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Tech meets tornado recovery (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

Traditional methods of assessing damage after a disaster can take weeks or even months, delaying emergency response, insurance claims and long-term rebuilding efforts. New research might change that. Researchers have developed a new method that combines remote sensing, deep learning and restoration models to speed up building damage assessments and predict recovery times after a tornado. Once post-event images are available, the model can produce damage assessments and recovery forecasts in less than an hour.

Sharp depletion in soil moisture drives land water to flow into oceans, contributing to sea level rise (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

The increasing frequency of once-in-a-decade agricultural and ecological drought has underscored the urgency of studying hydrological changes. A research team has analyzed the estimated changes in land water storage over the past 40 years by utilizing space geodetic observation technology and global hydrological change data. This innovative method has revealed a rapid depletion in global soil moisture, resulting in a significant amount of water flowing into the oceans, leading to a rise in sea levels. The research provides new insights into the driving factors behind the alarming reduction in terrestrial water storage and rise in sea levels.

The ripple effect of small earthquakes near major faults (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

When we think of earthquakes, we imagine sudden, violent shaking. But deep beneath the Earth's surface, some faults move in near silence. These slow, shuffling slips and their accompanying hum -- called tremors -- don't shake buildings or make headlines. But scientists believe they can serve as useful analogs of how major earthquakes begin and behave.

New study shows AI can predict child malnutrition, support prevention efforts (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

A multidisciplinary team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can predict acute child malnutrition in Kenya up to six months in advance. The tool offers governments and humanitarian organizations critical lead time to deliver life-saving food, health care, and supplies to at-risk areas. The machine learning model outperforms traditional approaches by integrating clinical data from more than 17,000 Kenyan health facilities with satellite data on crop health and productivity. It achieves 89% accuracy when forecasting one month out and maintains 86% accuracy over six months -- a significant improvement over simpler baseline models that rely only on recent historical child malnutrition prevalence trends.

Microplastics in Texas bays are being swept out to sea (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

When researchers went searching for microplastics in sediments pulled from the bottom of Matagorda Bay and its surrounding inlets, they didn't find much. Most of their samples contained only tens to hundreds of microplastic particles for each kilogram of sediment. This is hundreds to thousands of times less than other bayside environments around the world.

Fossil tracks show reptiles appeared on Earth up to 40 million years earlier (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

The origin of reptiles on Earth has been shown to be up to 40 million years earlier than previously thought -- thanks to evidence discovered at an Australian fossil site that represents a critical time period. Scientists have identified fossilized tracks of an amniote with clawed feet -- most probably a reptile -- from the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago.

Genome of near-extinct northern white rhino offers hope for reviving the species (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

The northern white rhinoceros is one of the rarest animals on Earth, with just two females left and no natural way for the species to reproduce. Now, scientists have mapped the entire genome of a northern white rhino. This represents a crucial step toward bringing the critically endangered species back from the edge using advanced reproductive technologies. The complete genome can be used as a reference to analyze the health of previously developed northern white rhinoceros stem cells. Eventually, those stem cells may be able to generate sperm and eggs to yield new rhinos.

Europe's forest plants thrive best in light-rich, semi-open woodlands -- kept open by large herbivores (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

Before Homo sapiens arrived, Europe's forests were not dense and dark but shaped by open and light-rich woodland landscapes. Researchers have analyzed 917 native forest plant species in Central and Western Europe and found that more than 80 percent prefer high-light conditions -- environments traditionally created by large herbivores.

Uncovering compounds that tame the heat of chili peppers (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

When biting into a chili pepper, you expect a fiery sensation on your tongue. This spiciness is detected because of capsaicinoid compounds. But for some peppers, despite high levels of capsaicinoids, the heat is mysteriously dull. Now, researchers have identified three compounds that lessen peppers' pungency. These results challenge the reliability of the century-old Scoville scale, which traditionally bases its rating on two capsaicinoids.

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