Global warming leads to higher nitrogen requirements - New wheat variety's can contribute to food security

Technical University of Munich (TUM)

It is not always easy to find the right amount of fertilizer for wheat crops. If too little is applied, it is completely used up, but the harvest falls short of its full potential. And if too much is used, the harvest is good but the growing grain does not consume all of the fertilizer. The surplus nitrogen finds its way into the environment and damages ecosystems and the climate. But wheat is essential for satisfying the growing hunger in the world.

To overcome these challenges, Senthold Asseng, a professor of digital agriculture at TUM, Pierre Martre (INRAE) and other researchers have investigated new wheat cultivars still in the experimental stages. Their results have been published in Nature Plants. The team used data from five experimental fields representing global wheat producing regions with particularly high yields. The fields were included into a simulation model with other fields and analyzed under three climate scenarios: the climate conditions of today and global warming of 1 degree Celsius and 4.8 degrees Celsius. The results show the yields that can be expected from the tested varieties when different quantities of nitrogen fertilizer are applied.

Higher yields, but nitrogen remains a problem

The researchers showed that the new wheat cultivars achieve 16 percent higher yields under current climate conditions than those now used if the same quantities of fertilizer are applied. Through improved utilization of the nitrogen, i.e. greater nitrogen efficiency, the ecological footprint is reduced. However, the team also showed that overall nitrogen needs will increase in the course of global warming if the full yield potential of the plants is to be achieved – although the new cultivars will still use nitrogen more efficiently than current varieties.

Consequently, new wheat cultivars are superior to the current ones in important respects and could contribute to food security. But the struggle for responsible nitrogen management will remain an issue, and not only with regard to climate protection and the environment. The researchers point out that nitrogen can be an expensive resource. So, although greater fertilizer use may be best for the harvest, it will not be available to all producers around the world and will impose higher costs on agricultural businesses as well as customers.

Systemic approach to food security

However, the scientists now recommend continued use of the cultivars tested in the model in breeding programs: “With improved selective breeding we can close the food gap for the next 20 to 30 years. But new varieties alone will not be sufficient to reconcile the conflicting goals of global food security, environmental protection and cost-effectiveness,” says Senthold Asseng. “What we need is a systemic approach that takes into account agricultural science methods, environmental aspects, socio-economic factors and policy makers.”

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Journal

Nature Plants

DOI

10.1038/s41477-024-01739-3 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Global needs for nitrogen fertilizer to improve wheat yield under climate change

 

Return of the elephant seals: From a few to thousands

Study uncovers the genetic impact of hunting in a seal species

Bielefeld University

 

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The northern elephant seals have recovered over decades from extreme hunting, but still carry genetic traces of it.

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Credit: Bielefeld University/Martin Stoffel

A new international study has revealed the genetic impact of hunting in northern elephant seals. Published today (27.09.2024) in ‘Nature Ecology and Evolution’, the research shows that this species narrowly escaped extinction by hunting, resulting in lasting genetic effects in the present population. Fifteen German, British and US researchers from seven universities and four research institutions collaborated for this study led by Bielefeld University.

At the start of the 20th century, northern elephant seals were on the brink of being wiped out by hunting. ‘Genetic analyses suggest that the population was likely reduced to fewer than 25 animals at that time,’ explains Professor Dr Joseph Hoffman, lead author of the study and head of the Evolutionary Population Genetics group at Bielefeld University. Such drastic population declines can squeeze out a species’ genetic diversity, increasing the risk of inbreeding and threatening its survival. The population of northern elephant seals has since recovered to around 225,000 individuals. The study published in the journal ‘Nature Ecology and Evolution’ examines how this near-extinction event impacted the species’ genetic diversity and health.

Adaptability at risk

For their analyses, the researchers combined genetic data, health records, modelling of population sizes and genetic simulations. Their findings suggest that the severe population decline led to the loss of many beneficial and harmful genes from the northern elephant seal’s gene pool. This pattern was not observed in the closely related southern elephant seal, which did not experience such a drastic decline.

‘The highly reduced genetic diversity, including the loss of beneficial gene copies, may impair the ability of northern elephant seals to cope with future environmental changes, including those caused by anthropogenic climate change, changes to the species’ habitat, or even natural threats such as disease outbreaks,’ warns Professor Dr Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra from the University of York, UK, who is the senior author of the study.

