Why do deep-sea microbes have such small appetites?
The deep sea is one of Earth’s largest reservoirs of carbon, yet microbes don’t consume very much of it. Researchers showed that this is…
Category: What is going on with the Earth’s climate?
What is going on with the Earth’s climate? How do we study climate? What does the data show?
Gases power diverse microbial life in caves
Researchers found that cave-dwelling microbes use atmospheric trace gases like methane and carbon monoxide as sources of energy and carbon.
Can 300-year-old Antarctic microbes help us understand climate change?
Researchers demonstrated that microbial DNA from a 300-year-old ice core can help track how microbes respond to global change.
Ice shelf collapse reveals early warning signs of melt
Scientists found that growing fractures caused an East Antarctic ice shelf to collapse.
Carbon feedbacks 56 million years ago similar to today
Geologists simulated the chemistry of Earth's past oceans and atmosphere using mineral data from the ancient seafloor. They found a…
How quickly can forests recover from wildfires?
Scientists modeled forest productivity before and after wildfires. They found that plant regrowth depended on the type of biome and how much…
Is groundwater heating up?
Researchers modeled groundwater temperature trends from 2000 to 2100. They estimated that groundwater could warm by up to 3.5°C over the…
Melting glaciers release methane
Geologists studied gas fluxes from groundwater springs uncovered by melting Arctic glaciers. They estimated that these springs release over…
Methane-munching microbes modify the seafloor
Researchers showed that methane-eating bacteria acidify their surroundings and dissolve carbonate rocks on the seafloor.
Microbes make different greenhouse gases during wetland drainage
Researchers found that soil microbes release less methane but more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in draining peatlands.