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Beautiful Diatoms: Pattern for stable construction
AWI publication in ‘Nature’
In February 2003, scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) published new results concerning the structure and material properties of diatoms in the journal "Nature". These single-celled marine algae are responsible for the majority of oxygen and biomass production in the oceans. Since their discovery around 170 years ago they have been admired for their beauty and diversity. It has now been shown that their fantastical shapes have an ecological purpose.
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In February 2003, scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) published new results concerning the structure and material properties of diatoms in the journal "Nature". These single-celled marine algae are responsible for the majority of oxygen and biomass production in the oceans. Since their discovery around 170 years ago they have been admired for their beauty and diversity. It has now been shown that their fantastical shapes have an ecological purpose.
Winter in the Antarctic: "Polarstern" comes home
On Sunday 16th February at about midday, the Alfred Wegener Institutes’ (AWI) research ship, the “Polarstern” arrived back in Bremerhaven. The twentieth antarctic expedition ended a day earlier than planned. A major task of the three and a half month long journey was the supply of the research stations “Kohnen” and “Neumayer”. On the second part of the cruise, on the 9th December 2002, the scientists and crew celebrated the twentieth birthday of the ice-breaker. A scientific highlight of this trip was the discovery of a unexpected biologically rich area…
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20,000 years before our time
Ice Core-Drilling in Antarctic thousand meters deep now
At Kohnen-Station of Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research scientists unearthed an ice core from a depth of one thousand meters on 22nd january 2003. This ice is about 20,000 years old and contains information about the last glacial maximum. To date this, an ash layer produced by a prehistoric volcano 14,000 years ago, has been helpful. It was found in a depth of 802 meters, and was also found and dated at the Japanese Station Dome Fuji. Thus it could work as a milestone. The 24…
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At Kohnen-Station of Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research scientists unearthed an ice core from a depth of one thousand meters on 22nd january 2003. This ice is about 20,000 years old and contains information about the last glacial maximum. To date this, an ash layer produced by a prehistoric volcano 14,000 years ago, has been helpful. It was found in a depth of 802 meters, and was also found and dated at the Japanese Station Dome Fuji. Thus it could work as a milestone. The 24…
Earth's position in relation to the sun influences the origin and intensity of precipitation
Understanding the causes of changing precipitation and humidity levels in the Earth's past is important for understanding how future changes in the Earth's hydroclimate might affect it. A research team involving the Alfred Wegener Institute has now for the first time analyzed around 50,000 years of hydroclimate in the mid-latitudes of the south-east Pacific using marine sediment cores. The most important result: natural fluctuations in the Earth's orbital parameters have a decisive influence. The study was recently published in the scientific journal…
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