Researchers have substantially expanded the known genomic diversity of Aoguangviridae, a family of marine viruses associated with the abundant archaeal order Poseidoniales. By increasing the non-redundant genome set from 59 to 227, the study revealed extensive previously unrecognized diversity and distinct ecological distribution patterns across the global ocean. The researchers also identified auxiliary metabolic genes and evidence of transcriptional activity, providing new insights into the potential ecological roles of these viruses and their interactions with archaeal hosts. The findings were published on 2 September in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research.

Researchers undertook a study of the ocean’s topography to better understand its impact on Earth’s climate. They discovered that the shape of the ocean floor does affect the global climate system. Their research was published in the journal Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research on August 25, 2026.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, a team of researchers led by Professor Jia Xin from the Institute of Environmental Archaeology at Nanjing Normal University reconstructed the environmental evolution and human settlement adaptation processes at the Xuecheng archaeological site in the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River during the Mid to Late Holocene. By integrating multiple environmental proxies and high precision topographic data, the study revealed how hydrological and landscape changes shaped prehistoric settlement migration and spatial organization, providing new evidence for understanding human environment interactions during the formation of early Chinese civilization.

In northeastern North America, a 500-mile-long stretch of mountains runs from the Adirondacks in New York to the Gaspé Peninsula in eastern Quebec.The ecological habitats, which include the alpine zones in the Green Mountains and the White Mountains, are home to many rare species of flowering plants, making the areas hotspots for biodiversity. A new Dartmouth-led study using hundreds of satellite images over 40 years provides the first regional analysis of greening trends in the northern Appalachian region.