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Perseverance’s first year on Mars: Purdue professor, mission team member looks at what is ahead

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Almost one year into the Mars rover mission, accomplishing its goal is on the horizon for Purdue University’s Briony Horgan and the Perseverance team.

February 18 will mark one year since the rover landed on the red planet following a seven-month, 300-million-mile flight across space.

Horgan, associate professor of planetary science in the Purdue College of Science’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, says anticipation is building as the team focuses on the mission goal: researching a now-dry large river delta. [Read more…] about Perseverance’s first year on Mars: Purdue professor, mission team member looks at what is ahead

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  • ABB provides Ty-Rap cable ties for NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission
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    ABB provides Ty-Rap cable ties for NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover MissionAs NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover begins exploring its new planetary home after landing on February 18, 2021, it’s operating with the world’s most advanced technology while being equipped with Ty-Rap cable ties from ABB, the same ties that are widely used on earth. Found in buildings, subways, the deepest oceans…
    Tags: space, mars, rover, perseverance, mission, features

Hidden mangrove forest in the Yucatan peninsula reveals ancient sea levels

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Deep in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, an ancient mangrove ecosystem flourishes more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the nearest ocean. This is unusual because mangroves – salt-tolerant trees, shrubs, and palms – are typically found along tropical and subtropical coastlines.

A new study led by researchers across the University of California system in the United States and researchers in Mexico focuses on this luxuriant red mangrove forest.

This “lost world” is located far from the coast along the banks of the San Pedro Martir River, which runs from the El Petén rainforests in Guatemala to the Balancán region in Tabasco, Mexico.

Because the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and other species present in this unique ecosystem are only known to grow in salt water or somewhat salty water, the binational team set out to discover how the coastal mangroves were established so deep inland in fresh water completely isolated from the ocean. Their findings were published October 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Read more…] about Hidden mangrove forest in the Yucatan peninsula reveals ancient sea levels

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  • How climate change and fires are shaping the forests of the future
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    How climate change and fires are shaping the forests of the futureForest fires are already a global threat. "But considering how climate change is progressing, we are probably only at the beginning of a future that will see more and bigger forest fires," explains Rupert Seidl, Professor of Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management in Mountain Landscapes at TUM. In many places,…
    Tags: forest, climate, ecosystem, change, region, future, nature
  • How climate change and fires are shaping the forests of the future
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    How climate change and fires are shaping the forests of the futureForest fires are already a global threat. "But considering how climate change is progressing, we are probably only at the beginning of a future that will see more and bigger forest fires," explains Rupert Seidl, Professor of Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management in Mountain Landscapes at TUM. In many places,…
    Tags: forest, climate, ecosystem, change, region, future, features
  • Research shows flocking birds, schooling fish, other collective movements can stabilize ecosystems
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    Research shows flocking birds, schooling fish, other collective movements can stabilize ecosystemsIn addition to being visually stunning, schools of herring, herds of wildebeest and countless other groups of organisms that act in concert can help complex ecosystems maintain their diversity and stability, new research by Oregon State University shows. Published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the study demonstrates that when…
    Tags: species, ecosystem, features, nature
  • New fossil discovery from Israel points to complicated evolutionary process
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    New fossil discovery from Israel points to complicated evolutionary processAnalysis of recently discovered fossils found in Israel suggest that interactions between different human species were more complex than previously believed, according to a team of researchers including Binghamton University anthropology professor Rolf Quam. The research team, led by Israel Hershkovitz from Tel Aviv University, published their findings in Science, describing…
    Tags: species, researchers, features, region, period
  • Melting ice sheets over the past 300 years raised sea levels 18 metres
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    Melting ice sheets over the past 300 years raised sea levels 18 metresIt is well known that climate-induced sea level rise is a major threat. New research has found that previous ice loss events could have caused sea-level rise at rates of around 3.6 metres per century, offering vital clues as to what lies ahead should climate change continue unabated. A team…
    Tags: sea-level, sea, levels, ocean, climate, years, features

USC study shows dire impacts downstream of Nile River dam

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Rapid filling of a giant dam at the headwaters of the Nile River – the world’s biggest waterway that supports millions of people – could reduce water supplies to downstream Egypt by more than one-third, new USC research shows.

A water deficit of that magnitude, if unmitigated, could potentially destabilize a politically volatile part of the world by reducing arable land in Egypt by up to 72%. The study projects that economic losses to agriculture would reach $51 billion. The gross domestic product loss would push unemployment to 24%, displacing lots of people and disrupting economies.

