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.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Sustainable energy for aviation: What are our options?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists and industry leaders worldwide are looking for answers on how to make aviation sustainable by 2050 and choosing a viable sustainable fuel is a major sticking point. Aerospace engineers took a full inventory of the options to make a data-driven assessment about how they stack up in comparison. He reviewed over 300 research projects from across different sectors, not just aerospace, to synthesize the ideas and draw conclusions to help direct the dialogue about sustainable aviation toward a permanent solution.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Ancient Amazonians intentionally created fertile 'dark earth'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study suggests patches of fertile soil in the Amazon, known as dark earth, were intentionally produced by ancient Amazonians as a way to improve the soil and sustain large and complex societies.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General
Published

Efficient next-generation solar panels on horizon following breakthrough      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A scientific breakthrough brings mass production of the next generation of cheaper and lighter perovskite solar cells one step closer.

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: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
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Tall buildings could be built quicker if damping models were correct, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Multi-story buildings are assembled over-cautiously to withstand wind strengths, researchers have found.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography
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Researchers discover a new species of larger benthic foraminifer from the Ryukyu Islands      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international group of researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of large foraminifer, shedding new light on the ecological evolution and biodiversity of coral reefs in the Ryukyu Islands.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Glacier Loss Day indiĀ­cates record breakĀ­ing glacier melt      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the summer of 2022, one of Tyrol's largest glaciers experienced its most significant loss of mass on record. Last year, the Hintereisferner in Tyrol, Austria, reached its Glacier Loss Day (GLD) earlier than ever before. The GLD serves as an indicator of a glacier's health throughout the year, similar to how the Earth Overshoot Day measures Earth's resource consumption.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General
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How wind turbines react to turbulence      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The output of wind turbines can rise or fall by 50 per cent in a matter of seconds. Such fluctuations in the megawatt range put a strain on both power grids and the turbines themselves. A new study presents a new stochastic method that could help to mitigate these sudden swings and achieve a more consistent electricity production.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published

Crucial third clue to finding new diamond deposits      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers studying diamond-rich rocks from Western Australia's Argyle volcano have identified the missing third key ingredient needed to bring valuable pink diamonds to the Earth's surface where they can be mined, which could greatly help in the global hunt for new deposits.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Predictive model could improve hydrogen station availability      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Consumer confidence in driving hydrogen-fueled vehicles could be improved by having station operators adopt a predictive model that helps them anticipate maintenance needs, according to researchers.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Study finds significant chemical exposures in women with cancer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like PFAS and phenols are implicated in hormone-mediated cancers of the breast, ovaries, skin and uterus. To learn more about the environmental exposures experienced by women who developed these cancers, researchers analyzed data from NHANES and found that women who reported having cancer had significantly higher levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Step change in upconversion the key to clean water, green energy and futuristic medicine      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Graphene Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology
Published

Earth's stability and ability to support civilization at risk: Six of nine planetary boundaries exceeded      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study updates the planetary boundary framework and shows human activities are increasingly impacting the planet and, thereby, increasing the risk of triggering dramatic changes in overall Earth conditions.