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| Science Daily,Science Daily - Earth and Climate,Science Daily - Global Warming |
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'Gap' in Carbon Removal: Countries' Plans to Remove CO2 Not Enough - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Since 2010, the United Nations environmental organisation UNEP has taken an annual measurement of the emissions gap -- the difference between countries' climate protection pledges and what is necessary to limit global heating to 1.5 ºC, or at least below 2 ºC.
The UNEP Emissions Gap Reports are clear: climate policy needs more ambition. This new study now explicitly applies this analytical concept to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) -- the removal of the most important greenhouse gas, CO2, from the atmosphere.
The study, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, was led by the Berlin-based Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change ... Read more ...
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'Warm-Blooded' Dinos: 180 Million Years Ago - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The ability to regulate body temperature, a trait all mammals and birds have today, may have evolved among some dinosaurs early in the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago, suggests a new study led by UCL and University of Vigo researchers.
In the early 20th century, dinosaurs were considered slow-moving, "cold-blooded" animals like modern-day reptiles, relying on heat from the sun to regulate their temperature. Newer discoveries indicate some dinosaur types were likely capable of generating their own body heat but when this adaptation occurred is unknown.
The new study, published in the journal Current Biology, looked at the spread of dinosaurs across different ... Read more ...
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2023 Was the Hottest Summer in Two Thousand Years - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Although 2023 has been reported as the hottest year on record, the instrumental evidence only reaches back as far as 1850 at best, and most records are limited to certain regions.
Now, by using past climate information from annually resolved tree rings over two millennia, scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have shown how exceptional the summer of 2023 was.
Even allowing for natural climate variations over hundreds of years, 2023 was still the hottest summer since the height of the Roman Empire, exceeding the extremes of natural climate variability by half a degree Celsius.
"When you look at the long sweep of ... Read more ...
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90% of Floridians Believe Climate Change Is Happening - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The latest edition of Florida Atlantic University's "Florida Climate Resilience Survey," found that 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is happening. In comparison, a recent Yale University survey showed 72% of all Americans believe climate change is happening. The FAU survey includes questions on beliefs about climate change, experience with extreme weather events and support for climate-related policies.
The Florida Climate Resilience Survey also shows belief in human-caused climate change has surged among Florida Independents while slipping among Republicans in the state since last fall.
But despite these changes, the latest edition of the survey found ... Read more ...
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Acceptance of Animals in Urban Environments - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · How do city residents feel about animals in their immediate surroundings? A recent study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Jena and the Vienna University of Technology shows how different the acceptance of various wild animals in urban areas is. Important factors are the places where the animals are found and their level of popularity -- squirrels and ladybugs come out on top here. The results have important implications for urban planning and nature conservation.
The relationship between city inhabitants and urban animals is complex, as the study shows. The researchers conducted a survey to find out how Munich residents rate 32 urban animal ... Read more ...
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Atmosphere Surrounding Super-Earth? - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Renyu Hu from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is lead author on a paper published today in Nature. "Webb is pushing the frontiers of exoplanet characterization to rocky planets," Hu said. "It is truly enabling a new type of science."
Super-Hot Super-Earth 55 Cancri e
55 Cancri e (image below, details/download), also known as Janssen, is one of five known planets orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri, in the constellation Cancer. With a diameter nearly twice that of Earth and density slightly greater, the planet is classified as a super-Earth: larger than Earth, smaller than Neptune, and likely similar in composition to the rocky planets in ... Read more ...
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Carbon-Capture Batteries Developed to Store Renewable Energy, Help Climate - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · This type of battery stores the renewable energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines. Utilizing this energy when wind and sunlight are unavailable requires an electrochemical reaction that, in ORNL's new battery formulation, captures carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and converts it to value-added products.
One of these new battery types maintained its capacity for 600 hours of use and could store up to 10 hours of electricity. Researchers also identified, studied and overcame the primary challenge, a deactivation caused by chemical buildup, that had been an obstacle for the other battery formulation.
"The Transformation Energy Science and Technology, or ... Read more ...
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Climate Change Amplifies Severity of Combined Wind-Rain Extremes Over the UK and Ireland - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Climate change will cause an increase in extreme winter storms combining strong winds and heavy rainfall over the UK and Ireland, new research has shown.
The new study was led by experts at Newcastle University and the Met Office and investigated how future climate change may influence compound wind-rain extremes, which are events where extreme wind and rainfall occur simultaneously.
These changes are mainly driven by increased rainfall, a thermodynamic response to rising temperatures. Additional contributing factors include a strengthened jet stream and its southward displacement that brings storms through warmer areas leading to further increases in ... Read more ...