Surprising results on inbreeding

All individuals of a species carry some harmful mutations, though their effects are usually hidden. However, inbred individuals may face health issues as these mutations become exposed. ‘We looked at several key health traits in these seals, including body weight, blubber thickness and disease susceptibility. To our surprise, we found no signs of health problems related to inbreeding,’ Joseph Hoffman says. ‘We believe the severe population decline may have eliminated many harmful mutations.’

Significance for species conservation

‘Our study illustrates how a species’ unique population history shapes its genetic diversity,’ says Dasmahapatra. The findings offer important insights for species conservation and ecosystem management. Hoffman adds: ‘Our research underscores the importance of understanding a species’ history when planning conservation strategies. Each species responds differently to threats, so individualized approaches are essential.’

Published in Nature Journal

The study was published in the journal ‘Nature Ecology & Evolution’. This online journal covers all aspects of ecological and evolutionary research. According to the data service provider Clarivate, the magazine has an impact factor of 13.9 (2023). For the study, scientists from the following institutions cooperated: the Universities of Bielefeld, Düsseldorf, Cambridge (UK), California Santa Cruz and Davis (USA), Hampton (USA) and York (UK) as well as the Center for Biotechnology at Bielefeld University, the British Antarctic Survey (UK), the Northwest Fisheries Science Centre (Seattle, USA) and the Alan Turing Institute (UK).

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Journal

Nature Ecology & Evolution

DOI

10.1038/s41559-024-02533-2 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Article Title

Genomic and fitness consequences of a near-extinction event in the northern elephant seal

Article Publication Date

27-Sep-2024

 

Discovery of 3,775-year-old preserved log supports ‘wood vaulting’ as a climate solution

A new University of Maryland-led study found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions.

University of Maryland

 

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Excavated in Canada, this Eastern red cedar log turned out to be remarkably well-preserved for its age: 3,775 years old.

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Credit: Mark Sherwood, University of Maryland

A new study published in the journal Science suggests that an ordinary old log could help refine strategies to tackle climate change.

A team of researchers led by University of Maryland Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Professor Ning Zeng analyzed a 3,775-year-old log and the soil it was excavated from. Their analysis, published on September 27, 2024, revealed that the log had lost less than 5% carbon dioxide from its original state thanks to the low-permeability clay soil that covered it.

“The wood is nice and solid—you could probably make a piece of furniture out of it,” Zeng noted. 

Understanding the unique environmental factors that kept that ancient log in mint condition could help researchers perfect an emerging climate solution known as “wood vaulting,” which involves taking wood that is not commercially viable—such as trees destroyed by disease or wildfires, old furniture or unused construction materials—and burying it to stop its decomposition.

Trees naturally sequester carbon dioxide—a potent planet-warming gas—for as long as they live, making tree-planting projects a popular method of mitigating climate change. But on the flip side, when trees die and decompose, that greenhouse gas is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. 

“People tend to think, ‘Who doesn’t know how to dig a hole and bury some wood?’” Zeng said. “But think about how many wooden coffins were buried in human history. How many of them survived? For a timescale of hundreds or thousands of years, we need the right conditions.” 

In 2013, while conducting a wood vaulting pilot project in Quebec, Canada, Zeng discovered the 3,775-year-old log that became the focus of the Science study—a chance encounter that for Zeng felt “kind of miraculous.” While digging a trench to bury fresh wood, Zeng and other researchers spotted the log about 6.5 feet below the surface.

“When the excavator pulled a log out of the ground and threw it over to us, the three ecologists that I had invited from McGill University immediately identified it as Eastern red cedar,” Zeng recalled. “You could tell how well it was preserved. I remember standing there thinking, ‘Wow, here’s the evidence that we need!’”

While past studies have analyzed old samples of preserved wood, they tended to overlook the surrounding soil conditions, according to Zeng.

“There is a lot of geological and archeological evidence of preserved wood from hundreds to millions of years ago, but the focus of those studies was not ‘How we can engineer a wood vault to preserve that wood?’” Zeng said. “And the problem with designing a new experiment is that we can’t wait 100 years for the results.” 

