oceans

If Mars ice were melted it would cover planet to depth of 35 meters

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Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield notes that Mars has 5 million cubic km of ice, enough to cover the whole planet to a depth of 35 meters or [contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]115 ft. Mars has 5 million cubic km of ice, enough to cover the …

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Japan mines seabed gets zinc equal to Japan’ annual consumption

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Japan has successfully tapped into a deposit of mineral resources from a deep-water seabed off the coast of Okinawa, the economy ministry said, the largest such extraction of its type. It is the first time metals have been mined from the seabed in such quantities using ship-based extraction technology, according to the Economy, Trade and …

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Whales, Snotbot Drones, Iron Fertilization of the Ocean via whale poop #suglobalsummit

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Nextbigfuture interviewed Iain Kerr at the Singularity University Global Summit. Iain Kerr is with the Ocean Alliance. Ocean Alliance has been pioneering methods of studying and learning about the lives of these amazing mammals noninvasively, without injuring or disturbing them. Ocean Alliance’s latest innovation is the use of drones to observe whales and collect data …

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Combining geoengineering approaches would keep constant temperatures and overall rainfall

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New research from an international team of atmospheric scientists published by Geophysical Research Letters investigates for the first time the possibility of using a “cocktail” of geoengineering tools to reduce changes in both temperature and precipitation caused by atmospheric greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of coal, oil, and gas not only cause …

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Aquaculture fills the protein demand gap

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China’s total production from aquaculture tripled in the past two decades despite the loss of 57 percent of its coastal wetlands, 73 percent of its mangroves and 80 percent of its coral reefs since the 1950s. Marine ecosystems are being lost to land reclamation and urban development. The majority of aquaculture production is freshwater, marine …

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Calibration error in early Satellite sensors hid sea level rise

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There were problems with the calibration of a sensor on the first of several satellites launched to measure the height of the sea surface using radar. Adjusting the data to remove that error suggests that sea levels are indeed rising at faster rates each year. Nerem’s team calculated that the rate of sea-level rise increased …

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Mussels, crabs, and other emails living in ecosystem using oil as energy source

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At asphalt volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico that spew oil, gas and tar, mussels and sponges live in symbiosis with bacteria providing them with food. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology and colleagues from the USA have now discovered deep-sea animals living in symbiosis with bacteria that use oil as an …

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Earth’s middle mantle could have as much water as in all the Oceans

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Japanese and German researchers have found evidence that suggests the middle of Earth’s mantle holds as much water as the planet’s oceans. If scientists can prove without doubt that the middle mantle is filled with water, it calls into question theories that suggest water arrived on Earth from comets. An open question for solid-earth scientists …

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Permit sought for iron fertilization off coast of Chile to boost fish

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The Oceaneos Marine Research Foundation of Vancouver, Canada, says that it is seeking permits from the Chilean government to release up to 10 tonnes of iron particles 130 kilometers off the coast of Coquimbo as early as 2018. But Chilean scientists are worried because the organization grew out of a for-profit company, Oceaneos Environmental Solutions …

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Paris Climate Agreement is Environmental Theater with Empty Promises as Policy

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President Trump will likely withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. The matter has deeply divided the Trump administration. Ivanka Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have urged the president to remain in the deal, and White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have been pushing for a withdrawal. …

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China extracts gas from largest global carbon energy source Methane Hydrates

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Methane hydrates, also called “flammable ice”, hold vast reserves of natural gas. China has for the first time extracted gas from the ice-like methane hydrate from under the South China Sea considered key to future global energy supply. Many countries including the US and Japan are working on how to tap those reserves, but mining …

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