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Climate Change Is Most Prominent Threat to Pollinators - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · A paper published in the CABI Reviews journal has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security.
Pollinator populations are declining worldwide and 85% of flowering plant species and 87 of the leading global crops rely on pollinators for seed production. The decline of pollinators seriously impacts biodiversity conservation, reduces crop yield, and threatens food security.
Risk of extinction
According to The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), approximately 16% ... Read more ...
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Climate Change Likely to Aggravate Brain Conditions - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Climate change, and its effects on weather patterns and adverse weather events, is likely to negatively affect the health of people with brain conditions, argue a UCL-led team of researchers.
In a Personal View article, published in The Lancet Neurology, the team emphasise the urgent need to understand the impact of climate change on people with neurological conditions -- in order to preserve their health and prevent worsening inequalities.
Following a review of 332 papers published across the world between 1968 and 2023, the team, led by Professor Sanjay Sisodiya (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), said they expect the scale of the potential effects of climate ... Read more ...
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Climate Resilience Strategies in Urban, Rural Areas - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Local decision-makers looking for ways to reduce the impact of heat waves on their communities have a valuable new capability at their disposal: a new study on vegetation resilience.
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory completed a study of how well vegetation survived extreme heat events in both urban and rural communities across the country in recent years. The analysis informs pathways for climate mitigation, including ways to reduce the effect of urban heat islands.
Vegetation such as trees provide a valuable cooling effect, shading surfaces and deflecting solar radiation while releasing moisture into the atmosphere through ... Read more ...
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Copper Can't Be Mined Fast Enough to Electrify the US - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Copper cannot be mined quickly enough to keep up with current U.S. policy guidelines to transition the country's electricity and vehicle infrastructure to renewable energy, according to a University of Michigan study.
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in 2022, calls for 100% of cars manufactured to be electric vehicles by 2035. But an electric vehicle requires three to five times as much copper as an internal combustion engine vehicle -- not to mention the copper required for upgrades to the electric grid.
"A normal Honda Accord needs about 40 pounds of copper. The same battery electric Honda Accord needs almost 200 pounds of copper. Onshore wind turbines ... Read more ...
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Damaging Impact of Heat Waves on Vital Organs - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · These organs have a complex and multidirectional communication system that touches everything from our gastrointestinal tract to the nervous system. Whether it is our brain affecting hunger or the liver influencing mental health, understanding the gut-liver-brain communication or "axis" is crucial to protecting human health.
Their study, which was conducted on mouse models, is published in thejournal Scientific Reports, a Nature Portfolio journal. It is one of the first to fill the knowledge gap on the effects of heat stress on a molecular level of this crucial biological conversation.
"Inflammation in the brain and spine contributes to cognitive decline, compromises the ... Read more ...
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Did a Magnetic Field Collapse Trigger the Emergence of Animals? - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The Ediacaran Period, spanning from about 635 to 541 million years ago, was a pivotal time in Earth's history. It marked a transformative era during which complex, multicellular organisms emerged, setting the stage for the explosion of life.
But how did this surge of life unfold and what factors on Earth may have contributed to it?
According to John Tarduno, the William Kenan, Jr. Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, one of the most remarkable life forms during the Ediacaran Period was the Ediacaran fauna. They were notable for their resemblance to early animals -- some even reached more than a meter (three feet) in size and were mobile, ... Read more ...
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Earth-Like Environment On Ancient Mars - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · "It is difficult for manganese oxide to form on the surface of Mars, so we didn't expect to find it in such high concentrations in a shoreline deposit," said Patrick Gasda, of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Space Science and Applications group and lead author on the study. "On Earth, these types of deposits happen all the time because of the high oxygen in our atmosphere produced by photosynthetic life, and from microbes that help catalyze those manganese oxidation reactions.
"On Mars, we don't have evidence for life, and the mechanism to produce oxygen in Mars's ancient atmosphere is unclear, so how the manganese oxide was formed and concentrated here is really puzzling. ... Read more ...
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Efficacy of Solar Panels Boosted - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Solar energy is a crucial asset in the fight against climate change, and researchers at the University of Ottawa have devised a smart approach to optimize its effectiveness. Their innovative method includes incorporating artificial ground reflectors, a simple yet powerful enhancement.
To study how reflective ground covers affect solar energy output, the University of Ottawa's SUNLAB, led by electrical engineering Professor Karin Hinzer, who is also vice-dean, research of the Faculty of Engineering, collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, a world leader in clean energy research, development, and deployment. The study, which was ... Read more ...
