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    • Another Ultra-Large Structure Found Near the Giant Arc in the Sky

      May 3, 2025

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      March 27, 2025

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      March 26, 2025

    • Discovery of Long-Chain Alkanes on Mars Raises New Questions About Its Past

      March 24, 2025

    • Breakthrough Experiment Shows Earth’s Rotation Can Generate Power

      March 21, 2025

    • Global Warming Could Make Breathing Harder by Drying Out Airways

      March 17, 2025

    • Tropical Forest Diversity Increases Carbon Gains but Not in the Soil

      March 6, 2025

    • Screen Time Linked to Lower Language Skills in Toddlers

      February 10, 2025
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    • Chemistry, Biology

    • Climate Change

    • Astrophysics
    • Space Exploration

    • Microbiology

    • Biomedicine

    • Virus, Bacteria

    • Paleontology

    • Geology, Earth

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    • Another Ultra-Large Structure Found Near the Giant Arc in the Sky

      May 3, 2025

    • Scientists Link Disappearance of White Sharks to Declining Fish and Shark Populations

      March 27, 2025

    • Scientists Develop Self-Propelling Microcleaners That Capture and Remove Microplastics From Water

      March 26, 2025

    • Discovery of Long-Chain Alkanes on Mars Raises New Questions About Its Past

      March 24, 2025

    • Breakthrough Experiment Shows Earth’s Rotation Can Generate Power

      March 21, 2025

    • Global Warming Could Make Breathing Harder by Drying Out Airways

      March 17, 2025

    • Tropical Forest Diversity Increases Carbon Gains but Not in the Soil

      March 6, 2025

    • Screen Time Linked to Lower Language Skills in Toddlers

      February 10, 2025
  • Popular
    popular icons

    Ideal Gas Law Calculator

    PV = nRT

    popular icons

    Enthalpy Change Calculator

    ΔH = ΔU + p × ΔV

    ΔH = m × c × ΔT

    popular icons

    Gibbs Free Energy Calculator

    ΔG and ΔG°

    popular icons

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    Find λ using Rydberg formula

    popular icons

    Combined Gas Law Calculator

    P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2

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Plants

  • Tropical Forest Diversity Increases Carbon Gains but Not in the Soil

    Tropical Forest Diversity Increases Carbon Gains but Not in the Soil

    March 6, 2025Climate Change, Plants
  • In the heart of Yellowstone National Park, where the earth whispers tales of ancient volcanic activity, scientists have discovered a new way to listen to these whispers through the health of the trees. A recent study by Robert Bogue and his team from xAI has shown that by observing how plants respond to volcanic gases, we can uncover hidden volcanic activity years before it becomes visibly or thermally evident. The study focused on the Tern Lake Thermal Area (TLTA) within Yellowstone, a region known for its rich hydrothermal features but not previously identified for active volcanic activity until around 2000. However, Bogue's team found that the signs were there long before, just not in the ways we were looking. By analyzing 185 images from the Landsat 5 and 8 satellites from 1984 to 2022, researchers measured the health of vegetation through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a measure which reflects how well plants are photosynthesizing. What they found was astonishing. From 1984 to 1999, the NDVI values in the TLTA were actually higher than in nearby, unaffected forests, suggesting that the plants were thriving on something extra - possibly the increased levels of CO2 or water from volcanic emissions. This period marked a subtle yet significant enhancement in plant health, with NDVI values ranging typically from 0.40 to 0.70, which are indicative of dense, green vegetation. Robert Bogue explains, "We noticed that the vegetation in the thermal area was healthier than in the surrounding forests, which suggested that volcanic CO2 was acting like a fertilizer, encouraging growth." This was a revelation because it meant that volcanic activity could be influencing plant life long before it escalated to more visible signs like dead trees or hot ground. The plot thickened around 1999 when the NDVI values started to change. Initially, there was a brief period where plant health in TLTA peaked, with NDVI metrics dipping below zero in 2001, signaling a surge in CO2 or water availability that boosted plant growth. However, this was short-lived. By 2006, the narrative flipped as the NDVI metrics began to soar, indicating severe stress to the plants due to increasing soil temperatures, sulfur emissions, and potentially lethal levels of CO2. The study pinpointed that the least healthy plants were in the areas where hydrothermal activity was about to peak. This shift was not just a local story. It's a narrative about how we can use nature itself as a sentinel for geological events. The study's implications are profound - if we can detect these changes in plant health from space, we could monitor volcanoes worldwide that are too remote or dangerous for ground surveys. This could revolutionize volcano monitoring, providing a safer, more accessible method. The journey through the data wasn't without its challenges. The team had to ensure they weren't just seeing effects from natural climate variations like the notable 1988 Yellowstone wildfires or changes in precipitation, which averaged 506.1 mm per year from 1984 to 1998, nearly doubling in the following years. They meticulously compared the vegetation around TLTA with three similar but unaffected forest areas to isolate the effects of volcanic activity

    Scientists Use Plant Health to Detect Hidden Volcanic Activity in Yellowstone

    January 3, 2025Climate Change, Earth Science, Geology, Plants
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