http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/desert/ Read all about the desert biome, including articles on desertification, semi-arid conditions and more. Articles, images. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/desert/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206174350.htm In a study of the harsh but beautiful White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns. The new work represents a contribution to basic science, but the findings may also hold implications for identifying when dune landscapes like those in Nebraska's Sand Hills may reach a "tipping point" under climate change, going from valuable grazing land to barren desert. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206174350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095816.htm Scientists have finished a global empirical study that suggests that preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142226.htm Preserving diverse plant life will be crucial to buffer the negative effects of climate change and desertification in in the world's drylands, according to a new landmark study. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142628.htm A small fish crawling on stumpy limbs from a shrinking desert pond is an icon of can-do spirit, emblematic of a leading theory for the evolutionary transition between fish and amphibians. This theorized image of such a drastic adaptation to changing environmental conditions, however, may, itself, be evolving into a new picture. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209150202.htm More peer-reviewed scientific studies of the effects on wildlife of large-scale solar energy developments and operations are needed to adequately assess their impact, especially in the desert Southwest. Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209150202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111094550.htm Veterinary scientists have successfully attached GPS satellite collars to endangered wild Bactrian camels in the Mongolian desert. Their efforts are part of the long-term Gobi Research Project on wild horses, Asiatic wild asses, and other animals that make this unique environment their home. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111094550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143809.htm Researchers in Israel have found that forests of the hardy salt cedar tree, indigenous to old-world deserts, have the potential to significantly offset the amount of carbon dioxide that human communities produce. What's more, they can flourish when nourished with low-quality waste water, and the trees themselves can be used as "biofuel" crops to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels like coal. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013135252.htm An eight-year study has concluded that increasingly frequent and severe drought, dropping water tables and dried-up springs have pushed some aquatic desert ecosystems into "catastrophic regime change," from which many species will not recover. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013135252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013113814.htm New information on the role of insoluble dust particles in forming cloud droplets could improve the accuracy of regional climate models, especially in areas of the world that have significant amounts of mineral aerosols in the atmosphere. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013113814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012113547.htm Mention prime geography for generation of solar energy, and people tend to think of hot deserts. But a new study concludes that some of the world's coldest landscapes -- including the Himalaya Mountains, the Andes, and even Antarctica -- could become Saudi Arabias of solar. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012113547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930071659.htm Scientists in Austria have discovered the mechanism by which Asian elephants are able to tolerate hot daytime temperatures. Heterothermy is an adaptive mechanism by which body temperature fluctuates in response to environmental temperature, decreasing at night when it is cooler and increasing gradually in the daytime. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930071659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929171705.htm Australian green tree frogs survive the dry season with the help of the same phenomenon that fogs up eyeglasses in the winter, new research shows. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929171705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915182850.htm A NASA-led team has used radar sounding technology developed to explore the subsurface of Mars to create high-resolution maps of freshwater aquifers buried deep beneath an Earth desert, in the first use of airborne sounding radar for aquifer mapping. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915182850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906092623.htm Scientists have analyzed the genome of the bacterium Ramlibacter tataouinensis TTB310, also known as the "desert bacterium". Decoding of the genome revealed the presence of kaiC, a gene with a function that had previously been found only in certain photosynthetic bacteria. Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906092623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115210.htm As hunger spreads among more than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa, a new study of the response to Kenya's last devastating drought, in 2008-2009, finds that investments aimed at increasing the mobility of livestock herders -- a way of life often viewed as "backward" despite being the most economical and productive use of Kenya's drylands -- could be the key to averting future food crises in arid lands. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803143140.htm Rising carbon dioxide levels can reverse the drying effects of predicted higher temperatures on semi-arid rangelands, according to a new study by a team of US Department of Agriculture and university scientists. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803143140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801120236.htm Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:02:02 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801120236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725111531.htm A chance discovery of a genetic mutation in wild barley that grows in Israel's Judean Desert has led to an international study deciphering evolution of life on land. Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725111531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110719111704.htm A new study has found that some bird species in the desert southwest are less affected, and in some cases positively influenced, by widespread fire through their habitat. In fact, the researchers say that fire actually helps some bird species because of the habitat that is formed after a fire is positive for the bird's prey needs. Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110719111704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110718121724.htm Knowing how tall trees can grow in any given region can give ecologists a wealth of information, from the potential density of a forest and size of its tree canopy to the amount of carbon stored in woodlands and the overall health of an ecosystem. Now scientists have come up with a simple model to predict the maximum tree height in different environments across the United States. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110718121724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628132555.htm Researchers investigated a desert tortoise from the United States Southwest and northwestern Mexico. What was thought to be a simple problem in species identification turned out to be a very complex matter. Their investigations required forensic genetics and several other methods. In the end, they found it necessary to describe a new species. More than that, the discovery has very important implications for conservation and the development of the deserts of southern California. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628132555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622102700.htm A quick and easy way to detect groundwater in semi-arid hard rock areas that is also economical could improve the siting of borewells to improve clean water supply in the developing world. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622102700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621101323.htm In the Sahel, the frequency of storms increases when soil moisture varies over a few kilometers. Such contrasts cause air circulation between dry and humid areas, contributing to the development of storms. For the first time, these contrasts have been studied on a small scale. The new data that should help researchers to address the issue of drought in the Sahel. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621101323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415083327.htm Europe's Envisat satellite has captured a new view of dust and sand from the Algerian Sahara Desert, located in northern Africa, blowing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415083327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407093246.htm The sand along the south-western coastal rim of Norway has drifted for more than 9000 calendar years. This was triggered by sea-level changes and human activities, new research has found. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407093246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225094940.htm Drier conditions projected to result from climate change in the Southwest will likely reduce perennial vegetation cover and result in increased dust storm activity in the future, according to a new study. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225094940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208091656.htm Jatropha has been championed as a major environmental opportunity for developing countries with a semi-arid climate and marginal soil. Scientists have been investigating whether this small, hardy and relatively pest-free tree lives up to its billing. Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208091656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203113758.htm Researchers have discovered the 100 million-year-old ancestor of a group of large, carnivorous, cricket-like insects that still live today in southern Asia, northern Indochina and Africa. The new find corrects the mistaken classification of another fossil of this type and reveals that the genus has undergone very little evolutionary change since the Early Cretaceous Period, a time of dinosaurs just before the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana. Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203113758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126121102.htm Agave, currently known for its use in the production of alcoholic beverages and fibers, thrives in semi-arid regions where it is less likely to conflict with food and feed production. Agave is a unique feedstock because of its high water use efficiency and ability to survive without water between rainfalls. Scientists found that in 14 independent studies, the yields of two Agave species greatly exceeded the yields of other biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, soybean, sorghum, and wheat. Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126121102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110110055748.htm If the house seems dustier than it used to be, it may not be a reflection on your housekeeping skills. The amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere has doubled over the last century, according to a new study; and the dramatic increase is influencing climate and ecology around the world. Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110110055748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101227203436.htm Microscopic particles of dust, emitted into the atmosphere when dirt breaks apart, follow similar fragment patterns as broken glass and other brittle objects, according to new research. The research suggests there are several times more dust particles in the atmosphere than previously believed, since shattered dirt appears to produce an unexpectedly high number of large dust fragments. The finding has implications for understanding future climate change because dust plays a significant role in controlling the amount of solar energy in the atmosphere. Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101227203436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124162220.htm In the scorching summer heat of the Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas, air temperatures can hover around 97°F (36°C) while at the surface of the soil temperatures can exceed 158°F (70°C). Encountering these extreme temperatures, plants must utilize creative methods to not only survive but thrive under these difficult and potentially lethal conditions. New research sheds light on how one desert resident, the cactus Ariocarpus fissuratus, copes with the effects of high temperatures. Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124162220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101122200619.htm New research provides evidence that ecological restoration can provide a cost effective response to environmental degradation. The research focused on the dryland forests of Latin America, and examined the cost effectiveness of ecological restoration techniques such as tree planting and forest regeneration. This was achieved using a novel research approach, which involved mapping the value of different benefits provided by these forests. Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101122200619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101112141332.htm Catastrophic drought is on the near-term horizon for the capital city of Bolivia, according to new research into the historical ecology of the Andes. If temperatures rise more than 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius (3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) above those of modern times, parts of Peru and Bolivia will become a desert-like setting. Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101112141332.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110101346.htm Researchers have discovered that male Australian desert goby fish are surprisingly strategic when it comes to courtship, adapting their tactics depending on the frequency of their contact with females. Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110101346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004101536.htm The exploration vessel Nautilus has discovered for the first time an area of reefs with deep-sea corals in the Mediterranean, offshore of Israel. This area apparently stretches over a few kilometers, 700 meters under the surface and some 30-40 km off the coast. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004101536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928122608.htm Dew is often celebrated as a bringer of life. Now, a researcher in Israel has examined the effects of dew in the Eastern Mediterranean region and says that dew serves as an important water source for plant life. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928122608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920172746.htm When the winds are right and the desert is dry, dust blows eastward from the semi-arid regions of the US Southwest. In a dust-up, Western style, small dark particles of the dust fall on the mountains' white snowfields, ultimately affecting the entire Colorado River watershed. Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920172746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100913163209.htm Using data from several research satellites, scientists will spend the next three years trying to understand the climate impacts of about 770 million tons of dust carried into the atmosphere every year from the Sahara. Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100913163209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100805143001.htm In 2003, a massive heat wave struck and killed some 30,000 people in Europe in an area where heat was not considered a major threat. Similar mass die-offs occur in wild birds and some mammals during heat waves, but unlike humans, birds may not be able to take shelter or find fresh water in order to survive devastating heat. What is the outlook for desert bird communities in light of expected global temperature increases on Earth? Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100805143001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706113214.htm A researcher who has been studying the meadows in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of the Rocky Mountains since 1992 believes changing climate could affect the diversity of plants and animals in the region. Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706113214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103414.htm Researchers have developed a method for predicting dust and sandstorms that uses infrared satellite images to determine when conditions are ripe for the destructive phenomena, a technique that could be implemented globally and that the research team used to forecast a 2008 New Mexico dust storm -- the area's largest in decades -- two days beforehand. Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629193129.htm Desert bats reduce water loss by changing the make-up of their skin, allowing them to thrive in some of the world's most inhospitable environments. This is surprising given the anatomy of bats and the energy they expend in flight and may provide significant insight into how bats might respond to a future changing climate. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629193129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100528081817.htm By modeling a desert where the wind blows in two directions, researchers have succeeded in observing and highlighting, for the very first time, the formation process and long-term evolution of two types of very large sand dunes: transverse dunes and longitudinal dunes. They have demonstrated that longitudinal dunes and barchans - croissant-shaped dunes formed in a unidirectional wind regime - are the most stable over time. Their results should provide a better understanding of how dunes and deserts evolve on Earth and also help to deduce important information concerning wind regimes on Titan or Mars, for example. Fri, 28 May 2010 08:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100528081817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100422112636.htm Estimating crop yields based on available water in semi-arid regions has been made easier for several hundred farmers who are using a special calculator computer program. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100422112636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323212144.htm Utah's red rocks -- world-famous attractions at numerous national parks, monuments and state parks -- have yielded a rare skeleton of a new species of plant-eating dinosaur that lived 185 million years ago and may have been buried alive by a collapsing sand dune. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323212144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209183133.htm Researchers have measured the degradation of the planet's soil using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a scientific methodology that analyses the environmental impact of human activities, and which now for the first time includes indicators on desertification. The results show that 38 percent of the world is made up of arid regions at risk of desertification. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209183133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145432.htm The loss of wetlands in the prairie pothole region of central North America due to a warmer and drier climate will negatively affect millions of waterfowl that depend on the region for food, shelter and raising young, according to new research. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121141112.htm Forests can trap heat as well as carbon. Recent research shows that in one type of semi-arid forest, it may take years for the effects of carbon capture to override those of heat retention. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121141112.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216144145.htm Global warming is giving a boost to Sonoran Desert plants that have an edge during cold weather, according to new research. Although overall numbers of winter annuals have declined since 1982, species that germinate and grow better at low temperatures are becoming more common. As a result, the composition of the desert's spring wildflower display is changing, according to new research. Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216144145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215173021.htm Researchers studying urban landscapes have found that the intensity of the "heat island" created by a city depends on the ecosystem it replaced and on the regional climate. Urban areas developed in arid and semi-arid regions show far less heating compared with the surrounding countryside than cities built amid forested and temperate climates. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215173021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091202101745.htm Scientists have shown that the presence of predators affects the behavior of Acanthodactylus beershebensis, a lizard species from the Negev Desert in Israel. According to the study, these reptiles move less and catch less mobile and different prey if they are under pressure from predators. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091202101745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116203140.htm Researchers have discovered that several species of microbes, at least one found prominently in the deserts of the Southwest, have evolved the trait of rope-building to lasso shifting soil substrates. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116203140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112113421.htm Continued improvement of climate forecasts is resulting in better information about what rainfall may look like months in advance. A researcher has now developed an innovative water management framework that would take advantage of these forecasts to plan for droughts or excess rain in order to make the most efficient use of an area's water resources. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112113421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145308.htm As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose nitrogen as gas, reports a new study. That could lead to deserts with even less plant life than they sustain today, say the researchers. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102212153.htm An ancient South American civilisation which disappeared around 1,500 years ago helped to cause its own demise by damaging the fragile ecosystem that held it in place, a study has found. Archaeologists examining the remains of the Nasca, who once flourished in the valleys of south coastal Peru, have uncovered a sequence of human-induced events which led to their "catastrophic" collapse around 500 AD. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102212153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081625.htm With land degradation in dryland regions continuing to worsen, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification has agreed on scientist-recommended indicators for monitoring and assessing desertification that signatory countries must report on. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134831.htm The windswept deserts of northern China might seem an odd destination for studying the heavy monsoon rains that routinely drench the more tropical regions of Southeast Asia. But the sandy dunefields that mark the desert margin between greener pastures to the south and the Gobi Desert to the north are a rich source of information about past climates in Asia. Wetter periods allow vegetation to take root on and stabilize sand dunes. During dry spells, plants die off and the dunes are more active, constantly shifting as sand is blown away and replenished. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm A 16-year study of tropical butterfly migration links a global climate pattern, El Niño, to local increases in plant production and peak migrations. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095214.htm Australian researchers have discovered a huge number of new species of invertebrate animals living in underground water, caves and "micro-caverns" amid the harsh conditions of the Australian outback. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095214.htm