The recent analysis of a fatal landslide that occurred on February 13th, 2024, at the Çöpler Gold Mine in Türkiye has revealed disturbing insights. The study, led by Pınar Büyükakpınar from the GFZ German Research Centre For Geosciences, used seismic and remote sensing data to analyze the disaster. What they found was alarming: the site of the landslide had been slowly moving for at least four years prior to the failure.

The Çöpler Gold Mine is one of the largest gold producers in Türkiye, accounting for 20% of total gold production in the country. The massive landslide buried nine miners, highlighting the need for urgent action. Processing of spaceborne radar data through the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique showed continuous slow deformation at the site over the past four years, at an average rate of 60 millimeters per year.

Furthermore, a cyanide leach pond on the site also exhibited an average deformation of 85 millimeters per year. This poses a significant risk, as our observations suggest an increasing likelihood that the pond could fail, potentially releasing toxic waste into the nearby Euphrates River. The researchers emphasized the need for seismic detection systems that go beyond earthquakes to include secondary hazards like landslides.

The mine sits in a tectonically active area near the North and East Anatolian faults, Büyükakpınar noted. This region has a robust seismic monitoring network due to its seismic history, which allowed for high-resolution recording of the landslide. The researchers analyzed data from seismic stations up to 400 kilometers away from the site, finding two distinct pulses 48 seconds apart indicating the source effect, corresponding to two mass sources.

Their analysis indicates that the landslide included a westward detachment of debris on a steep slope and north-northeast movement on a gentler slope. The data provided an excellent opportunity to test real-time landslide detection algorithms that have been developed for Alaskan landslides “in a very different tectonic setting,” Büyükakpınar noted.

The study also described a combination of conditions that could lead to landslides in mining regions, including the long-term slow deformation caused by mining itself, increased pore pressure in rock due to rainfall or snowmelt, and steep slopes. The conditions are even stronger in tectonically active areas, which further amplifies the likelihood of failure.

Büyükakpınar emphasized the importance of continuously monitoring slow movements and assessing the overall cumulative risk. She added that integrating infrastructure management with continuous monitoring, rapid response mechanisms, and cooperation between regulators and mine operators can avoid future disasters. The study’s findings suggest that seismic detection systems should go beyond earthquakes to include secondary hazards like landslides, and long-term monitoring is critical for disaster response and mitigation.

The connection between sulfur runoff from South Florida’s sugarcane fields and elevated mercury levels in the Everglades has been made clear by researchers from the University of California, Davis. Their study, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the sulfur applied to manage pH levels in these alkaline soils can trigger a chemical reaction that converts mercury into its toxic form, methylmercury.

The research team collected water and mosquito fish across wetlands fed by agricultural canals, documenting how sulfur runoff can dramatically increase methylmercury concentrations in fish. In some cases, this concentration is up to 10 million times greater than the levels found in the waters where these fish live, posing a significant risk to both human health and wildlife.

“Methylmercury is a neurotoxin that can cross the blood-brain barrier and even the placental barrier,” explained lead author Brett Poulin. “This makes it particularly problematic, as it can affect cognition, development, and other critical processes in humans.”

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, adopted by the United Nations in 2013, aims to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. However, the process is slow and uncertain, and the US Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate sulfur like it does nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers.

Interestingly, reducing sulfur use in agriculture could quickly decrease mercury levels in fish, especially considering that over 60% of the Everglades have been found to contain sulfur contamination. Local management actions and sustainability initiatives can help minimize regional sulfur usage, which fuels the anaerobic bacteria and archaea responsible for converting mercury into methylmercury.

The study’s findings provide a clear call to action for local authorities to prioritize environmental sustainability and reduce sulfur use in agriculture. With the involvement of experts from the US Geological Survey, this research offers a tangible solution to mitigate the mercury crisis in the Everglades and protect both human health and wildlife.

The article you provided presents a dire situation regarding the most endangered primate species in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and South America. The report compiled by leading primatologists and conservationists highlights the urgent need for global conservation measures to prevent the final extinction of these species.

The most important findings of the report reveal that habitat destruction, hunting, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade are the biggest threats to the animals. Among the 25 most endangered primate species listed, the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) on Sumatra is particularly concerning, with only around 800 individuals left.

Many lemurs in Madagascar are also threatened with extinction, including Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), which was discovered in 1993 and has declined significantly in the last three years. This species’ population has disappeared from most of the remaining intact forests, pointing to frightening consequences for possible conservation measures.

The report emphasizes the importance of expanding crucial area protection measures and enforcing these measures consistently to permanently preserve critical habitats. It also calls for actively engaging indigenous and local communities as stewards of their regions and reforming policies to combat illegal wildlife trade and deforestation.

Ultimately, the article highlights the urgency of mobilizing sufficient financial resources to implement long-term conservation programs and raise awareness about the importance of protecting these incredible creatures.

The report is based on the expertise of over 100 scientists worldwide and serves as a red alert for our closest relatives. Every primate species that we lose not only means an irreparable loss for nature but also for us humans, because primates are key species of our ecosystems.