Earth & Climate

Emissions of the “ozone killer” CFC-11 are falling again

To protect the ozone layer, many halogenated hydrocarbons are banned. (Image: studio023 / iStock) The gas trichlorofluoromethane contributes to the depletion of the ozone...

Whale calls give insights into the earth’s crust

Fin whales are widespread in all the world's oceans and are extremely vocal in the underwater world. (Caption: JG1153 / iStock) They are so...

Featured picture: Against the spider mite

On this electron microscope image, the spider mite looks almost harmless with its small head and hair on its back. But this arachnid...

Arctic Ocean once full of fresh water

The illustration shows a period of sweetening of the Arctic Ocean, with a view of the processes in the area of ​​the narrow connections...

Primeval fish with a sucking bite

Comparison of the skulls of alligator pike (left) and Tiktaalik. (Image: Justin Lemberg / University of Chicago) To survive on land, the first vertebrates...

Paleontology: Were there vegetarians among the crocodiles?

Artist's impression of extinct representatives of the crocodiles with different diets. (Image: Jorge Gonzalez) They lurk in the water for prey and then snap...

Aerosols cool the atmosphere less than expected

Ships emit exhaust gases that contribute to aerosol formation. (Image: Torresigner / iStock) Tiny particles in the air, so-called aerosols, are created, for example,...

Featured picture: Thinned snail shells

When the pH of the seawater drops, it also affects the shell development of pteropods, as this image shows. The left shell comes...

Did the giant robber hunt like a stork?

Depiction of a Spinosaurus while wading in the water with its snout rummaging for prey. (Image: Robert Nicholls) How did the whimsical Spinosaurus live...

Solar energy: building facades offer great potential

So far, roofs have mainly been used for photovoltaics, not facades. (Image: Behnisch et al./IÖR) Not only roofs offer space for photovoltaic systems: house facades...

Heat waves in lakes are increasing

Mountain lake in New Zealand. (Image: simonbradfield / iStock) Climate change is not only causing water temperatures to rise on land, but also in...

Reconstructed cloacal opening of a dinosaur

This is what the Psittacosaurus sewer could have looked like. (Image: Bob Nicholls / Paleocreations.com 2020) Except for mammals, most vertebrates have a cesspool...

The soil as a living space in the spotlight

Springtails (Collembola) are important soil dwellers and can provide useful information about soil quality and protection needs. (Image: Photo: Andy Murray) Worms, springtails and...

On the trail of the enigmatic “direwolf”

Artist's impression of a Canis dirus (right) in conflict with a gray wolf. (Image: Art by Mauricio Anton) Especially big and terrifying: The Canis...

Mega Shark gave birth to giant babies

Analysis of growth lines in megalodon vertebrae shows that young animals were larger than the average human at birth. (Caption: DePaul University /...

Featured picture: Algae overgrow corals

Even the first look at this underwater photo reveals that something is wrong here: These coral reefs in the clear waters of the Caribbean...

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