Tag

Western Australia

All articles tagged with #western australia

science2 hours ago•5 min saved

Western Australia’s Red Dirt Hides a Hydrogen Goldmine

Australian researchers simulate underground conditions and show hydrogen can form when water interacts with magnetite in iron ore; magnetite powder yields about five times more hydrogen per gram than slab samples, and fractures/porous rocks with exposed surfaces boost production. The findings suggest Western Australia may host a large, untapped hydrogen resource for a low‑carbon energy future, with potential for export, though scaling and geological challenges remain. Published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

via ScienceAlert|

#clean-energy #geology #hydrogen

science15 hours ago•3 min saved

Drone captures tiger shark predation on sea turtle off Western Australia

Drone and boat footage from Western Australia show a tiger shark attacking and subduing a sea turtle, illustrating how apex predators hunt in the wild; the turtle’s shell provides defense but the shark ultimately prevails, underscoring the need to respect wildlife.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#drone-footage #predation #science

science19 days ago•5 min saved

WA Magnetite Could Unlock Massive Underground Hydrogen

Researchers from Edith Cowan University say magnetite in Western Australia’s Pilbara iron ore could naturally generate hydrogen underground when hot water reacts with it; lab-like conditions and fracture access influence production, and injecting certain solutions could boost output, suggesting a potentially vast clean-energy resource for Australia and future export opportunities.

via SciTechDaily|

#banded-iron-formations #clean-energy #hydrogen-energy

environment1 month ago•4 min saved

Endangered WA Cockatoos Face a Widespread Pesticide Threat from Grain Spills

Scientists tracking Carnaby’s black cockatoos in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt over three breeding seasons found pesticides in about 80% of seed samples from feeding sites near grain silos, with some samples hundreds of times above legal limits and 26 pesticides detected including neurotoxic chemicals. GPS data showed birds repeatedly visiting contaminated feeding areas, linking exposure to CHiPS (Carnaby’s Hindlimb Paralysis Syndrome). The study calls for a review of Australian pesticide regulations and suggests simple industry changes, like better grain handling and spill cleanup at silos, to reduce wildlife exposure.

via The Times of India|

#chips #cockatoos #environment

world2 months ago•3 min saved

Western Australia imposes poultry lockdown as mainland H5N1 bird flu detected in wild birds near Esperance

Western Australia has ordered a lockdown of poultry farms after the mainland emergence of H5N1 bird flu, confirmed in wild birds near Esperance (a brown skua and a giant petrel). Ingham’s Group halted access to operations and pushed for indoor housing of free-range stock, while authorities say there is no current evidence of spread to poultry; the outbreak has sparked widespread wildlife reports, government preparedness efforts, and market attention to the affected company.

via The Guardian|

#bird-flu #esperance #h5n1

science2 months ago•3 min saved

H5N1 hits Western Australia’s offshore seabirds, triggering wildlife health alert

Two sick brown skua and giant petrel found on Western Australia’s southern coast tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza and died, marking Australia’s first detections and prompting heightened surveillance amid fears of a broader wildlife outbreak. Experts say there’s no confirmed spread yet, but seabirds could transport the virus as they forage offshore. People should avoid handling dead or sick birds and report sightings via the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.

via The Guardian|

#avian-influenza #h5n1 #science

environment2 months ago•1 min saved

Australia pledges action after mainland H5N1 bird flu detected in WA seabird

Australia confirms its first mainland H5N1 bird flu case in a migratory brown skua in Western Australia, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging to do whatever it takes to curb spread. A second bird (giant petrel) in the same area is suspected, but Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the virus has not been detected in poultry. Previously, H5N1 appeared on Heard Island, highlighting wildlife risk even as human infections remain rare and global culling and price pressures continue.

via Al Jazeera|

#australia #bird-flu #environment

science3 months ago•7 min saved

Gold Prospectors in Australia Uncover an Ancient Iron Meteorite Crater Hidden in Greenstone

Geologists prospecting for gold in Western Australia found the Ora Banda impact structure—a roughly 4 km-wide, iron-rich meteorite crater buried in ancient greenstone. Gravity data, shatter cones, and impact breccias with glassy nodules containing elevated siderophiles (nickel, iridium, platinum-group elements) point to an ancient meteorite impact, offering rare insights into early Earth and Mars analogs and suggesting other hidden structures may lie beneath greenstone formations.

via ScienceAlert|

#greenstone-belts #impact-structure #meteorite

world3 months ago•11 min saved

Shark Attack Claims Diver Off Rottnest Island, WA

A diver was fatally mauled by a shark near Rottnest Island off Western Australia, authorities said.

via AP News|

#diver #rottnest-island #shark-attack

world4 months ago•1 min saved

Fatal great white attack kills man near Rottnest Island, Western Australia

A 38-year-old man died after a four-metre great white attacked him at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, off Perth. He was transported by boat to Geordie Bay Jetty where CPR was performed but he died at the scene. The incident is Western Australia’s first fatal shark attack since March, while recent eastern coast attacks have prompted beach closures; globally, shark encounters are most common on Australia’s east and southeast coasts, averaging about 20 incidents annually.

via Al Jazeera|

#fatality #great-white-shark #rottnest-island

world4 months ago•0 min saved

Fatal Great White Attack Near Rottnest Island, WA

A 38-year-old man was killed by a 4-meter great white shark off Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island in Western Australia. Rescuers rushed him to shore and CPR was attempted, but he did not survive. Authorities urged caution in WA waters. This is the first fatal WA shark attack since March last year, set against Australia’s long history of shark incidents (about 1,300 attacks since 1791, with over 260 deaths).

via BBC|

#fatality #great-white-shark #rottnest-island

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Giant Squid Detected in Australia’s Deep-Sea Canyons Through Environmental DNA

Researchers aboard the R/V Falkor used environmental DNA (eDNA) to sample Cape Range and Cloates submarine canyons off Western Australia, detecting Architeuthis dux DNA and identifying 226 species across 11 groups at depths over 4 kilometers—many DNA signals don’t match known species—revealing vast, previously hidden deep-sea biodiversity.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#deep-sea-biodiversity #edna #giant-squid

science4 months ago•4 min saved

DNA clues reveal giant squid off Western Australia in rare discovery

Australian researchers detected environmental DNA traces of a giant squid in deep-water canyons off Western Australia, marking the first such record there in more than 25 years and underscoring rich, largely unexplored deep-sea biodiversity.

via New York Post|

#environmental-dna #giant-squid #marine-biodiversity

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Giant Squid Detected Off Western Australia Via Environmental DNA

Using environmental DNA from 1,700 liters of seawater off Western Australia, researchers detected 226 species and the giant squid Architeuthis dux—the first WA eDNA record and northernmost in the eastern Indian Ocean—along with many DNA sequences not matching known species, highlighting vast, still-hidden deep-sea biodiversity.

via Nautilus | Science|

#deep-sea-biodiversity #environmental-dna #giant-squid

science4 months ago•5 min saved

DNA traces reveal giant squid and hidden life in WA's deep-sea canyons

Australian researchers used environmental DNA from seawater to survey deep-sea canyons off Western Australia, revealing 226 species including the first WA-record of a giant squid via eDNA and indications of potentially new species, underscoring the value of non-invasive methods for mapping biodiversity in extreme depths and informing conservation as deep-sea ecosystems face climate change, fishing, and resource pressures.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#biodiversity #deep-sea #edna