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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published Climate change isn't producing expected increase in atmospheric moisture over dry regions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The warming climate has not lead to an expected increase in atmospheric moisture over arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The finding, which has surprised scientists, indicates that some regions may be even more vulnerable to future wildfires and extreme heat than projected.
Published Advancement in thermoelectricity could light up the Internet of Things
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have improved the efficiency of heat-to-electricity conversion in gallium arsenide semiconductor microstructures. By judicious spatial alignment of electrons within a two-dimensional electron gas system with multiple subbands, one can substantially enhance the power factor compared with previous iterations of analogous systems. This work is an important advance in modern thermoelectric technology and will benefit the global integration of the Internet of Things.
Published Physicists identify overlooked uncertainty in real-world experiments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The rules of statistical physics address the uncertainty about the state of a system that arises when that system interacts with its environment. But they've long missed another kind. In a new paper, researchers argue that uncertainty in the thermodynamic parameters themselves -- built into equations that govern the energetic behavior of the system -- may also influence the outcome of an experiment.
Published Pain-based weather forecasts could influence actions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For individuals who experience chronic pain, weather can be a significant factor in their day-to-day plans. In a recent study, about 70 percent of respondents said they would alter their behavior based on weather-based pain forecasts.
Published Reflective materials and irrigated trees: Study shows how to cool one of the world's hottest cities by 4.5°C
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A combination of cooling technologies and techniques could reduce the temperature and energy needs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Published Scientists use heat to create transformations between skyrmions and antiskyrmions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In an experiment that could help the development of new spintronics devices with low energy consumption, researchers have used heat and magnetic fields to create transformations between spin textures -- magnetic vortices and antivortices known as skyrmions and antiskyrmions -- in a single crystal thin plate device. Importantly, they achieved this at room temperature.
Published Spying on a shape-shifting protein
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are using crystallography to gain a better understanding of how proteins shapeshift. The knowledge can provide valuable insight into stopping and treating diseases.
Published Thermal vision shows endangered numbats feel the heat of warming climate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research using thermal imaging of numbats in Western Australia has found that during hot weather the endangered animals are limited to as little as ten minutes of activity in the sun before they overheat to a body temperature of greater than 40 C.
Published Record heat in 2023 worsened global droughts, floods and wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Record heat across the world profoundly impacted the global water cycle in 2023, contributing to severe storms, floods, megadroughts and bushfires, new research shows.
Published 'Carbon vault' peat suffers greatly from drought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Peatlands are affected more by drought than expected. This is concerning, as these ecosystems are an important ally in the fight against climate change. Following long periods of drought, peat is able to absorb little to no extra carbon (CO2). Increasing biodiversity also does little to make peat more drought-resilient.
Published Global study of extreme drought impacts on grasslands and shrublands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A global study shows that the effects of extreme drought -- which is expected to increase in frequency with climate change -- has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. The findings quantify the impact of extreme short-term drought on grassland and shrubland ecosystems across six continents with a level of detail that was not previously possible. It is the first time an experiment this extensive has been undertaken to generate a baseline understanding of the potential losses of plant productivity in these vital ecosystems.
Published Path-following performance of autonomous ships
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With recent requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of autonomous ships, an emerging body of research is focused on assessing the path-following performance of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) at low speeds under adverse weather conditions. To combat the poor accuracy of traditional methods, in a new study, researchers investigated the path-following performance of MASS using a free-running computational fluid dynamics model. Their findings can help ensure safer autonomous navigation with reduced propulsion power.
Published Computational method discovers hundreds of new ceramics for extreme environments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If you have a deep-seated, nagging worry over dropping your phone in molten lava, you're in luck. Materials scientists have developed a method for rapidly discovering a new class of materials with heat and electronic tolerances so rugged that they that could enable devices to function at several thousands of degrees Fahrenheit.
Published Unraveling the mysteries of fog in complex terrain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While fog presents a major hazard to transportation safety, meteorologists have yet to figure out how to forecast it with the precision they have achieved for precipitation, wind and other stormy events. This is because the physical processes resulting in fog formation are extremely complex, Now researchers report their findings from an intensive study centered on a northern Utah basin and conceived to investigate the life cycle of cold fog in mountain valleys.
Published Are diamonds GaN's best friend? Revolutionizing transistor technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has fabricated a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor using diamond, which of all natural materials has the highest thermal conductivity on earth, as a substrate, and they succeeded in increasing heat dissipation by more than two times compared with conventional transistors. The transistor is expected to be useful not only in the fields of 5G communication base stations, weather radar, and satellite communications, but also in microwave heating and plasma processing.
Published Finding new ways to adapt to a growing weather threat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research reveals a steady increase in the number of people at risk from tropical cyclones and the number of days per year these potentially catastrophic storms threaten health and livelihoods. The findings could help relief agencies, development banks, and other organizations plan more effective strategies for mitigating extreme weather impacts.
Published Scientists uncover link between the ocean's weather and global climate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists outline the first direct evidence linking seemingly random weather systems in the ocean with climate on a global scale. The team's work creates a promising framework for better understanding the climate system.
Published Genetic sequencing uncovers unexpected source of pathogens in floodwaters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that local rivers and streams were the source of the Salmonella enterica contamination along coastal North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 -- not the previously suspected high number of pig farms in the region.
Published Snowflakes swirling in turbulent air as they fall through a laser light sheet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A winter wonderland calls to mind piles of fluffy, glistening snow. But to reach the ground, snowflakes are swept into the turbulent atmosphere, swirling through the air instead of plummeting directly to the ground. Researchers found that regardless of turbulence or snowflake type, acceleration follows a universal statistical pattern that can be described as an exponential distribution.
Published Understanding atmospheric flash droughts in the Caribbean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The word 'drought' typically conjures images of parched soil, dust-swept prairies, depleted reservoirs, and dry creek beds, all the result of weeks or seasons of persistently dry atmospheric conditions. In the sun-soaked islands in the Caribbean, however, drought conditions can occur much more rapidly, with warning signs appearing too late for mediation strategies to limit agriculture losses or prevent stresses on infrastructure systems that provide clean water to communities.