, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and public health outreach.
Using advanced flow cytometry, University of Alberta scientists rapidly detect outbreaks of potentially toxic cyanobacteria, providing timely information to the public and notifying health officials. This helps prevent human health risks from toxic blue-green algae in lakes throughout Alberta.
In Alberta, six active fires larger than 2500 hectares have been detected, with the largest fire at 10,000 hectares near Wood Buffalo National Park. In Saskatchewan, 47 active wildfires are burning, including one out of control at 4,678 hectares near Buffalo Narrows.
A new study found that catch-and-release practices in recreational fishing may influence the evolutionary path of species, favoring fish with lower metabolisms. Researchers compared largemouth bass populations from fished and unfished lakes, showing a significant difference in metabolic rates.
Researchers found that Greenland's inland lakes are unlikely to drain rapidly and exacerbate sea-level rise. Instead, they will likely drain through surface stream runoff, transferring water to coastal areas of the ice sheet.
Researchers found that a bulge in the ice creates tension that stretches the surface, promoting crack formation. The study's key finding is that without this tension, even large supraglacial lakes will retain their water.
Research sheds light on the kinematic evolution of the Himalayan orogen, uncovering cryptic thrust-sense discontinuities that help understand processes in continent-continent convergent margins. The Klamath Mountains' unroofing process is also explored, revealing a new mechanism to produce plate margin orogens.
A new study by researchers from Umea University found that historical land use has a significant impact on carbon cycling in northern lakes. The study analyzed lake-sediment records and found that organic carbon concentrations varied depending on natural dynamics and human impacts over thousands of years.
Researchers have found four enormous craters on the lake bed, measuring 80-160 meters in diameter and up to 60 meters deep. The craters are filled with a suspension of water and sediment, indicating that they are linked to karst systems and possibly triggered by earthquakes.
A new study by USGS researcher R.T. Hanson reveals that California's Santa Clara Valley has recovered its water levels and halted land subsidence through targeted groundwater recharge. This innovative approach, combined with the management of urbanization and industrialization, has helped to preserve the valley's hydrological framework.
The Little Bobtail Lake fire has grown significantly, burning over 13,000 hectares and threatening nearly 700 homes. Drought conditions and dry debris are fueling the fire, with unpredictable weather patterns making it difficult to contain.
Researchers from Monash University discovered the origins of Australia's two largest basins by reconstructing geological evolution and using seismic tomography models. The study found that both basins are located above a deep mantle slab, which is sinking into the Earth's interior.
Researchers are drilling sediment cores from Lake Towuti on Sulawesi, which date back a million years or more, to reconstruct the climate history of the region. The sediments hold signatures of the hydrological cycle and can help scientists test climate model predictions.
Researchers found eight major flood events in the central Mississippi River valley that contributed to Cahokia's emergence and decline. The study suggests that floods disrupted agricultural settlement patterns, leading to increased population density and farming intensity.
Researchers have discovered a salty aquifer beneath the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, which could provide insights into ancient climate change and the potential for microbial life. The discovery was made using a novel sensor system that penetrated below the surface of large areas of terrain.
Researchers using airborne imaging system SkyTEM detect extensive, interconnected aquifers deep beneath glaciers and lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The findings provide evidence for previously unknown microbial life and challenge assumptions about liquid water's presence beneath ice sheets.
Researchers developed a powerful new model to help decision makers choose cost-effective barrier removal projects, doubling habitat accessible to migratory fish. The study found that coordinated efforts across the entire basin are nine times more cost-effective than local or county-level efforts.
A study by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers found that exposure to metformin causes intersex conditions and stunted growth in male fish. The diabetes medication was detected in freshwater systems worldwide and is being investigated as a potential endocrine disruptor.
Heavy drinking has increased by 17.2% since 2005, while binge drinking has risen 8.9%. Women are more likely to be binge drinkers than men. The study highlights the need for locally-focused alcohol policies and programs.
The FluEgg model examines complex dependencies between flow, temperature, and egg development to predict the likelihood of Asian carp reproduction in the St. Joseph River. The model highlights the importance of a fine balance between egg development and variable flow conditions.
Researchers discovered calcium perchlorate, which lowers the freezing point, allowing for liquid water close to the Martian surface. The presence of brine suggests that large lakebeds and riverbeds existed on Mars, contradicting previous theories about a dry planet.
Scientists discovered that Lake Erie's dead zones are variable and move erratically, affecting fish distributions and catch rates. Fish like yellow perch cluster at the edges of these areas, making it essential to determine effective fishing strategies.
A recent York University study suggests that lake and highway authorities consider adjusting road salt use protocols to protect aquatic life such as the water flea, by taking the nutritional status of the lakes into account. The study found a direct relationship between how well-fed the animals were and their sensitivity to road salt.
Researchers study the Great Lakes to determine what controls the toxicity of cyanobacterial blooms, which can be deadly to humans. They found high levels of hydrogen peroxide in Lake Erie's surface waters, which may contribute to bloom toxicity.
A study published in Geobiology reveals that methane production in thermokarst lake sediments can increase up to three times when exposed to higher temperatures. The findings suggest that biological methane production may play a larger role in total methane emissions in the future.
A comprehensive assessment of microplastics in the Great Lakes finds high concentrations of plastic debris, including microbeads, in all five lakes. The study reveals that plastics can persist in the environment for thousands of years and are easily ingested by aquatic organisms.
