Earth Sciences

Researchers in South Korea and Singapore have, for the first time, developed a chemical probe that enables live-imaging of a type of immune cells in the brain, known as microglia, in a live animal brain.

Cycad plant roots release signals into the soil that triggers the transformation of bacteria into its motile form, helping them move to the plant roots and establish a symbiotic partnership.

The composition of mixed brominated/chlorinated dibenzofurans (PXDFs) and diphenyl ethers in soils from an e-waste site in Ghana suggests a formation of PXDFs through condensation of the flame retardant PBDEs and subsequent bromine-to-chlorine exchange. PXDFs were substantial contributors of toxic equivalents among dioxins from e-waste burning.

Evidence of historic marine life present in Alaskan permafrost is helping scientists reconstruct ancient changes in the ice cover over the Arctic Ocean.

Geoengineering experiments underway to protect Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from climate change highlight the need for Australian law to catch up, researchers say.

Glaciers extending into freshwater lakes can form long, submerged terraces that menacingly rise above the surface when icy chunks fall into the water.

Ocean colour could serve as a reliable proxy for salinity, opening the door for more frequent and detailed measurements.

Search Team Produces First-ever Live Photos and Video of Indonesia’s Extraordinary Lost Bee Species.

Laboratory experiments at extreme pressures and temperatures lead to precise measurements of the sound velocity of CaSiO3 perovskite which is one of the important constituent minerals in the Earth's mantle. The measurements suggested the accumulation of the subducted oceanic crust beneath the 660 km discontinuity.

An international team of researchers has unveiled that local greenhouse gas concentrations appear to be attributable to Arctic Amplification.

Determining the growth dynamics of Red Sea coral reefs has enabled researchers to establish a baseline to assess the effects of environmental change.

Two students, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have been honored with the 2018 Talent Award of Korea.

Computer climate models suggest that human activities increased the risk of high May temperatures and early onset of summer by two to three times.

A more accurate way of resolving spatial patterns in weather could lead to better predictions of climate change.

Organic compounds undergo drastic variations in their chemical composition as they transfer from the ocean’s surface to atmospheric aerosols which act as nuclei to form clouds.

Signalling the company’s relentless focus in adding investment and human capital to Singapore’s flourishing deep tech ecosystem

Investigating plankton communities' reaction to rising water temperatures may improve modeling of marine ecosystem responses to global warming.

Modeling shows that the Indian summer monsoon can trigger heatwaves and sandstorms on the Arabian Peninsula.

A metal-organic framework that selectively removes impurities from natural gas could allow greater use of this cleaner fossil fuel.

Call for Abstracts - Deadline: November 20, 2018

Advancing Low Carbon Cities in Malaysia

Researchers have found a way to predict if it will be an El Niño or La Niña year up to 17 months in advance.

Policy experts gather in Tokyo to discuss science advice in a changing world

A new study has utilized a novel method to estimate long-term ozone exposure and previously reported epidemiological results to quantify the health burden from long-term ozone exposure in three major regions of the world.

Professor Richard Bernhart Owen of the HKBU Department of Geography has analysed African lake sedimentary cores and established connections between a drying climate and technological and evolutionary changes in early humans.

New simulations indicate that swirling ammonia in combustion chambers can help reduce harmful emissions – insight that may help on-going efforts to develop ammonia as a carbon-free fuel source.

Females of a socially monogamous passerine, the Japanese great tit (Parus minor), become more promiscuous after hatchings fail in the first breeding attempt — apparently attempting to ensure successful reproduction.

Tantalum nitride as thin layers improve the extraction of electrons from silicon solar cells.

The LUI Che Woo Prize – Prize for World Civilisation and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today co-hosted the Welfare Betterment Prize Laureate Public Lecture at PolyU.

Both sexes of a songbird called the blue-capped cordon-bleu intensify courtship performances that involve singing and dancing in the presence of an audience, especially if it is a member of the opposite sex, an international team of researchers has discovered. [Joint press release by Hokkaido University and Max Planck Institute for Ornithology.]