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EPA Underestimates Methane Emissions from Landfills, Urban Areas - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is underestimating methane emissions from landfills, urban areas and U.S. states, according to a new study led by researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
"Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change behind carbon dioxide so it's really important that we quantify methane emissions at the highest possible resolution to pinpoint what sources it is coming from," said Hannah Nesser, a former PhD student at SEAS and first author of the paper. Nesser is currently a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow in the Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Group at the Jet Propulsion ... Read more ...
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For Microscopic Organisms, Ocean Currents Act as 'Expressway' to Deeper Depths - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Some of the ocean's tiniest organisms get swept into underwater currents that act as a conduit that shuttles them from the sunny surface to deeper, darker depths where they play a huge role in affecting the ocean's chemistry and ecosystem, according to new research.
"We found that because these organisms are so small, they can be swept up by ocean currents that then bring them deeper than where they grow," said Mara Freilich, an assistant professor in Brown University's Division of Applied Mathematics and Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences who launched the work as a Ph.D. student a joint program at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "It's ... Read more ...
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Free-Forming Organelles Help Plants Adapt to Climate Change - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Plants' ability to sense light and temperature, and their ability to adapt to climate change, hinges on free-forming structures in their cells whose function was, until now, a mystery.
For the first time, UC Riverside researchers have determined how these structures work on a molecular level, as well as where and how they form. This information is described in two Nature Communications papers published this week.
Scientists have long studied membrane-bound compartments, called organelles, in plant cells, such as the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and most significantly, the nucleus, where DNA gets copied and transcribed into RNA.
However, much less is known about ... Read more ...
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From Fossils to Fuel: Mozambique's Maniamba Basin's Energy Potential - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · In the ever-expanding search for energy resources, a new study has emerged from Mozambique's Maniamba Basin. A team led by Nelson Nhamutole, a PhD student at the University of the Witwatersrand, and his team of scientists from around the world, shared in the South African Journal of Geology that Mozambique's Maniamba Basin could be a big source of natural gas.
Spanning an impressive 8,000,000 km², the Maniamba Basin is a geological marvel. Its layers of Permian to Early Triassic rocks hold the secrets of the Earth's ancient past, now thought to be ripe with organic material capable of producing natural gas. This revelation is a beacon for energy prospects in a world ... Read more ...
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Getting Dirty to Clean Up the Chemical Industry's Environmental Impact - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The global chemical industry is a major fossil fuel consumer and climate change contributor; however, new Curtin University research has identified how the sector could clean up its green credentials by getting dirty.
Most chemical reactions involving electricity and organic materials can't be done efficiently using water because the organic materials don't dissolve well, forcing industry to use fossil fuels to provide heat rather than electricity or use alternative substances to water, which add environmental and safety risks.
However, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Simone Ciampi, from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, has found chemical ... Read more ...
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GPS Stations Measure Daily Ice Loss in Greenland - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · When the ice sheet in Greenland melts, as it has done increasingly in recent years, the bedrock beneath moves slightly.
This occurs because the pressure from the ice above decreases, causing the land beneath to rise. This elevation change can be measured and translated into how much ice disappears from Greenland's ice sheet and how fast it's happening. Now, researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have developed a method based on this principle, allowing daily tracking of ice melt for the first time.
"This is the first time we can measure the entire mass loss of the ice sheet day by day. For example, satellite gravity measurements show mass loss every ... Read more ...
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Green Concrete Recycling Twice the Coal Ash Is Built to Last - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · New modelling reveals that low-carbon concrete developed at RMIT University can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time.
More than 1.2 billion tonnes of coal ash were produced by coal-fired power plants in 2022. In Australia, it accounts for nearly a fifth of all waste and will remain abundant for decades to come, even as we shift to renewables.
Meanwhile, cement production makes up 8% of global carbon emissions and demand for concrete -- which uses cement as a key ingredient -- is growing rapidly.
Addressing both challenges head-on, engineers at RMIT have ... Read more ...
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Heavy Snowfall and Rain May Contribute to Some Earthquakes - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · When scientists look for an earthquake's cause, their search often starts underground. As centuries of seismic studies have made clear, it's the collision of tectonic plates and the movement of subsurface faults and fissures that primarily trigger a temblor.
But MIT scientists have now found that certain weather events may also play a role in setting off some quakes.
In a study appearing today in Science Advances, the researchers report that episodes of heavy snowfall and rain likely contributed to a swarm of earthquakes over the past several years in northern Japan. The study is the first to show that climate conditions could initiate some quakes.
"We see that ... Read more ...
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How Climate Change Will Affect Malaria Transmission - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · A new model for predicting the effects of climate change on malaria transmission in Africa could lead to more targeted interventions to control the disease according to a new study.
