LND topic: organic-matter page 1

organic matter

How Dirty Water Fuels Algae Blooms: The Hidden Role of Mud and Nitrogen

December 20, 2025

Coastal areas often face pollution from too much nitrogen and organic matter. This can change how phosphorus moves around in the water. Phosphorus is a key nutrient that can cause algae blooms. Scientists wanted to see how this works in coastal areas, where conditions can change quickly. They did a

environment

Urban Mess: How City Surfaces Affect Water Quality

July 2, 2025

Cities are full of hard surfaces like roads and buildings. These surfaces can mess up water quality. A recent study looked at how organic stuff in water changes in cities. It focused on places like Xi'an, China. The study collected samples from different city areas. It found three main types of org

environment

How Land-Based Carbon Fuels Methane in Giant Reservoirs

March 28, 2025

The world's largest reservoirs are significant sources of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Yet, the role of organic matter from land in driving methane emissions from these vast water bodies is not well understood. To shed light on this, a study was conducted at Lake Qiandao, a massive reservoir i

science

Life's Building Blocks Found on Asteroid Bennu

January 31, 2025

In 2023, a historic mission brought back 121. 6 grams of samples from Bennu. Bennu is an asteroid and available samples show an abundance of carbon, nitrogen, and ammonia. But Bennu isn't your typical asteroid. It's particularly valuable because the analysis included the extraction and ident

environment

Plastic Pieces in Soil: How They Slow Down Decomposition

December 25, 2024

Imagine tiny plastic particles, smaller than a grain of sand, scattered throughout the soil. These microplastics, or MPs, are becoming a big issue worldwide. Soil is like a long-term storage box for MPs because they find their way in through various routes and take a long time to break down. It's im

science

Timing Matters: Day and Night Changes in Ocean Nutrients

December 21, 2024

Phytoplankton, tiny ocean plants, have a daily rhythm. They produce a lot of carbohydrates and amino acids which bacteria love to eat. These nutrients have daily ups and downs, playing a big role in the ocean's nutrient cycle. Across different ocean areas, like near Antarctica and in the tropics, th