Playas (or ephemeral lakes) can be significant sources of dust, but they are typically covered by salt crusts of variable mineralogy and these introduce uncertainty into dust emission predictions. Despite the importance of crust mineralogy to emission potential, little is known about (i) the effect of short-term changes in temperature and relative humidity on the erodibility of these crusts, an...

We discuss the recent efforts to use a sub-class of neutron-star X-ray transients (the quasi-persistent transients) to probe the properties of neutron-star crusts and cores. Quasi-persistent X-ray transients experience accretion episodes lasting years to decades, instead of the usual weeks to months of ordinary, shortduration transients. These prolonged accretion episodes should significantly h...

Soil water availability is most essential in the Sahelian agriculture but is hampered by several factors. Surface crusts or crust-like surfaces, which are characteristic of most Sahelian soils, have been shown to decrease water in®ltrability and increase runoff. Their type and structure are in ̄uenced by soil texture, vegetation cover, erosion and deposition effects of wind and water. A soil and...

It is important to establish an appropriate transporting machine on the seafloor for deep ocean mining of cobalt-rich manganese crusts, as the physiognomy of cobalt-rich manganese crusts is complex and often varies. In view of the complexity of terrain of cobalt-rich manganese crusts and huge weight that need to be supported during ocean mining, a project of the six−legged walking robot driven ...

Citation: Thomazo C, Buoncristiani J-F, Vennin E, Pellenard P, Cocquerez T, Mugnier JL and Gérard E (2017) Geochemical Processes Leading to the Precipitation of Subglacial Carbonate Crusts at Bossons Glacier, Mont Blanc Massif (French Alps). Front. Earth Sci. 5:70. doi: 10.3389/feart.2017.00070 Geochemical Processes Leading to the Precipitation of Subglacial Carbonate Crusts at Bossons Glacier,...

The physics of neutron star crusts is vast, involving many different research fields, from nuclear and condensed matter physics to general relativity. This review summarizes the progress, which has been achieved over the last few years, in modeling neutron star crusts, both at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. The confrontation of these theoretical models with observations is also briefly...

The specific bio-species and their spatial patterns play crucial roles in regulating eco-hydrologic process, which is significant for large-scale habitat promotion and vegetation restoration in many dry-land ecosystems. Such effects, however, are not yet fully studied. In this study, 12 micro-plots, each with size of 0.5 m in depth and 1 m in length, were constructed on a gentle grassy hill-slo...

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are a widespread photosynthetic ground cover in arid and semiarid areas. They have many positive ecological functions, such as increasing soil stability, and reducing water and wind erosion. Using artificial technology to achieve the rapid development of BSCs is expected to become a low-cost and highly beneficial ecological restoration measure. In the present study...

Decomposition processes are extremely important in biological soil crusts (BSCs). Although the effects of temperature and moisture on such processes have been widely studied, little is known about the influence of the readily metabolizable substrate (labile C) and how this substrate varies in different types of BSCs. In the present study, BSCs formed by cyanobacteria (CYANO) and by lichens (DIP...

The transmission of smallpox by contaminated bed clothes (Stallybrass, 1931) and by dust from the floor of a patient's room (Downie and Dumbell, 1947) is evidence of the stability of variola virus under natural conditions. Experimental proof of the survival of variola virus in exudates and crusts from humans was reported by Buddingh (1938) and North et al., (1944). The former investigator noted...