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[pinkskates4]

NEW YORK: Ants may be cooling the Earth by helping trap carbon dioxide from the environment, a new study has claimed.

A long-term experiment tracking the ants' effects on soil suggests they cooled Earth's climate as their numbers grew.

"Ants are changing the environment," said lead study author Ronald Dorn, from the Arizona State University in Tempe.

Certain ant species "weather" minerals in order to secrete calcium carbonate — better known as limestone. The process traps and removes a tiny bit of carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere, Dorn said.

This ant limestone factory is a small-scale version of the massive planetary-cooling process that takes place in the oceans, known as carbon sequestration, 'Live Science' reported.

Dorn discovered that ants were powerful weathering agents by tracking the breakdown of basalt sand.

His experiment shows that ants appear to break down the minerals 50 to 300 times faster than sand left undisturbed on bare ground.

According to Dorn, the ants may be scavenging calcium and magnesium from the minerals and using these elements to make limestone.

In the process, the insects may trap carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in the rock, the report said.

The transformation could take place when ants lick sand grains and stick them on the walls of their nests, but Dorn said the process is truly a scientific mystery.

The study was published in the journal Geology.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Can-ants-save-Earth-from-global-w...

[NoelSeven]

Dagna, it's the warming of the oceans that's really frightening, and what's causing a lot of trouble.

Scientists have been using ocean temps to measure global warming for years, and the reports are not good.

[hckynut]

Ants May Save Us

Don't forget that Maggot Therapy also saves us humans.

[Puzzle Piece]

Hooray for the ants! They can do their thing outside of my home though.

[hckynut]

On 8/4/2014 NoelSeven said:

Dagna, it's the warming of the oceans that's really frightening, and what's causing a lot of trouble.

Scientists have been using ocean temps to measure global warming for years, and the reports are not good.NoelSeven

NoelSeven

I thought they changed the name to climate change! Whatever, Mr gore sure got rich on it. As far as ocean temps? Many like to claim 90 some percent of the "whatever word that ends in (tist), like any other poll/survey it depends on the total number and which ideology to which they prescribe.

Seen many debates among "so called experts" and they always come out the same. We will only know if and when it happens. I personally am not all that concerned what will happen in the next couple centuries and will let the ever increasing technological advances help the humans still living in that era.

[Mama Mia]

On 8/4/2014 hckynut said:

Ants May Save Us

Don't forget that Maggot Therapy also saves us humans.

True. They have cleaned out unhealthy tissue for years, and now modern medicine uses them. Lifesavers.

mm

[NoelSeven]

On 8/4/2014 hckynut said:

On 8/4/2014 NoelSeven said:

Dagna, it's the warming of the oceans that's really frightening, and what's causing a lot of trouble.

Scientists have been using ocean temps to measure global warming for years, and the reports are not good.NoelSeven

NoelSeven

I thought they changed the name to climate change! Whatever, Mr gore sure got rich on it. As far as ocean temps? Many like to claim 90 some percent of the "whatever word that ends in (tist), like any other poll/survey it depends on the total number and which ideology to which they prescribe.

Seen many debates among "so called experts" and they always come out the same. We will only know if and when it happens. I personally am not all that concerned what will happen in the next couple centuries and will let the ever increasing technological advances help the humans still living in that era.

John, it's already happened... note the rapid disappearance of glaciers and how that starves polar bears, and the extreme weather happening as predicted in America.

It's not an ideology, it's science. The water is measurably warmer now and that affects sea life.

The so called experts have come out in the thousands to verify all that, and Gore isn't leading them.

[foundinlv]

Ok, so I guess I'll stop stepping on them.

[mewsmomtoo]

On 8/4/2014 Love Roses said:

Hooray for the ants! They can do their thing outside of my home though.

ITA Love Roses.

Dagna: thanks for posting. As a rule, I am not fond of insects, but ants are amazing little creatures and I like them, but as LR said, outside of my home. Arizona State University is one of the leading researchers of ants.

This has been banner year for ants at the barn and I started noticing all these tiny holes in the ground and I thought it was odd because I didn't think they were made by ants. Turns out they are made by a little bug that eats ants - the ant walks along, finds itself sliding down the hole and at the bottom is this little bug. Nature is cruel.

[Lila Belle]

On 8/4/2014 NoelSeven said:

On 8/4/2014 hckynut said:

On 8/4/2014 NoelSeven said:

Dagna, it's the warming of the oceans that's really frightening, and what's causing a lot of trouble.

Scientists have been using ocean temps to measure global warming for years, and the reports are not good.NoelSeven

NoelSeven

I thought they changed the name to climate change! Whatever, Mr gore sure got rich on it. As far as ocean temps? Many like to claim 90 some percent of the "whatever word that ends in (tist), like any other poll/survey it depends on the total number and which ideology to which they prescribe.

Seen many debates among "so called experts" and they always come out the same. We will only know if and when it happens. I personally am not all that concerned what will happen in the next couple centuries and will let the ever increasing technological advances help the humans still living in that era.

John, it's already happened... note the rapid disappearance of glaciers and how that starves polar bears, and the extreme weather happening as predicted in America.

It's not an ideology, it's science. The water is measurably warmer now and that affects sea life.

The so called experts have come out in the thousands to verify all that, and Gore isn't leading them.

The Gulf Stream is said to be the "thermostat" and it's getting warmer.