
We again survived the dreaded 7 minutes of terror! Our rover Perseverance is successfully on Mars!
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Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the increased interest in all outdoor activities has been widely reported. Both the reduction of other safe social options, and the increased time spent working from home, have resulted in an unprecedented number of us taking to our parks, woods and other outdoor spaces. Of course, any time spent outside is always beneficial, but never before has connecting with nature been as important as during this pandemic.
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Hidden life beneath the snow and ice can take many forms. This year, our active lives themselves are ready to burst forth when the vaccine allows a new normal to arrive. For now, it’s still safest for everyone to hibernate at home. We saw another example last week, with the methanogen bacteria under frozen lakes, hiding methane under the ice, ready to burst forth in flame. Read More
For those of us in more Northern climes, the Winter Thermstice, or Imbolc, means ice and snow. Here in Michigan, frozen lakes usually become strong enough to drive cars onto, and that ice also freezes bubbles rising from the lake floor. Much of this gas is methane produced by methanogenic bacteria, which is found across the globe. Some lake bottoms – especially in farther north areas – produce more methane (accelerated by climate change), making the striking images of large, plentiful bubbles.