Shortly after the Quebec dig, UMD’s collaborators at MAPAQ, a government ministry in Montreal, conducted carbon dating to determine the log’s age. Then, in 2021, Distinguished University Professor Liangbing Hu in UMD’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering helped Zeng analyze the 3,775-year-old sample’s microscopic structure, chemical composition, mechanical strength and density. They then compared those results to that of a freshly cut Eastern red cedar log, which revealed that the older sample had lost very little carbon dioxide.

The type of soil covering the log was the key reason for its remarkable preservation. The clay soil in that part of Quebec had an especially low permeability, meaning that it prevented or drastically slowed oxygen from reaching the log while also keeping out fungi and insects, the decomposers typically found in soil.

Because clay soil is common, wood vaulting could become a viable and low-cost option in many parts of the world. As a climate solution, Zeng noted that wood vaulting is best paired with other tactics to slow global warming, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

As he and his colleagues continue to optimize wood vaulting, he looks forward to putting what they’ve learned into practice to help curb climate change.

“It’s quite an exciting discovery,” Zeng said of this latest study. “The urgency of climate change has become such a prominent issue, so there was even more motivation to get this analysis going.”

University of Maryland Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Professor Ning Zeng holds the 3,775-year-old log that is the subject of a new study in Science.

Credit

Mark Sherwood, University of Maryland

In addition to Zeng and Hu, co-authors of this study included Laura Picard (B.S. ’24, chemistry; B.S. ’24, animal sciences), undergraduate student Elisa Zeng-Mariotti from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Ph.D. student Bryson Clifford and postdocs He Liu, Yu Liu, Taotao Meng and Xinpeng Zhao from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. 

Their study, “3775-year-old wood burial supports ‘wood vaulting’ as a durable carbon removal method,” was published in Science on September 27, 2024.

This study was supported by MAPAQ, the NOAA Climate Program Office and the NIST Greenhouse Gas Measurement Program. This article does not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

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Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adm8133 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

3775-year-old wood burial supports “wood vaulting” as a durable carbon removal method

Article Publication Date

27-Sep-2024

COI Statement

Ning Zeng is the inventor of a US patent application US0374912A1 and co-founder of Carbon Lockdown. This study was supported by MAPAQ, the NOAA Climate Program Office and the NIST Greenhouse Gas Measurement Program. This article does not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

 

Clean energy transition: Increasing global equity with finance

CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change

It is widely recognized that finance is one of the critical enablers of accelerating climate action. However, renewable energy deployment (particularly in developing countries) requires more financing than fossil fuel-based alternatives due to a combination of factors, such as higher upfront investment costs.

This means that finance itself can become a barrier to mitigation investment, which is particularly problematic in the context of energy justice—making renewable energy more widely accessible in low-income countries and communities. 

A new international research effort led by CMCC scientists tackles this issue by investigating how financial policies help ensure a just transition through a reduction in the cost of capital for energy technologies in the Global South. The paper quantifies the importance of financing cost on the equity and efficiency of the energy transition, empirically estimating the cost of capital for a range of technologies in different countries and then including them in five coupled energy-climate-economy models. This reference scenario is then compared to a fair-finance policy in which risk premia around the world reach those of mature economies by 2050. 

“In the fair-finance policy scenario, the quantity of renewable electricity generated in developing countries increases, leading to 30% of the renewable electricity needed in the Global South to keep global warming under 1.5°C and 10% of the fossil fuel reduction,” says Matteo Clacaterra, lead author of the study.

Furthermore, although the paper does show that the effects on mitigation in developing countries depend on the emissions scenario chosen—the higher the ambition, the cheaper the cost of mitigation, and the lower the ambition, the higher the carbon intensity reduction—it also reveals how, on aggregate, developing countries reduce their energy expenditure to GDP ratio by up to 5%. 

“All this increases global equity of the clean energy transition: inequality is reduced in per-capita renewable energy generation by 2-4%, and electricity also becomes cheaper by an average of 10% after mid-century,” continues Calcaterra, demonstrating how international convergence in the cost of capital for energy financing enables the greening of the energy system whilst at the same time increasing the justice of the transition.