“Our study forecasts dire water supply impacts downstream, causing what would be the largest water stress dispute in modern human history,” said Essam Heggy, a research scientist at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and lead author of the study. [Read more…] about USC study shows dire impacts downstream of Nile River dam

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  • Solar and wind power could mitigate conflict in northeast Africa
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    Solar and wind power could mitigate conflict in northeast AfricaA new study shows that several disagreements between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt around Africa's largest hydropower plant, the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could be alleviated by massively expanding solar and wind power across the region. Adapting GERD operation to support grid integration of solar and wind power would…
    Tags: water, dam, egypt, study, nile, river, features

Solar and wind power could mitigate conflict in northeast Africa

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A new study shows that several disagreements between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt around Africa’s largest hydropower plant, the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could be alleviated by massively expanding solar and wind power across the region.

Adapting GERD operation to support grid integration of solar and wind power would provide tangible energy and water benefits to all involved countries, creating regional win-win situations.

“Our results call for integrated hydro-solar-wind planning to be taken up in the GERD negotiations,” says Sebastian Sterl, energy planning expert at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and KU Leuven in Belgium and lead author of the study, published in Nature Energy. [Read more…] about Solar and wind power could mitigate conflict in northeast Africa

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  • USC study shows dire impacts downstream of Nile River dam
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    USC study shows dire impacts downstream of Nile River damRapid filling of a giant dam at the headwaters of the Nile River – the world's biggest waterway that supports millions of people – could reduce water supplies to downstream Egypt by more than one-third, new USC research shows. A water deficit of that magnitude, if unmitigated, could potentially destabilize a…
    Tags: water, nile, egypt, study, river, dam, features

Rivers are the ‘main culprit’ for carrying plastic debris into the sea

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UFZ researchers have proven that large river systems are the main culprits for plastic pollution in the oceans

Minute plastic particles can be found in the water in virtually every sea and river. This constitutes a serious and growing global environmental problem. There are enormous quantities of input each year and plastic weathers only very slowly.

Marine life can be harmed by the tiny plastic particles floating in the water. One example of how this happens is when fish, seabirds or marine mammals mistake the particles for food and consume them.

“It is still impossible to foresee the ecological consequences of this. One thing is certain, however: this situation cannot continue,” says Dr. Christian Schmidt, a hydrogeologist at the UFZ. “But as it is impossible to clean up the plastic debris that is already in the oceans, we must take precautions and reduce the input of plastic quickly and efficiently.” [Read more…] about Rivers are the ‘main culprit’ for carrying plastic debris into the sea

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  • Scientists calculate impact of China’s ban on plastic waste imports
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    Scientists calculate impact of China’s ban on plastic waste importsWhile recycling is often touted as the solution to the large-scale production of plastic waste, upwards of half of the plastic waste intended for recycling is exported from higher income countries to other nations, with China historically taking the largest share. But in 2017, China passed the "National Sword" policy,…
    Tags: plastic, features, environment
  • New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exports
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    New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exportsGovernments at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the Basel Convention acted to restrict rampant plastic waste exports by requiring countries to obtain prior informed consent before exporting contaminated or mixed plastic waste. A deluge of plastic waste exports from developed countries has polluted developing countries in Southeast…
    Tags: plastic, features, environment
  • Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study finds
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    Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study findsThere is a considerable risk that plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles known as nanoplastics, according to a new study from Lund University. The researchers studied what happened when takeaway coffee cup lids, for example, were subjected to mechanical breakdown, in an effort to mimic the degradation that…
    Tags: plastic, environment
  • Can extreme melt destabilize ice sheets?
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    Can extreme melt destabilize ice sheets?Nearly a decade ago, global news outlets reported vast ice melt in the Arctic as sapphire lakes glimmered across the previously frozen Greenland Ice Sheet, one of the most important contributors to sea-level rise. Now researchers have revealed the long-term impact of that extreme melt. Using a new approach to…
    Tags: features, environment
  • Plastic waste has some economic benefit for developing countries
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    Plastic waste has some economic benefit for developing countriesFor decades, wealthy nations have transported plastic trash, and the environmental problems that go with it, to poorer countries, but researchers have found a potential bright side to this seemingly unequal trade: plastic waste may provide an economic boon for the lower-income countries. In a study published in the Journal of…
    Tags: plastic, environment