Previous methods have used rainfall totals to indicate the presence of surface water suitable for breeding mosquitoes, but the research led by the University of Leeds used several climatic and hydrological models to include real-world processes of evaporation, infiltration and flow through rivers.
This groundbreaking approach has created a more in-depth picture of malaria-friendly conditions on the African continent.
It has also highlighted the role of waterways such as the Zambezi ... Read more ...
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How Wildfires Change Soil Chemistry - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The huge, long-lasting wildfires that have become increasingly common in recent years can cause changes in soil chemistry that affect water contamination, air quality, and plant growth. But these changes are poorly monitored and rarely factor into post-fire recovery efforts or risk assessments, according to a review study published May 14 in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
The study, led by Stanford University and Colorado State University scientists, found that better techniques are needed to monitor changes in soil and surrounding ecosystems. This enhanced monitoring could inform decisions on how to treat drinking water sourced from burned areas, support reforestation, ... Read more ...
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Human Activity Is Making It Harder for Scientists to Interpret Oceans' Past - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · "We are not only changing the environment; we're also changing the nature of the record that archives this information," said Michal Kowalewski, the Thompson chair of invertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. "These changes can be both good and bad. On one hand, human activities can prevent the fossil record from preserving useful information about ongoing changes. In other situations, human actions can actually enhance the quality of the currently forming fossil record, thereby providing more information."
If not properly accounted for, these effects on the fossil record can lead to misinterpretation of data vital for conservation efforts. Humans ... Read more ...
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Ice Shelves Fracture Under Weight of Meltwater Lakes - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · When air temperatures in Antarctica rise and glacier ice melts, water can pool on the surface of floating ice shelves, weighing them down and causing the ice to bend. Now, for the first time in the field, CIRES-led research shows that ice shelves don't just buckle under the weight of meltwater lakes -- they fracture. As the climate warms and melt rates in Antarctica increase, this fracturing could cause vulnerable ice shelves to collapse, allowing inland glacier ice to spill into the ocean and contribute to sea level rise.
"Ice shelves are extremely important for the Antarctic Ice Sheet's overall health as they act to buttress or hold back the glacier ice on land," said Alison ... Read more ...
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Improved Wildfire Smoke Model Identifies Areas for Public Health Intervention - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The Canadian wildfires of June 2023 exposed a large portion of the Northeastern United States to unprecedented levels of smoke. A new model that combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors may help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events and air pollution, according to a team led by Penn State scientists.
"Statistical analyses suggest that situations like last year's Canadian wildfires, where smoke travels long distances to affect the Eastern United States, may become the norm," said lead author Manzhu Yu, assistant professor of geography at Penn State. "Our ... Read more ...
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Island Birds More Adaptable Than Previously Thought - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Scientists still don't fully understand the consequences that pollution and climate change can have on the world around us. Now, a new peer-reviewed study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society examining bird populations living on islands shows we may know even less than previously thought.
"Usually, one predicts that there should be fewer species of birds living in agricultural areas where trees have been removed and the land manipulated than in natural habitats like forests," said Luke O. Frishkoff, assistant professor of biology at The University of Texas at Arlington. "But strangely, on the islands we studied off the coast of China, we found opposite patterns ... Read more ...
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It Flickers, Then It Tips -- Study Identifies Early Warning Signals for the End of the African Humid Period - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Tipping points in the climate system can be the result of a slow but linear development. However, they can also be accompanied by a "flickering," with two stable climatic states that alternate before a final transition occurs -- and the climate tips permanently. A study by the research team around Potsdam geoscientist Prof. Dr. Martin H. Trauth confirms this for the end of the African Humid Period and the transition to the pronounced aridity that is typical today.
The transition from the African Humid Period (AHP) to dry conditions in North Africa is the clearest example of climate tipping points in recent geological history. They occur when small perturbations trigger a ... Read more ...
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Jet-Propelled Sea Creatures Could Improve Ocean Robotics - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Scientists at the University of Oregon have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.
"The largest migration on the planet happens every single night: the vertical migration of planktonic organisms from the deep sea to the surface," said Kelly Sutherland, an associate professor in biology at the UO's Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, who led the research. "They're running a marathon every day using novel fluid mechanics. These organisms can be platforms for inspiration on how to build ... Read more ...
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Lake Tsunamis Pose Significant Threat Under Warming Climate - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The names might not be familiar -- Cowee Creek, Brabazon Range, Upper Pederson Lagoon -- but they mark the sites of recent lake tsunamis, a phenomenon that is increasingly common in Alaska, British Columbia and other regions with mountain glaciers.
