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Mycenaean armor

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Mycenaean armor
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Flower at the top

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FLOWER

In the remote and inhospitable landscape of Inuit Qeqertaat, also known as Kaffeklubben Island, lies one of the most northern stretches of land accessible to humans on Earth. Situated on the northern coast of Greenland, this desolate terrain consists of dark gray gravel merging with frozen sea ice, presenting a stark and unforgiving environment. The northern coast of Greenland stands as a rugged and formidable frontier, characterized by its stark beauty and extreme conditions. Here, amidst the vast expanse of icy waters and towering glaciers, lies a landscape that embodies the raw power and resilience of nature. The coastline, etched with rugged cliffs and frozen fjords, serves as a gateway to the Arctic wilderness, offering a glimpse into one of the world’s most remote and pristine regions. Despite its harsh environment, the northern coast of Greenland is not devoid of life; it is home to a diverse array of Arctic wildlife, from polar bears and seals to seabirds and marine mammals, all adapted to thrive in this unforgiving realm of ice and snow.

Despite its harsh conditions, this remote outpost holds a unique allure for climate change researchers and explorers seeking to understand the ecological dynamics of Earth’s northernmost regions.

In an ambitious endeavor to uncover the secrets of this extreme environment, a team led by climate change researchers Brian Buma and Jeff Kerby embarked on an expedition to survey the region. Their mission yielded remarkable discoveries, including the presence of plant life defying the odds of survival in such a hostile landscape. Among the resilient flora found were specimens of Tortula mucronifolia, a species of moss known as the world’s northernmost plant, as well as striking yellow and lime-green Arctic poppies (Papaver radicatum), flourishing just south of the moss. These findings offer valuable insights into the adaptability of life in extreme environments and highlight the importance of studying remote regions like Inuit Qeqertaat in understanding the impacts of climate change on global biodiversity.

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Bison herd – Climate heroes

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BISON

A bison herd is a social group of bison, primarily composed of females and their young, with males typically forming smaller bachelor groups or remaining solitary outside the mating season. These herds, known for their migratory behavior, move across the plains in search of food and water, playing a crucial role in maintaining prairie ecosystems through their grazing patterns. Bison communicate through vocalizations and body language and engage in behaviors such as wallowing to manage parasites and shed fur. Once nearly driven to extinction due to overhunting and habitat loss, bison populations have rebounded thanks to extensive conservation efforts. These herds are vital for ecological health, contributing to soil aeration and plant diversity. Bison also hold significant cultural importance for many Indigenous peoples, symbolizing strength and resilience, and remain an emblem of successful conservation in North America.

Are cattle not as harmful to the climate as assumed? According to a study, a bison herd in Romania stores as much CO2 as 123,000 gasoline engines emit per year. But can this be transferred to other regions? Cattle are considered “climate killers” due to the greenhouse gas methane produced during digestion. Compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), its effect in the atmosphere is said to be far less harmful than previously assumed. However, it is probably less known that cattle can also act as CO2 vacuum cleaners – and on a huge scale. At least that’s what researchers led by Oswald J. Schmitz from the School of the Environment at Yale University have found out. According to their study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Bio geosciences, the bison herd they studied absorbs as much CO2 each year as is emitted by 43,000 U.S. cars or 123,000 European vehicles.

Specifically, it is 54,000 tons of CO2. Of course, these are not absorbed by the animals themselves, but by the ecosystem in which they live. In this case it is an area of ​​around 50 square kilometers in the Romanian Tarcu Mountains. Bison have been released here since 2014. The herd has now grown to 170 animals. There would be space for 350 to 450 bison in the area. Previously, there had been no wild bison in Romania for over 200 years. Bison play an important role in ecosystems, as researcher Schmitz explains to the Guardian . “Their grazing and browsing help maintain a species-rich landscape of forests, scrub, grasslands and microhabitats.”

Schmitz therefore describes the bison as “climate heroes”. But: The climate-protecting effect of wild bison cannot per se be transferred to other regions. This is because the grasslands of the Carpathians have special soil and climatic conditions. The American prairies, for example, have much lower productivity, says Schmitz. The bison are not the only animals that could contribute to climate protection after being released into the wild in previously traditional areas. According to the Guardian, the researchers examined nine species in more detail, including elephants, musk oxen and sea otters.

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Exploring the canal of Mars

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MARS1

Luxury problem for NASA: Should Curiosity continue to travel through a canal that could have once been a river in ancient times, or should the Mars rover explore a mountain ridge? This is what NASA hopes to achieve from the chosen course.

The Mars rover recently found itself at a crossroads: The NASA vehicle had been exploring the gorge called Gediz Vallis for the past few months and had now arrived at Pinnacle Ridge – the ridge is part of the rock face that towers over Gediz Vallis. It turned out that the south side of Pinnacle Ridge is passable. According to a blog post from the space agency, this presented NASA with a dilemma: should the rover continue to travel along the suspected fossil riverbed, as planned, or should it rather explore the southern slope of the mountain and learn more about its composition and the role of water in its past experience?

Ultimately, NASA decided to stay on the planned course. The excursion to the south side of the massif would have taken too much time. Additionally, Curiosity had already explored the north side of Pinnacle Ridge. According to NASA, the southern part would not have provided any new insights.

Research into Gediz Vallis is intended to provide NASA with insight into the question of when liquid water disappeared from Mars. Billions of years ago, the planet is said to have been significantly wetter and probably warmer than it is today. Data from Curiosity last fall, combined with computer simulations and other experiments, indicated that there were more rivers on Mars than expected – which in turn suggests diverse life in the past of our neighboring planet.

Gediz Vallis has a serpentine, winding shape. According to NASA, at least in the top view from space, its appearance suggests that flowing water formed it ancient times. The sides of the canal were too steep for wind to carve it into the ground.

The rover is intended to prove this theory. For example, he should check whether the boulders in the canal could have been caused by dry avalanches or wet landslides.

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