[PERSPECTIVES] PHYSICS: The Electronic Structure of Liquid Lead
The atomic and electronic structure of liquid metals is poorly understood because of the lack of long-range periodicity in liquids. In his Perspective, Petroff highlights the report by Baumberger et al., who have succeeded in measuring the band structure of a liquid layer of lead. The measurements were possible because the authors deposited the layer on a support that interferes minimally with the liquid lead. By measuring the band structure both for a liquid and for a solid lead layer, the authors gain insights into the detailed electronic properties of liquid lead.
Author: Yves Petroff
[PERSPECTIVES] MICROBIOLOGY: Microbial Life Breathes Deep
It may not seem like a hospitable habitat, but deep within the sediments of the ocean floor reside thriving communities of microbes. In his Perspective, DeLong discusses a new study of sediment cores from the equatorial Pacific Ocean (D'Hondt et al.) that reveals surprising facts about the microbes living in this environment and the contribution of their metabolic activities to the ocean's energy cycle.
Author: Edward F. DeLong
[PERSPECTIVES] ATMOSPHERE: Ecological Versus Climatic Thresholds
How will the terrestrial vegetation respond to future climate change? In his Perspective, Maslin argues that studies of past climates can help to answer this question. He highlights the report by Jennerjahn et al., who show that ecological or vegetation responses to climatic changes may be delayed if an ecological threshold has to be crossed. In another study, Tzedakis et al. show that once such a threshold is crossed, the vegetation may not necessarily recover with a return to the original climatic conditions. Thus, both the time scale and the reversibility of future ecological changes as a result of global warming remain unclear.
Author: Mark Maslin
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