Triggered by landslides into small bodies of water, most of these tsunamis have occurred in remote locations so far, but geologist Bretwood Higman of Ground Truth Alaska said it may just be a matter of time before a tsunami swamps a more populated place like Portage Lake near Whittier, Alaska.
When he estimates where the risk of an Alaskan lake tsunami is highest, Portage Lake "is pretty much at the top of my list," Higman ... Read more ...
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Liberals and Conservatives Differ on Climate Change Beliefs--but Are Relatively United in Taking Action - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · The division between liberals and conservatives on both climate-change beliefs and related policy support is long-standing. However, the results of a newly released global experiment show that despite these differences, the two camps actually align when it comes to taking certain actions to combat climate change.
The study, led by researchers at New York University, finds that when given the opportunity, liberals and conservatives take action to address climate change at roughly the same levels -- and that this is due to conservatives choosing to take action despite their climate-change beliefs rather than liberals failing to act on theirs.
"Our work shows a disconnect ... Read more ...
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Limited Adaptability Makes Freshwater Bacteria Vulnerable to Climate Change - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Freshwater bacteria with small genomes frequently undergo prolonged periods of adaptive stagnation. Based on genomic analyses of samples from Lake Zurich and other European lakes, researchers at the University of Zurich uncovered specific evolutionary strategies that shape these bacteria's lifestyles. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of aquatic microbial communities is key to safeguarding ecosystem services.
Freshwater resources are limited, accounting for only 3.5% of Earth's water, with just 0.25% accessible on the surface. Nevertheless, freshwater lakes are essential for ecosystem functioning and global carbon cycling due to their high biological productivity and ... Read more ...
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Low-Energy Process for High-Performance Solar Cells - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Finding reliable, eco-friendly power sources is crucial as our world grapples with increasing energy needs and the urgent call to combat climate change. Solar energy offers one solution, with scientists devising ever more efficient materials for capturing sunlight.
Perovskite solar cells have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional, silicon solar cells, boasting a number of advantages. But processing the material has been a complicated affair. Now, researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature. The team's innovation not only simplified the production process but also increased the material's ... Read more ...
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Making Batteries Takes a Lot of Lithium: Some Could Come from Gas Well Wastewater - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Most batteries used in technology like smart watches and electric cars are made with lithium that travels across the world before even getting to manufacturers. But what if nearly half of the lithium used in the U.S. could come from Pennsylvania wastewater?
A new analysis using compliance data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection suggests that if it could be extracted with complete efficiency, lithium from the wastewater of Marcellus shale gas wells could supply up to 40% of the country's demand.
Already, researchers in the lab can extract lithium from water with more than 90% efficiency according to Justin Mackey, a researcher at the National ... Read more ...
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Meet the New Insect Killing Utah's Fir Trees - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · A nonnative tree-killing insect is invading northern Utah, attacking subalpine fir and potentially triggering yet another die-off of the region's long-stressed conifer forests.
Introduced from central Europe into the Pacific Northwest about a century ago, the balsam woolly adelgid, or BWA, first detected in Utah in 2017 and has been spreading around the Wasatch Mountains, visibly affecting many of the popular recreation canyons outside Salt Lake City.
The study documented a clear relationship between the infestation's severity and temperature, according to lead author Mickey Campbell, a research assistant professor in the Department of Geography (soon to be merged with ... Read more ...
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Much More Than a World First Image of Radioactive Cesium Atoms - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · Thirteen years after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), a breakthrough in analysis has permitted a world first: direct imaging of radioactive cesium (Cs) atoms in environmental samples.
The groundbreaking analysis, completed by a team of researchers in Japan, Finland, America, and France, analyzing materials emitted from the damaged FDNPP reactors, reveals important insights into the lingering environmental and radioactive waste management challenges faced in Japan. The study, titled ""Invisible" radioactive cesium atoms revealed: Pollucite inclusion in cesium-rich microparticles (CsMPs) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant" ... Read more ...
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Mystery Behind Huge Opening in Antarctic Sea Ice Solved - Science Daily - Earth and Climate (May 24) |
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May 24 · A study reveals a key process that had eluded scientists as to how the opening, called a polynya, was able to form and persist for several weeks.
The team of researchers from the University of Southampton, the University of Gothenburg and the University of California San Diego studied the Maud Rise polynya -- named after the submerged mountain-like feature in the Weddell Sea, over which it grows.
They found the polynya was brought on by complex interactions between the wind, ocean currents, and the unique geography of the ocean floor, transporting heat and salt towards the surface.
In Antarctica, the surface of the ocean freezes over in the winter, with sea ice ... Read more ...
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