Science | In small doses

A few milligrams of all the scientific news of the week

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

Landslides on the rise

Over the past 50 years, disasters caused by landslides have become 10 times more frequent, found a study published in Nature. This reminds us that 80% of landslides with dramatic consequences occur in tropical regions, often due to heavy rains. However, the study recalls, climate projections show that the intensity of torrential rains in these regions could double by the end of the century. The authors report that 80% of people killed by landslides in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2004 were living in makeshift dwellings. Only 41% of such disasters occurred in these regions. The study pleads for a strengthening of infrastructures and better planning of urban development.

Quiz

Where is the largest glacier in the world located?

The Seller glacier, with an area of ​​7000 m^⁠2, is found in Antarctica. This is what emerges from an analysis carried out by researchers from the National Snow and Ice Data whose results were published in Journal of Glaciology. Remember that ice caps and glaciers currently cover 12.5% ​​of the planet’s surface.

The number

47,000

In the province of Sichuan alone, in China, 47,000 hectares of crops (the area of ​​the island of Montreal) have been totally lost in recent months due to the major drought that has hit the country. A total of 433,000 hectares of crops have been affected in this province, reports the scientific magazine New Scientist.

Young people affected by air pollution

Healthy young people could well be affected by air pollution, say researchers from Penn State College of Medicine in the United States. According to their study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, young people exposed to fine particles were more likely to suffer from cardiac arrhythmia. The higher the concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, the greater the risk of irregular heartbeats, the study reports. Experts are particularly concerned to see effects on the heart health of young people even when fine particle levels do not exceed official standards. Note that air pollution is an issue of growing concern in many major cities around the world.

Too hot for tree leaves?

Trees are often presented as one of the best solutions to climate change. But what if global warming harmed their ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere? This is suggested by a study from Oregon State University that has just been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to the authors, the leaves of the trees would not be able to cool to a level lower than the ambient temperature. As a result, the ability of trees to extract carbon would be compromised. This discovery contradicts a contrary theory within the scientific community. Note that several studies already suggest that many of the world’s forests are approaching their thermal limit for carbon uptake.