The Consequences of Permafrost Melting
December 16, 2011 | University of Alaska Fairbanks
“As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates. This thawing will release approximately the same amount of carbon as deforestation. However, the effect of thawing permafrost on climate will be 2.5 times greater because emissions include methane.” Quoted from the University of Alaska Fairbanks press release. |
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Dig It! The Secrets of Soil
December 15, 2011 | Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
If you didn’t get to see the Dig It! The Secrets of Soil exhibit at the Smithsonian, you can see videos and other information from the exhibit on the Smithsonian website.
Pictured at right are two of the interactive topics. |
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A Diversity of Underground Life
October 26, 2011 | National Science Foundation
For surface life, the greatest biodiversity is generally found in the tropics. However, researchers are finding that biodiversity levels of underground life can be very high at almost any latitude.
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What Causes the Dust Storms in Arizona?
October 12, 2011 | USGS
“USGS and partner science show that there are many causes of dust storms. Two contributing factors are low vegetation cover and disturbance to soil surfaces.” Quoted from the USGS science feature. |
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Moving Carbon from the Atmosphere into Rocks and Plants?
September 22, 2011 | USGS
“Research on carbon sequestration provides critical information for considering mitigation options for greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and adaptation opportunities for climate change.” Quoted from the USGS science features. |
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Modeling Erosion of Particulate Matter
September 3, 2011 | USDA
“A U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist and his research partners have combined models of wind erosion and regional climate patterns to simulate the sources and dispersion of particulate matter—such as tiny bits of soil and other substances—blowing in dust storms around Mexico City.” Quoted from the USDA news release. |
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Investigating Land Subsidence and Earth Fissure Hazards
August 29, 2011 | Arizona Geological Survey
“The Arizona Land Subsidence Interest Group, a cadre of Earth scientists, geotechnicians, and geological engineers, have formulated the first guidelines for the professional geotechnical community in their investigations of land subsidence and earth fissure hazards in south-central Arizona.” Quoted from the Arizona Geological Survey press release. |
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Tropical Forest Growth and Carbon Release from Soil
August 17, 2011 | Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
“A new study shows that as climate change enhances tree growth in tropical forests, the resulting increase in litterfall could stimulate soil micro-organisms leading to a release of stored soil carbon.” Quoted from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology news release. |
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Growing Plants in Copper Contaminated Soils
July 28, 2011 | Michigan Technological University
“When miners abandoned Michigan’s Copper Country, they left a lot of the red metal behind, and not in a good way. [...] A research team may have discovered how to make plants grow in the mine-waste desert and soak up some copper while they are at it.” Quoted from the Michigan Technological University news release. |
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Power Plant Mercury in Urban Soils
July 21, 2011 | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
“The study [...] reports that measurable amounts of the mercury emitted by coal-fired power plants is deposited in local soil and subsequently enters regional watersheds, contaminating fish and making them unsafe for human consumption.” Quoted from the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis news release. |
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How Soil Responds to Strong Earthquakes
July 20, 2011 | Georgia Tech
“Japan’s March 11 Tohoku Earthquake is among the strongest ever recorded, and because it struck one of the world’s most heavily instrumented seismic zones, this natural disaster is providing scientists with a treasure trove of data on rare magnitude 9 earthquakes.” Quoted from the Georgia Tech press release. |
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Soil Carbon Release and Climate Projections
June 14, 2011 | Oregon State University
“A new study concludes that models may be predicting releases of atmospheric carbon dioxide that are either too high or too low, depending on the region, because they don’t adequately reflect variable temperatures that can affect the amount of carbon released from soil.” Quoted from the Oregon State University news release. |
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Dry Soils in UK and Europe
May 10, 2011 | BBC
Soils in Europe and the United Kingdom are extremely dry after the warmest April on record. |
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World Map of Permeability
February 13, 2011 | NewScientists.com
A short article at NewScientist.com features a world map of surface permeability. It is a highly generalized map that might contribute to understanding Earth’s water cycle on a regional basis. |
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Uranium Contamination May Move Slower than Previously Believed
February 11, 2011 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Uranium contamination may move much slower in groundwater than previously believed. [...] Knowing how uranium spreads out or diffuses in water is critical to predicting its movement and removing the contamination. But previous estimates may have significantly overestimated the radionuclide’s ability to move with the groundwater. Quoted from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory press release. |
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Climate Change and “Soil Change”
February 10, 2011 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
“Changes occurring to our planet are affecting the services provided by soil. Whether these changes are natural or stimulated by the activities of an ever-increasing population, there is an urgent need to rejuvenate the essential services provided by soil.” Quoted from the PNL press release. |
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Forensic Geology Lesson
February 3, 2011 | The Forensic Teacher Magazine
“The Murder on the Beach lab by Howard Schindler and Jacqueline Gnant is relatively easy to prepare, uses tests and data beyond microscope work, and includes a mystery for students to solve. In part one of the lab, the students review known samples of sand – those that were taken from the suspects. Part two requires the students to analyze a sample of sand found on the victim and to identify which of the suspects committed the crime.” Quoted from The Forensic Teacher Magazine article.
This laboratory assignment was originally published in The Forensic Teacher Magazine. |
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Ground Water Contamination? Ask the Bugs!
January 21, 2011 | New York Times
An article in the New York Times explains how ground water contaminated by a leaking landfill can be detected by monitoring soil bacteria instead of analyzing water for a wide range of potential contaminants. |
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