Runoff from irrigation has moved so much water from land to sea that Earth’s rotation might have measurably shifted. Computer simulations suggest that from 1993 through 2010, irrigation alone nudged the North…
Portable 3D-printed sensor detects low concentrations of water pollutants
3D-printed sensor detects low concentrations of pesticides, offering a cost-effective and portable solution for water monitoring. Monitoring water pollution is of the utmost importance to maintaining ecosystems, safeguarding human health, and ensuring…
The Amazon might not have a ‘tipping point.’ But it’s still in trouble
The shore of a sea of nearly 400 billion trees winds through the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. Here, the Amazon rainforest rubs up against the Cerrado, the world’s largest savanna….
Why is the North Atlantic breaking heat records?
In the past few weeks, sea-surface temperatures in some parts of the North Atlantic Ocean have soared to record heights. The anomalous warming is occurring in a large swath stretching almost one-third…
Camouflaging wheat with a wheat smell could be a new approach to pest control
Now you smell it, now you don’t. Or do you? Used correctly, a little misdirection could help keep mice away from freshly planted wheat seeds. Camouflaging wheat seeds can reduce seed loss…
Rising groundwater threatens to spread toxic pollution on U.S. coastlines
Hidden flows of water are poised to flush toxic contamination into U.S. coastal communities. Sea level rise from climate change won’t just force shorelines to retreat — in inland areas, it will…
Wildfire smoke is blanketing the U.S. East Coast. It won’t be the last time
Even as the thick clouds of smoke from wildfires raging in eastern Canada, which blanketed the U.S. East Coast in a dangerous orange haze, begin to dissipate, researchers are warning it’s a…
Surviving a drought may help forests weather future dry spells
Some forests take one-two punches surprisingly well. Researchers have shown that certain California forests exposed to two successive droughts weathered the second one much better than forests only hit by the later…
A man-made cloud: Device generates electricity from thin air
A device that generates electricity using moisture in the air could be the future of sustainable power generation. As global energy demands continue to escalate, scientists are increasingly focusing on sustainable energy…
Bacteria found in tumors could prove a potent anticancer tool
Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although scientists have made notable progress in developing a range of successful therapies to treat many different types of cancer,…