These conclusions have important implications for policy choices, as they reveal that equalizing the cost of capital of the energy sector internationally can play a significant role in greening electricity generation, lowering the cost of mitigation and improving equity. However, what form those policies should take remains a critical avenue for future research.

“This research was necessary to further highlight the impact of financing costs on renewable energy development,” says Massimo Tavoni, director of the European Institute on Economics and the Environment at CMCC and co-author of the study. “We showed that fair financing is a key enabler of energy availability, affordability and equity at a global level. We hope that this research will help promote a fair and effective climate transition.”

 

For more information: 

CMCC authors lead the model intercomparison project (Matteo Calcaterra), contributed to the modeling work with the WITCH model (Matteo Calcaterra, Lara Aleluia Reis, Johannes Emmerling), wrote the first version of the paper and took care of the reviews (Matteo Calcaterra, Massimo Tavoni).

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Journal

Nature Energy

Article Publication Date

27-Sep-2024

 

Sloth survival under threat due to climate change, new study finds

PeerJ

 

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Image: Dr. Rebecca Cliffe

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Credit: Image: Dr. Rebecca Cliffe

A new PeerJ Life & Environment study has revealed that sloths, the famously slow-moving creatures of Central and South America, may face existential threats due to climate change. The research, conducted by scientists studying the metabolic response of sloths to rising temperatures, suggests that the energy limitations of these animals could make survival untenable by the end of the century, particularly for high-altitude populations.

The study, titled "Sloth Metabolism May Make Survival Untenable Under Climate Change Scenarios," investigates how two-fingered sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), living in both highland and lowland regions, respond to varying ambient temperatures. Using indirect calorimetry, researchers measured oxygen consumption and core body temperature of sloths under conditions mimicking projected climate changes. Their findings indicate a troubling future for sloths, especially those residing in high-altitude areas.

Lead researcher Dr. Rebecca Cliffe explained, “Sloths are inherently limited by their slow metabolism and unique inability to regulate body temperature effectively, unlike most mammals. Our research shows that sloths, particularly in high-altitude regions, may not be able to survive the significant increases in temperature forecast for 2100.”

Key Findings:

• Temperature Sensitivity: Sloths from highland regions experience a sharp increase in their resting metabolic rate (RMR) as temperatures rise. In contrast, lowland sloths, while better adapted to higher temperatures, initiate metabolic depression as a survival mechanism when temperatures exceed their comfort zone, known as the "thermally-active zone" (TAZ).
• Climate Change Impact: By the year 2100, with projected temperature increases between 2°C and 6°C in sloth habitats, high-altitude sloths are predicted to face a severe metabolic burden. Their limited energy-processing ability, combined with minimal geographical flexibility, may prevent them from adjusting to the warming climate.
• Food Intake Constraints: Sloths' slow digestion rate, which is up to 24 times slower than other similar-sized herbivores, poses another challenge. Any increase in metabolic demand due to climate change cannot easily be met by increased food intake, making it difficult for sloths to maintain energy balance.

The most concerning aspect of the research is the fate of high-altitude sloths. Due to their restricted ability to migrate to cooler regions and limited metabolic flexibility, these populations could face extinction if temperatures continue to rise.

The study suggests that while lowland sloths may cope by shifting their ranges to higher altitudes, highland sloths are geographically constrained and may not have this option. This biological inflexibility, paired with the increased metabolic demand in warmer climates, could push these populations toward a survival crisis. The findings highlight the need for urgent conservation efforts to protect sloth populations, particularly those in high-altitude regions, from the impacts of climate change. The research team calls for further investigation into adaptive strategies and conservation policies that can help mitigate the risks sloths face in a rapidly warming world.

 

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Journal

PeerJ

DOI

10.7717/peerj.18168 

Article Title

Sloth metabolism may make survival untenable under climate change scenario

 

Climate change accelerates the vulnerability and loss of resilience of a key species for the Mediterranean ecosystem

Red gorgonians exposed to marine heatwaves decrease the ability to resist and recover from other disturbances

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Barcelona

 

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After a heatwave, shallower populations of P. clavata are less able to withstand and recover from other disturbances.

