As the last Ice Age waned and the Holocene dawned, deep-ocean circulation around Antarctica underwent dramatic shifts that helped release long-stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Deep-sea sediments show that ancient Antarctic waters once trapped vast amounts of carbon, only to release it during two major warming pulses at the...
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How Can Cocoa Farmers Adapt to Climate Change?
Climate change threatens agricultural production across sub-Saharan Africa, where most farmers rely on rainfall.
UQ Scientists Uncover Secrets of Yellow Fever
University of Queensland researchers have captured the first high-resolution images of the yellow fever virus (YFV), a potentially deadly viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that affects the liver.
Continents Do Not Always Separate Symmetrically Because of the Memory of Rocks
When the Earth's crust tears apart and forms a new ocean, one side of the continent sometimes thins out much more than the other.
Sunlight-Powered Breakthrough Turns Methane into Valuable Ethylene
A cleaner and more efficient method to convert the greenhouse gas methane into ethylene – a key ingredient in plastics and textiles – has been developed using the harsh Australian sun.
Australians are Drinking Plastic Particles in Their Tea, UQ Research Finds
Researchers have called for consumer warnings on plastic kettles after finding nano and microplastic particles leach into the liquid.
Where do Microplastics Go Once They Sink into the Ocean?
Researchers at Kyushu University report that they have developed a new method to more accurately analyze the distribution of small microplastics in the ocean at various depths.
Satellites spot rapid “Doomsday Glacier” collapse
Two decades of satellite and GPS data show the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf slowly losing its grip on a crucial stabilizing point as fractures multiply and ice speeds up. Scientists warn this pattern could spread to other vulnerable Antarctic shelves.
A lost Amazon world just reappeared in Bolivia
Researchers exploring Bolivia’s Great Tectonic Lakes discovered a landscape transformed over centuries by sophisticated engineering and diverse agricultural traditions. Excavations show how Indigenous societies adapted to dynamic wetlands through raised fields, canals, and mixed livelihoods. Today’s local communities preserve this biocultural continuity, guiding research and conservation.
New 3D scan reveals a hidden network of moai carvers on Easter Island
A high-resolution 3D model of Rano Raraku shows that the moai were created in many distinct carving zones. Instead of a top-down system, the statues appear to have been produced by separate family groups working independently while sharing techniques. Evidence of varied carving styles and multiple transport routes supports this...