Scientists have found an explanation for periodic wet climates on Mars—an otherwise frozen planet—which account for evidence of past lakes contained in the planet’s sediment.. According to new research, it’s likely that the planet is sometimes warmed by bursts of methane that’s trapped under Mars’ subsurface. Like on Earth, methane can be stored in Martian […]
Tag: greenhouse gas
Greenhouse emissions have to be continuously reduced to meet Paris Agreement goals 
In order to limit the amount of global warming by 2020 to only 1.5 degrees Celsius, countries under the Paris Agreement may have to strengthen their carbon reduction pledges, a new study suggests. Researchers assessed remaining carbon budgets that are compatible with limiting warming to 1.5 °C by using a simple carbon-climate model, key properties […]
The cycle of mercury pollution in the Arctic tundra
Human activity has been a major source of mercury pollution in the Arctic, and a new study has identified the form most often taken by the pollutant: gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). The News & Views article discusses how the Arctic tundra acts as a major sink for mercury, as the local plants uptake GEM from the […]
Fracking byproducts contaminate lakewater with radioactive and carcinogenic chemicals
Results of a new study show that there’s still much to be improved when it comes to the treatment of the byproducts of hydraulic fracturing, which has become a popular method of oil and gas extraction in US and Canada over the past decade. Researchers sampled sediments and porewaters from a lake downstream from two […]