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Credit: Graciel·la Rovira, University of Barcelona

A study by the University of Barcelona has analysed the ability of red gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata), a key species for the Mediterranean marine ecosystem, to resist and recover after marine heatwaves. The results, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, show that the increased frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events — one of the consequences of climate change — will make these populations more vulnerable to future disturbances, beyond global warming and heatwaves, raising their risk of extinction. This negative impact would have a serious effect on marine ecosystems, according to experts.

“Paramuricea clavata is a species that plays an essential role in a type of community endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, the coralligenous. These communities have a high associated diversity and represent approximately 10% of Mediterranean species. Therefore, a decrease in the resilience of these species, or even their extinction, can lead to major changes in the structure and functioning of the Mediterranean seabed”, warns Professor Pol Capdevila, from the Faculty of Biology and researcher at the UB’s Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), first author of the article. IRBio researchers Yanis Zentner, Graciela Rovira, Alba Medrano and Cristina Linares, together with Joaquim Garrabou, from the CSIC Institute of Marine Sciences, have also participated in the study.

Study in the natural parks of Port-Cros and Montgrí, the Medes Islands and Baix Ter

In the study, the researchers conducted long-term monitoring, from 1999 to 2022, of nine populations of red gorgonians located in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, and in the Port-Cros Natural Park, with the aim of finding out the resilience of these organisms to marine heatwaves. “The Mediterranean Sea has warmed faster than the global oceans, making it one of the regions most affected by marine heatwaves, events that are expected to increase in frequency, intensity, duration and extent, even under the most optimistic climate change scenarios. Understanding the resilience of marine species to the increase in these extreme events is therefore crucial for predicting their viability under future climate conditions”, note the authors of the paper.

The study shows that P. clavata populations exposed to heatwaves have lower resilience and slower recovery rates than populations that have not been exposed to these events. “These results suggest that increased heatwave frequency is likely to accelerate the extinction of shallower populations of P. clavata. And not only that: what we have observed is that, after suffering a heatwave, these populations are less able to resist and recover from other types of disturbances”, Capdevila remarks.
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This low resilience provides, according to the researchers, further evidence of the vulnerability of long-lived species to global change.

Similar effects in other areas of the Mediterranean

The researchers also suggest that this impact on P. clavata “is likely to be occurring in other Mediterranean locations as well”. For other coral species, the authors note that it is “likely that their resilience is also strongly affected by disturbance”, but they are more cautious. “It should be borne in mind that not all coral species have the same population dynamics. Paramuricea clavata is a species that is very dependent on the survival of its adult individuals, but this is not necessarily the case for other species. Therefore, our results are not necessarily extrapolable to coral species with faster population dynamics”, Capdevila adds.

The results contrast with the ecological memory hypothesis, i.e. the influence of past events on the current state of ecosystems. This hypothesis is based on studies conducted on the Great Barrier Reef, where it has been shown that the impact of heatwaves on corals can be lower if they have already been exposed to a heat wave the previous year. “In the context of the Great Barrier Reef, the ecological memory hypothesis predicts that populations that have survived previous waves of disturbance may be less affected by new heatwaves. However, our results seem to indicate that, with more heat waves, the resilience of these species to further disturbances is lower”, says Pol Capdevila.
​​​​​​​
The researchers note that these differences may be since the mechanisms by which tropical and temperate corals achieve demographic resilience differ because of particular physiological and demographic characteristics.

Measures to minimize the impact on this species

Given these results, the experts propose measures to minimize the impacts on red gorgonian populations. “For example, at the local level, populations of this species could be protected through marine protected areas or by restricting recreational activities, such as diving, where these corals are found. On the other hand, on a larger scale, measures to minimize climate change should be implemented more effectively, as it would benefit not only this species, but many others”, they conclude.

  

In the study, the researchers analysed red gorgonians populations located in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, and in the Port-Cros Natural Park.

Credit

Graciel·la Rovira, University of Barcelona

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Journal

Journal of Animal Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2656.14147 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Mediterranean octocoral populations exposed to marine heatwaves are less resilient to disturbances

Article Public

 

Ancient sunken seafloor reveals earth’s deep secrets

University of Maryland geologists discover a mysterious subduction zone deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, reshaping our understanding of Earth’s interior.

