What’s the only native insect of Antarctica have to do to survive? An Osaka Metropolitan University-led international research team has uncovered the special ability of the Antarctic midge to prosper in an extreme environment.

In an article featured in Science China Earth Sciences, researchers from Tianjin University elucidate the coupling relationship between soil fungi and reactive minerals in ecosystems by utilizing global fungal carbon stocks, mineral-associated carbon stocks, and high-resolution nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry. They also reveal the mechanisms of fungal-nanoparticle interactions belowground. These findings provide new insights into the critical role of microorganisms in soil carbon stability and storage.

In June 2024, southern China experienced record-breaking heavy rainfall, resulting in devastating societal and economic impacts. The underlying cause of this extreme event remained unclear until this study, published in Science Bulletin, provided new insights. Based on analyses from numerical simulations using an Earth System Model (ESM), an international team of scientists identified excessive spring land heating over the Tibetan Plateau as the primary factor driving the catastrophic June 2024 rainfall in southern China.