A firm understanding of the photovoltaic effect, by which light can be converted into useful electrical energy, lies at the core of solar cell design and development.
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Hidden Biological Processes can Affect How the Ocean Stores Carbon
New Stanford-led research unveils a hidden factor that could change our understanding of how oceans mitigate climate change.
A Blueprint for Mapping Melting Ice Sheets
Researchers in the Stanford Radio Glaciology lab use radio waves to understand rapidly changing ice sheets and their contributions to global sea-level rise.
How the coronavirus defeats the innate immune response
SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that can counteract a cell's innate defense mechanism against viruses, explaining why it is more infectious than the previous SARS and MERS-causing viruses. The discovery may point the way to the development of more effective drugs against this and possibly similar, future diseases.
What happened when a meteorite the size of four Mount Everests hit Earth?
Scientists paint a compelling picture of what happened the day the S2 meteorite crashed into Earth 3.26 billion years ago.
Weather-changing El Nino oscillation is at least 250 million years old
A new modeling study shows that the El Nino event, a huge blob of warm ocean water in the tropical Pacific Ocean that can change rainfall patterns around the globe, was present at least 250 million years in the past, and was often of greater magnitude than the oscillations we...
Microbes drove methane growth between 2020 and 2022, not fossil fuels
Microorganisms growing in landfills, on agricultural land and in wetlands are contributing to skyrocketing levels of atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, according to new research.
Rapidly increasing industrial activities in Arctic
More than 800,000 km2 of the Arctic were affected by human activity in 2013, according to an analysis of satellite-derived data on artificial light at night. On average, 85% of the light-polluted areas are due to industrial activities rather than urban development.
MSU Global Plant Study: Loss of ‘Nitrogen Fixers’ Threatens Biodiversity, Ecosystems
Mississippi State University is part of a European-American collaboration studying how human activities, like fertilizer use and polluting, are impacting nitrogen-fixing plants which are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by adding nitrogen to the soil.
Plant CO2 uptake rises by nearly one third in new global estimates
Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a new assessment. The research is expected to improve Earth system simulations that scientists use to predict the future climate, and spotlights the importance of natural carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas mitigation.