University of Maryland

 

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A map depicting the region where the discovery of an ancient seafloor was made.

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Credit: Jingchuan Wang, University of Maryland.

University of Maryland scientists uncovered evidence of an ancient seafloor that sank deep into Earth during the age of dinosaurs, challenging existing theories about Earth’s interior structure. Located in the East Pacific Rise (a tectonic plate boundary on the floor of the southeastern Pacific Ocean), this previously unstudied patch of seafloor sheds new light on the inner workings of our planet and how its surface has changed over millions of years. The team’s findings were published in the journal Science Advances on September 27, 2024.

Led by geology postdoctoral researcher Jingchuan Wang, the team used innovative seismic imaging techniques to peer deep into Earth’s mantle, the layer between our planet’s crust and core. They found an unusually thick area in the mantle transition zone, a region located between about 410 and 660 kilometers below the Earth’s surface. The zone separates the upper and lower mantles, expanding or contracting based on temperature. The team believes that the newly discovered seafloor may also explain the anomalous structure of the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP)—a massive region in Earth’s lower mantle—as the LLSVP appears to be split by the slab.

“This thickened area is like a fossilized fingerprint of an ancient piece of seafloor that subducted into the Earth approximately 250 million years ago,” Wang said. “It’s giving us a glimpse into Earth’s past that we’ve never had before.”

Subduction occurs when one tectonic plate slides beneath another, recycling surface material back into Earth's mantle. The process often leaves visible evidence of movement, including volcanoes, earthquakes and deep marine trenches. While geologists typically study subduction by examining rock samples and sediments found on Earth’s surface, Wang worked with Geology Professor Vedran Lekic and Associate Professor Nicholas Schmerr to use seismic waves to probe through the ocean floor. By examining how seismic waves traveled through different layers of Earth, the scientists were able to create detailed mappings of the structures hiding deep within the mantle.

“You can think of seismic imaging as something similar to a CT scan. It’s basically allowed us to have a cross-sectional view of our planet’s insides,” Wang said. “Usually, oceanic slabs of material are consumed by the Earth completely, leaving no discernible traces on the surface. But seeing the ancient subduction slab through this perspective gave us new insights into the relationship between very deep Earth structures and surface geology, which were not obvious before.”

What the team found surprised them—material was moving through Earth’s interior much more slowly than previously thought. Wang believes that the unusual thickness of the area the team discovered suggests the presence of colder material in this part of the mantle transition zone, hinting that some oceanic slabs get stuck halfway down as they sink through the mantle.     

“We found that in this region, the material was sinking at about half the speed we expected, which suggests that the mantle transition zone can act like a barrier and slow down the movement of material through the Earth,” Wang explained. “Our discovery opens up new questions about how the deep Earth influences what we see on the surface across vast distances and timescales.”

Looking ahead, the team plans to extend their research into other areas of the Pacific Ocean and beyond. Wang hopes to create a more comprehensive map of ancient subduction and upwelling (the geological process that occurs when subducted material heats up and rises to the surface again) zones, as well as their effects on both deep and surface Earth structures. With the seismic data acquired from this research, Wang and other scientists are improving their models of how tectonic plates have moved throughout Earth’s history.

“This is just the beginning,” Wang said. “We believe that there are many more ancient structures waiting to be discovered in Earth’s deep interior. Each one has the potential to reveal many new insights about our planet’s complex past—and even lead to a better understanding of other planets beyond ours.”

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The paper, “Mesozoic intraoceanic subduction shaped the lower mantle beneath the East Pacific Rise,” was published in Science Advances on September 27, 2024.

This research was supported by NASA SSERVI Cooperative Agreement No. 80NSSC19M0216. This article does not necessarily reflect the views of this organization.

An illustrative diagram showing the ancient subducted 'slab' the team resolved at present day.  It has a direct impact on the large-scale lowermost mantle structures known as 'superplumes'.

Credit

Jingchuan Wang, University of Maryland.

Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.ado1219. 

Method of Research

Imaging analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Mesozoic intraoceanic subduction shaped the lower mantle beneath the East Pacific Rise.

Article Publication Date

27-Sep-2024