Washington (AFP) April 22, 2022 Dingoes might look like regular mutts, but in fact they’re genetically in between wolves and dogs, according to a new study published Friday in Science Advances. The species – revered in Aboriginal culture but the bane of modern ranchers – has been Australia’s top predator since the extinction of Tasmanian tigers last century. However, “the evolutionary position of the dingo … Continue reading Dingoes aren’t just feral dogs, says study

Beijing, China (SPX) Apr 22, 2022 Albedo is a term that represents the ability of Earth’s surface to reflect solar radiation. This is the primary factor of the energy balance between the surface and the atmosphere. When snow falls, albedo changes quickly, as snow is able to reflect most wavelengths of light back into the atmosphere. Naturally, albedo fluctuates often during winter and spring in … Continue reading Satellite data improves model’s interpretation of snowfall albedo simulations for Tibet

Beijing, China (SPX) Apr 22, 2022 China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station (RSGS), a major national S and T infrastructure hosted by the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), confirmed on April 21 that it received data from the newly launched atmospheric environmental monitoring satellite. At 11:46 a.m. that day, the Miyun Station at the outskirts of Beijing succeshttp://dlvr.it/SP61bn Continue reading China receives data from atmospheric environmental monitoring satellite

Kyoto, Japan (SPX) Apr 22, 2022 The 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes shocked inhabitants of the western island of Kyushu, causing hundreds of casualties and serious damage to vital infrastructure. The epicenter of the quake was traced to the Futagawa fault in a region neighboring Mount Aso, an active volcano in Kumamoto Prefecture that last erupted in October 2021. An investigation of earth displaced by the series … Continue reading Volcanoes at fault if the Earth slips

Boston MA (SPX) Apr 22, 2022 A handful of ancient zircon crystals found in South Africa hold the oldest evidence of subduction, a key element of plate tectonics, according to a new study published in AGU Advances, AGU’s journal for high-impact, open-access research and commentary across the Earth and space sciences. These rare time capsules from Earth’s youth point to a transition around 3.8 billion … Continue reading Earliest geochemical evidence of plate tectonics found

Seattle (AFP) April 22, 2022 President Joe Biden marked Earth Day on Friday by ordering protections for ancient forests and pondering a future without his beloved gas-guzzling Corvette sports car, but after 14 months in office his more ambitious climate goals look elusive. The Democrat has campaigned heavily for environmental protections and US leadership in the response to global warming, but regularly run up against … Continue reading Biden protects US forests but struggles on biggest climate goals

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 22, 2022 NASA has selected two firms for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Lightning Mapper (LMX) Phase A Study. These contracted firms will provide services to help meet the objectives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GeoXO program. The firms selected are Northrop Grumman Corporation System Sector of Azusa, California, and Lockheed Martin Corporation of Lhttp://dlvr.it/SP33CY Continue reading NASA awards contracts for NOAA Lightning Mapper Phase A Study

Baghdad (AFP) April 21, 2022 Iraq’s water resources have plunged 50 percent since last year, due to repeated periods of drought, low rainfall and declining river levels, a government official told AFP on Thursday. Oil-rich Iraq, despite its mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is classified as one of the world’s five countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification. “Water reserves are far lower than … Continue reading Parched Iraq’s water resources ‘down 50 percent’

Loango National Park, Gabon (AFP) April 22, 2022 Around a bend on a narrow trail that runs deep into the forest of Gabon’s Loango national park, Kamaya comes into view. The huge silverback gorilla coolly watches visitors arrive, then goes back to his meal. Perched on a strong branch, the 150-kilo (330-pound) beast greedily pulls more leaves from the tree to his mouth with a … Continue reading Gabon counts on visitors to help preserve great apes

York UK (SPX) Apr 21, 2022 Our early ancestors probably created intricate artwork by firelight, an examination of 50 engraved stones unearthed in France has revealed. The stones were incised with artistic designs around 15,000 years ago and have patterns of heat damage which suggests they were carved close to the flickering light of a fire, the new study has found. The study, by researchers … Continue reading Prehistoric people created art by firelight, new research reveals