Alternative building materials, such as adobe and rammed earth, can help reduce construction costs and carbon-dioxide emissions, making them an important part of sustainable building practices. Rammed earth building walls are substantial, long-lasting, heat-resistant, and recyclable because they are constructed by compressing naturally damp soil between temporary forms. Using mud in contemporary buildings presents several challenges, including durability and strength. This study investigated the impact of incorporating regular portland cement, quicklime (calcium oxide), and a self-polymerizable acrylic-based resin (a transparent bonding agent) into a soil mixture to address these problems. The optimal moisture content that maximizes compressive strength was also investigated. The results demonstrated that the optimum moisture content for maximum compressive strength and dry density was identical as the soil content in a mixture increased. The increase in the compressive strength and reduction in cracking can be attributed to the optimal proportions of regular portland cement, self-polymerizable acrylic-based resin, and quicklime. This study can serve as a guide for mixing appropriate proportions of materials that would yield the optimum mechanical properties for rammed earth construction in hot arid regions.

Based on the increasing world population, the food demands have tremendously increased. Chemical-based conventional agricultural practices will be required to fulfill the food demands, which will damage the soil and create other environmental concerns. Cyanobacteria are one of the sustainable solutions to overcome agricultural struggles. With the potential to grow in extreme conditions, cyanobacteria can boost agricultural practices in arid regions by overcoming challenges such as water scarcity, elevated temperatures, salinity, and infertile soil. Cyanobacteria produce secondary metabolites that improve the soil status and bioavailability of nutrients and defend plants against biotic and abiotic stress. They are the first ones to colonize and form biological soil crust (BSC), thereby involved in ecological succession. There exists a knowledge gap related to climatic changes and their impact on terrestrial cyanobacteria as much attention is diverted towards non-terrestrial species. Covering this gap will be beneficial for the future of cyanobacteria based biofertilizer (CBF).

Rock glaciers are receiving increased attention as a potential source of water and indicator of climate change in periglacial landscapes. They consist of an ice-debris mixture, which creeps downslope. Although rock glaciers are a wide-spread feature on the Tibetan Plateau, characteristics such as its ice fraction are unknown as a superficial debris layer inhibits remote assessments. We investigate one rock glacier in the semiarid western Nyainqentanglha range (WNR) with a multi-method approach, which combines geophysical, geological and geomorphological field investigations with remote sensing techniques. Long-term kinematics of the rock glacier are detected by 4-year InSAR time series analysis. The ice content and the active layer are examined by electrical resistivity tomography, ground penetrating radar, and environmental seismology. Short-term activity (11-days) is captured by a seismic network. Clast analysis shows a sorting of the rock glacier's debris. The rock glacier has three zones, which are defined by the following characteristics: (a) Two predominant lithology types are preserved separately in the superficial debris patterns, (b) heterogeneous kinematics and seismic activity, and (c) distinct ice fractions. Conceptually, the studied rock glacier is discussed as an endmember of the glacier-debris-covered glacier-rock glacier continuum. This, in turn, can be linked to its location on the semiarid lee-side of the mountain range against the Indian summer monsoon. Geologically preconditioned and glacially overprinted, the studied rock glacier is suggested to be a recurring example for similar rock glaciers in the WNR. This study highlights how geology, topography and climate influence rock glacier characteristics and development.