Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water
Published

No shortcuts: New approach may help extract more heat from geothermal reservoirs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique may help prevent 'short-circuits' that can cause geothermal power plants to halt production, potentially improving the efficiency of geothermal power, the researchers said.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Long-lasting La Nina events more common over past century      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Multiyear La Niña events have become more common over the last 100 years, according to a new study. Five out of six La Nina events since 1998 have lasted more than one year, including an unprecedented triple-year event.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Riddle of varying warm water inflow in the Arctic now solved      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the 'weather kitchen,' the interplay between the Azores High and Icelandic Low has a substantial effect on how much warm water the Atlantic transports to the Arctic along the Norwegian coast. But this rhythm can be thrown off for years at a time. Experts finally have an explanation for why: Due to unusual atmospheric pressure conditions over the North Atlantic, low-pressure areas are diverted from their usual track, which disrupts the coupling between the Azores High, the Icelandic Low and the winds off the Norwegian coast. This finding is an important step toward refining climate models and more accurately predicting the fate of Arctic sea ice in the face of progressing climate change.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers -- or warm in the winters -- without additional energy.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New research brings greater understanding of Asian winter monsoon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered a new technique which will shed light on the phenomena of winter monsoons -- the heavy autumn and winter rainfalls which can cause floods and landslides across southeast Asia.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Electrons take flight at the nanoscale      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A study showing how electrons flow around sharp bends, such as those found in integrated circuits, has the potential to improve how these circuits, commonly used in electronic and optoelectronic devices, are designed.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Pearl Harbor: Bombed battleships' boost for climate science      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new research paper tells the story of the recovery of World War II weather data from 19 US Navy ships thanks to the hard work of over 4,000 volunteers.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Atomic layer deposition route to scalable, electronic-grade van der Waals Te thin films      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has made a significant breakthrough in thin film deposition technology.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Researchers make strides in harnessing low-grade heat for efficient energy conversion      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has achieved significant breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) for efficient energy conversion.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Ohio's droughts are worse than often recognized, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new type of analysis suggests that droughts in Ohio were more severe from 2000 to 2019 than standard measurements have suggested.

Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Largest historic fire death toll belongs to aftermath of 1923 Japan Earthquake      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fires that raged in the days following the 1 September 1923 magnitude 7.9 Kant earthquake killed roughly 90% of the 105,000 people who perished in and around Tokyo, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in history -- comparable to the number of people killed in the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The story of the conflagration, not well-known outside of Japan, holds important lessons for earthquake scientists, emergency response teams and city planners, according to a new article.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Severe Weather Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

New super-fast flood model has potentially life-saving benefits      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a new simulation model, which can predict flooding during an ongoing disaster more quickly and accurately than currently possible.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Climate change is reducing global river water quality      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A review of almost 1000 studies on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on rivers around the world has found an overall negative effect on water quality in rivers globally. An international team of experts sourced from every continent, conducted between 2000-2022.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Fewer but more intense tropical storms predicted over the Ganges and Mekong      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate experts project a decline in the frequency of future tropical storms but an increase in their strength across the Ganges and Mekong basins allowing for better future planning.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Fall snow levels can predict a season's total snowpack in some western states      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research found that, in some western states, the amount of snow already on the ground by the end of December is a good predictor of how much total snow that area will get.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Severe Weather Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.

Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

You can leave your gloves on: New material burns viruses, safe for skin      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new material that packs deadly heat for viruses on its outer surface while staying cool on the reverse side could be used to make sustainable, multiuse personal protective equipment.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Studies highlight new approaches to addressing climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Failing to achieve climate mitigation goals puts increasing pressure on climate adaptation strategies. In two new studies, researchers address novel approaches to these issues.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Grasping entropy: Teachers and students investigate thermodynamics through a hands-on model      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Though a cornerstone of thermodynamics, entropy remains one of the most vexing concepts to teach budding physicists in the classroom. Physics teachers designed a hand-held model to demonstrate the concept of entropy for students. Using everyday materials, the approach allows students to confront the topic with new intuition -- one that takes specific aim at the confusion between entropy and disorder.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Deriving the fundamental limit of heat current in quantum mechanical many-particle systems      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have mathematically derived the fundamental limit of heat current flowing into a quantum system comprising numerous quantum mechanical particles in relation to the particle count. Further, they established a clearer understanding of how the heat current rises with increasing particle count, shedding light on the performance constraints of potential future quantum thermal devices.