Jonathan Xia’s Post

#YearInReview: Oak Ridge National Laboratory celebrated 30 years of stewarding NASA terrestrial ecology data using the Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics, or ORNL DAAC. The ORNL DAAC processes, archives, documents, and distributes data from NASA’s past and current Earth-observing satellites and field measurement programs for use by scientists around the world seeking to understand and protect the planet. Science themes for the ORNL DAAC data products include arctic ecosystems, biomass, carbon cycle, climate, fire, hydrology and cryosphere, land use and human dimensions, soils and vegetation and forests. Today, the ORNL DAAC manages nearly 300 terabytes of data. https://lnkd.in/gdQG8PuC

According to a study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, scientists have determined that life on Earth emerged around 591 to 565 million years ago due to changes in the magnetic field that led to increased oxygen levels, creating suitable conditions for the evolution of ancient species. Life began with single-celled organisms approximately 3.7 billion years ago, evolving into multicellular organisms around 1.7 billion years ago. The emergence of animals occurred about 580 million years ago during the Ediacaran period, initially with soft-bodied creatures. However, between 575 and 565 million years ago, these organisms began evolving into more complex beings, facilitated by rising oxygen levels. Oxygen is crucial for evolutionary innovation and meeting the energy demands of animals, with complex ecosystems requiring even higher oxygen levels to support long food chains and predators. #clickmepakistan #earth #scientists #magneticfields #atmosphere

This plant is so extreme that scientists think it could thrive on Mars: ScienceAlert - https://lnkd.in/d67Pgfys - Mosses are among Earth's great terraformers, turning barren rock into fertile soil, and now a team of scientists proposes that these nonvascular plants could do the same on Mars. Another question is whether we should introduce life from Earth to our red neighbor: we don't have a great track record of

death pools: oxygenless death pools bottom of red sea: untouched: Studying the death pools can help us understand how life on Earth began, and even the potential for life on other planets. Sam Purkis, professor and chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences at the University of Miami, said: "Our current understanding is that life originated on Earth in the deep sea, almost certainly in anoxic — without oxygen — conditions. "Studying this community hence allows a glimpse into the sort of conditions where life first appeared on our planet, and might guide the search for life on other 'water worlds' in our solar system and beyond." https://lnkd.in/dYJjWVK3

death pools: oxygenless death pools bottom of red sea: untouched: Studying the death pools can help us understand how life on Earth began, and even the potential for life on other planets. Sam Purkis, professor and chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences at the University of Miami, said: "Our current understanding is that life originated on Earth in the deep sea, almost certainly in anoxic — without oxygen — conditions. "Studying this community hence allows a glimpse into the sort of conditions where life first appeared on our planet, and might guide the search for life on other 'water worlds' in our solar system and beyond." https://lnkd.in/dpgcZgyC

This plant is so extreme that scientists think it could thrive on Mars: ScienceAlert - https://lnkd.in/dyXiEXjJ - Mosses are among Earth's great terraformers, turning barren rock into fertile soil, and now a team of scientists proposes that these nonvascular plants could do the same on Mars. Another question is whether we should introduce life from Earth to our red neighbor: we don't have a great track record of

I read two books recently and I thought the topics were related. The first one is called "How Infrastructure Works" by Deb Chachra, and the other was "A City On Mars" by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Infrastructure of the first book are all those systems that work, but we are not aware of them. The systems that make it possible for you to read my post, while you are waiting for your coffee-maker to brew your cup of coffee. As a contrast, the Mars book talks about what it would really take to settle on Mars, the Moon or in spaceships. What kind of infrastructure is missing in space and what sort of things we do not yet know. As a thought experiment I like to imagine a settlement on Mars that runs out of pencils. What will they do? :) Links to books: https://lnkd.in/eViDy9rS https://lnkd.in/e2QhA-DN

A research team led by University of Galway is investigating whether climate change is reducing the impact that some of tiniest organisms in the oceans have on CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The researchers spent several weeks at sea on board the Marine Institute’s Celtic Explorer in the Labrador Sea between Canada and Greenland, to record levels of phytoplankton. The expedition team are assessing the role of these tiny plants in carbon absorption from the atmosphere in the context of the threat from climate change on the seas from freshwater and meltwater in the Arctic regions. The research expedition was funded by the Marine Institute, and led by Professor Brian Ward, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway and involved researchers from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada and the Ocean Frontier Institute; Memorial University Newfoundland; and the Science Foundation Ireland research centre for applied geosciences - iCRAG. Science Foundation Ireland Dalhousie University Ocean Frontier Institute iCRAG - SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences #UniversityofGalway #Research #MarineScience #ClimateChange #Phytoplankton

🌱 This Extreme Moss Could Be Our Martian Terraforming Secret Weapon! 🔴 Attention, space explorers! We may have just found the ultimate pioneer species to kickstart Mars colonization - a humble yet hardcore moss that makes the Red Planet look like a walk in the park. 🚶♂️ Meet Syntrichia caninervis, a moss so resilient, it's basically indestructible. This tiny terrestrial titan thrives in some of Earth's most brutal environments, from scorching deserts to frozen Antarctic wastelands. 🌵❄️ In a series of punishing tests, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences pushed S. caninervis to the limits. They bombarded it with cosmic radiation doses that would vaporize humans, flash-froze it at -196°C for a month, and even simulated the harsh Martian atmosphere. The results? This moss laughed in the face of Armageddon! 💥 It shrugged off dehydration, shattered freezing records, and after a month under Martian conditions, it recovered like it was just another sunny day on Earth. Scientists believe S. caninervis could be the ultimate Martian terraformer, paving the way for future colonists by transforming the barren, lifeless wastes into fertile soil. Just like it did for early life on our own planet billions of years ago! 🌎 Imagine an unstoppable army of moss conquering the Red Planet, turning rock into soil with its extraordinary superpower - the ability to extract nutrients from solid stone. A true survivalist species showing us land-lovers how it's done! So get ready to go green on Mars, space cadets! With resilient plant pioneers like S. caninervis leading the charge, we might just make a cozy home out of our dusty celestial neighbor sooner than you think. 👨🚀🌋 ➡ Follow me for more amazing news on emerging technologies ... #Space #Mars #Biology #Terraforming #Moss https://lnkd.in/e_4pBVyw

The Netherlands Polar Programme's new Call for proposals on Arctic Science in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research is online! We are inviting researchers in the themes Climate Change and Ecosystem Dynamics to submit proposals of two types: for #consortia of multiple institutions in the Netherlands and for #earlycareer-led projects (0-7 years post-PhD). Both types must be designed with a partner at AWI. It is possible to include more cooperation partners, for example from the Arctic region. The deadline is 23 January 2025 at 14:00:00 CET. EDIT: On 28 October at 14:00 we'll organise an information webinar and Q&A. More information and registration to follow soon! Check https://lnkd.in/esyyMCtF More information on the call: https://lnkd.in/e-Q8xSNT Also check out POLARIN, an EU funded platform for access to polar research infrastructures. It just opened its first call for access, including both Arctic and Antarctic and both terrestrial and marine research infrastructures. Deadline 28 November 2024. Link: https://lnkd.in/eTMyqRDg NWO (Dutch Research Council) #arctic #arcticscience #arcticresearch #polarregions #noordpoolgebied #poolonderzoek #climate #ecosystem #north #international #collaboration #permafrost #glaciers #ecology #biology #environmentalscience #earthscience #lifescience #icesheet #Spitsbergen #Greenland #Svalbard #Atlantic #Canada #Alaska #iceland #andmanymore #climatechange #seaice #cryosphere #biosphere #oceans Picture by Tom van Hoof