A large-scale study with data from Brazilian Cerrado streams found that about half of the field sampling effort preserved the ability of most habitat and biological indices to distinguish stream disturbance levels, while greatly reducing time and costs. Macroinvertebrate indices remained robust under reduced sampling, and only fish richness was more sensitive to lower effort. The findings suggest that faster, more cost-effective stream assessments could support biomonitoring programs in tropical regions with limited funding.

Seismic anisotropy near stagnant slabs in the mantle transition zone and uppermost lower mantle suggests an additional slab-related source. High-pressure deformation experiments on hydrous minerals δ-AlOOH and δ-H at 20.5–24.5 GPa and 800–1000 °C show that they develop strong crystallographic preferred orientations. The resulting fabrics produce negative radial seismic anisotropy (V_SV > V_SH) under horizontal flow, distinct from many major mantle minerals, and may contribute to anisotropy near flattened slab tops.

Researchers developed an automated cold plasma and bubble system for dual modality function of treating food-industry wastewater and transforming into nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer for hydroponic farming. This automated electrified flow system runs on a low energy, reduced wastewater organic load while simultaneously improving plant growth, offering a scalable and promising route toward sustainable agriculture and water reuse.

Within the Canadian Shield, hydrogen gas is steadily building up naturally among some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Geochemists at the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa have for the first time measured its presence, mapped its concentration and tracked its long-term accumulation, shedding new light on this source of natural, or white, hydrogen. The findings demonstrate that natural H₂ accumulates in substantive volumes, that it can be trapped and preserved on long time scales, and that high concentrations and discharge rates can be sustained over periods of years, making it possible to assess the economic viability of this emerging energy source and point to a new approach to hydrogen exploration — one that could accelerate greenhouse gas reductions and expand hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition.

Researchers have discovered new rodent-like species that inhabited the ancient Arctic 73 million years ago. Their fossil teeth offer surprising clues on where they came from and how they outlived the dinosaurs. 

Intensive agriculture poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. However, one aspect of biodiversity in farmland is little studied: algae. Most people have seen algae growing in streams, lakes or the sea. However, algae have also adapted to survive in dryer, harsher conditions on land. In fact, soil algae are thought to be responsible for about 6% of the vegetation production on Earth. This led a research team at the universities of Göttingen and Kassel to investigate the algae in the surface soils of farmland. Their pilot study revealed more than 100 different algae, likely to be made up of hundreds of individual species. Unlike most other microbes, these algae showed seasonal variation in their communities. These are the first steps towards understanding the factors that determine the diversity of these important microorganisms. The results were published in the Journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

 

Hydrogen gas formed by natural processes in the subsurface of mountain ranges could represent a promising source of clean energy. A new international study led by Unil and GFZ shows that erosion plays a key and complex role in the formation and accumulation of this natural resource. This research confirms that the Pyrenees and the Alps could constitute key targets for natural hydrogen exploration.