A previously undiscovered species of giant salamander-like amphibian was identified in southern Portugal, growing up to 2m in length and feeding mainly on fish. The discovery reveals that this group of primitive amphibians was more geographically diverse than previously thought.
Researchers have discovered a naturally occurring chemical, cedrol, that attracts pregnant malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, offering a new way to control mosquitoes. The team found that the chemical increased the likelihood of female mosquitoes laying eggs in treated water by two to three times.
New research reveals that cichlid fish courtship rituals evolve rapidly in response to feeding depth. Castle-building males live at shallower depths, while pit-digging males thrive at greater depths, driven by differences in eye structure and display behavior.
A new global database of lake surface temperatures has been developed to study the ecological effects of climate change. The database, led by Professor Sapna Sharma at York University, includes data from 291 lakes and reservoirs worldwide, doubling the available satellite-collected data.
Researchers found that early herders from northern Africa could travel past Lake Victoria on their way to southern Africa due to the area's grassy landscape, not a tsetse fly-infested environment. This new discovery sheds light on the migration route of early human populations.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz found that methane-rich groundwater contributes to lake emissions, which can exacerbate global warming. The study suggests that future warming in the Arctic could expand the active layer and increase methane transport to lakes.
A new study has cast doubt on the theory that ancient tsetse-infested bush stopped African herders in their tracks. The research found extensive grasslands east of Lake Victoria during a nearly 2,000-year-old settlement.
A recent study by Graduate Student Aubrey Hillman found that ancient copper and silver production in southwest China produced tremendous quantities of harmful heavy metals, including lead, silver, zinc, and cadmium. The pollution levels were three to four times higher than those generated by modern metallurgical methods.
University of Utah engineers create a filter for separating different frequencies in the terahertz spectrum, a key step towards utilizing this bandwidth for commercial use. The filter can be fabricated using an off-the-shelf inkjet printer and has the potential to boost data transmission rates by thousands of times.
A study found that pollution has led to a significant increase in cyanobacteria populations in lakes across North America and Europe over the last 200 years. The research highlights the importance of controlling nutrient inputs from industrial fertilizers and sewage discharge.
A global study reveals a rapid increase in cyanobacteria levels in lakes over the past two centuries, with alarming acceleration since the mid-20th century. The research highlights the potential for toxic algal blooms to contaminate drinking water and pose serious health risks.
Researchers from Purdue University and collaborators found that offspring survival in Lake Michigan is on the rise despite smaller parent size, with potential benefits for juvenile smelt. The study suggests that fewer adults may be allowing hatchlings to thrive due to reduced predation pressure.
Scientists from Vanderbilt and Stanford universities created a map of past climate change in the American West using ancient lake levels, glaciation records, and vegetation evidence. The study compared these results with global climate models to improve predictions for future rainfall patterns.
Scientists studied lake cores in Greenland to understand the ice sheet's response to a warm period 8,000-5,000 years ago. They found that during this time, the ice sheet was losing mass at a rate of 100 Gigaton per year, delivering an equivalent 16 cm of global sea-level rise.
Researchers found major changes in algae consistent with water warming, indicating physical structure changes in tropical high-mountain lakes. The findings have far-reaching consequences for Andean water resources as the lakes provide 60% of drinking water for Cuenca, Ecuador.
Researchers from the University of Leicester and Hungarian Academy of Sciences develop a way to map 'reed die-back' using satellite and aircraft monitoring systems. They found several indices related to the ecological status of reed plants, which can be mapped from specific wavelengths of radiation.
A new study uses Flickr photos to calculate the value of clean water, finding that higher-quality lakes receive more visits and users are willing to travel farther to reach them. The research also highlights the potential for social media data to inform social-ecological research.
The Great Lakes are vulnerable to future invasions due to the lack of effective regulations. Scientists predict new waves of invaders and identify key species that could arrive in the next 50 years, posing threats to native biodiversity and the multibillion-dollar fishery.
Researchers from Italy and Brazil present a new conceptual model of staircase fractures in microbialites and travertines, enhancing permeability by connecting highly porous zones. This understanding is valuable for locating water supplies and exploring oil, gas, and geothermal resources.
Researchers studied the dispersal behavior of female and male cichlids in Lake Tanganyika. Females dispersed significantly longer distances than males, likely to avoid inbreeding and resource competition. Kin-shoaling also emerged as a key phenomenon, with small females tending to shoal with female siblings.
Researchers have discovered two sub-glacial lakes beneath the ice in Greenland that have rapidly drained away, filling and emptying twice in a matter of years. The sudden disappearance of these lakes raises concerns about the stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its potential impact on global sea levels.
A Cornell University study reveals that surface meltwater can fill subglacial lakes beneath the ice sheet, providing heat to its bottom. This process could accelerate ice flow and alter the Greenland Ice Sheet's response to climate change.
A team of researchers warns that human activity has crossed four planetary boundaries, putting food production and clean water at risk. The nitrogen-phosphorus cycle, essential for life, is particularly compromised due to limited phosphorus supplies and excessive fertilizer use.
A study among the Makushi people in Guyana reveals that men are more likely to pursue long-term relationships when women are in short supply. The researchers found that when women are abundant, men tend to seek multiple short-term partners, but when they are scarce, men value and attempt to maintain a single partner.