Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Medications for chronic diseases affect the body's ability to regulate body temperature, keep cool      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Medications to treat various chronic diseases may hinder the body's ability to lose heat and regulate its core temperature to optimal levels. The loss of effective thermoregulation has implications for elderly people receiving treatment for illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular, Parkinson's disease/dementia and diabetes, particularly during hot weather, according to a review by a team of scientists.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Physics: Optics
Published

Clever coating turns lampshades into indoor air purifiers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Indoor air pollution may have met its match. Scientists have designed catalyst-coated lampshades that transform indoor air pollutants into harmless compounds. The lampshades work with halogen and incandescent light bulbs, and the team is extending the technology so it will also be compatible with LEDs.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Extreme heat may hasten cognitive decline in vulnerable populations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that ongoing extreme heat can worsen cognitive decline among vulnerable groups -- particularly Black older adults and those living in poor neighborhoods.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Irrigating more US crops by mid-century will be worth the investment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With climate change, irrigating more crops in the United States will be critical to sustaining future yields, as drought conditions are likely to increase due to warmer temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Yet less than 20% of croplands are equipped for irrigation. A new study finds that by the middle of the 21st century under a moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenario, the benefits of expanded irrigation will outweigh the costs of installation and operation over an expanded portion of current U.S. croplands. The study maps where it makes the most sense to install irrigation for corn and soybeans and if there's enough water to do so.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Death tolls from climate disasters will 'balloon' without investment in Africa's weather stations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Investment in 'hydromet systems' using technologies from AI to SMS would provide a nine-to-one ROI in saved lives and assets across African nations.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Dry lightning can spark wildfires even under wetter conditions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dry lightning can still be disastrous even when conditions aren't so dry, a study has found. These cloud-to-ground strikes during little to no rainfall were previously thought to pose wildfire danger only if occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rain in a day (about 0.10 inches). A new study of lightning-ignited wildfires in the U.S. West found the strikes caused wildfires despite up to 7.7 mm (about 0.3 inches) of precipitation. While still a low amount of rain, the more accurate estimation could help responders detect fires earlier, especially those known as 'holdovers,' which can smolder for many days before exploding into full-blown wildfires.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Measuring the extent of global droughts in unprecedented detail      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

While some parts of the world suffer extreme heat and persistent drought, others are being flooded. Overall, continental water volumes vary so much over time that global sea levels fluctuate significantly too. By combining the hydrological model WaterGAP with GRACE satellite data, a team of geodesists have come up with a new set of data that shows how the total distribution of water over the Earth's land surfaces has changed over the past 20 years more accurately than ever before.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather Paleontology: Climate
Published

Then vs. now: Did the Horn of Africa reach a drought tipping point 11,700 years ago?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

If climate models predict that much of tropical Africa will become wetter with a warming climate, then why does it keep getting drier in the Horn of Africa?

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Telecommunications cable used to track sea ice extent in the Arctic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A telecommunications fiber optic cable deployed offshore of Oliktok Point, Alaska recorded ambient seismic noise that can be used to finely track the formation and retreat of sea ice in the area, researchers report.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

An early warning system for joint heat and ozone extremes in China      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have identified large-scale climate patterns that could be used to predict the co-occurrence of extreme heat and ozone days in China months before they occur. Like predictions for hurricane and wildfire seasons, the forecasts could help the government prepare resources and implement policies to mitigate the severity of the season.

Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New Antarctic extremes 'virtually certain' as world warms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Current estimates of Lake Erie algae toxicity may miss the mark      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study analyzing toxins produced by Microcystis, the main type of cyanobacteria that compose the annual harmful algal bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie, suggests that the toxicity of the bloom may be overestimated in earlier warm months and underestimated later in the summer.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Single drop of ethanol to revolutionize nanosensor manufacture      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have developed a breakthrough technique to make the processing of nanosensors cheaper, greener and more effective by using a single drop of ethanol to replace heat processing of nanoparticle networks, allowing a wider range of materials to be used to make these sensors.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Study examines Earth and Mars to determine how climate change affects the paths of rivers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The study investigated why the paths of meandering rivers change over time and is a step toward understanding what the hydroclimate on Mars was like when there was still surface water.

Biology: Evolutionary Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

The history and future of ancient einkorn wheat Is written in its genes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have sequenced the complete genome for einkorn wheat, the world's first domesticated crop and traced its evolutionary history. The information will help researchers identify genetic traits like tolerance to diseases, drought and heat, and re-introduce those traits to modern bread wheat.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Florida Keys species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A newly published study describes the response to sea level rise by the silver rice rat, an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys.

Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather Paleontology: Climate
Published

North Atlantic Oscillation contributes to 'cold blob' in Atlantic Ocean      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A patch of ocean in the North Atlantic is stubbornly cooling while much of the planet warms. This anomaly -- dubbed the 'cold blob' -- has been linked to changes in ocean circulation, but a new study found changes in large-scale atmospheric patterns may play an equally important role, according to an international research team.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

California's winter waves may be increasing under climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study uses nearly a century of data to show that the average heights of winter waves along the California coast have increased as climate change has heated up the planet.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

How heat treatment affects a milk alternative made from rice and coconut water      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Whether they're made from soybeans, almonds, oats, or just sourced straight from the cow, milk products must go through heat treatment to prevent harmful bacterial growth and keep them safe. But understanding how these processes affect new, plant-based milk formulations could make the beverages more pleasant to drink as well. Researchers have discovered how pasteurization and sterilization affects the look and feel of one such drink made from coconut and rice.