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Categories: Energy: Batteries, Paleontology: Climate
Published New study reveals insight into which animals are most vulnerable to extinction due to climate change



In a new study, researchers have used the fossil record to better understand what factors make animals more vulnerable to extinction from climate change. The results could help to identify species most at risk today from human-driven climate change.
Published Healable cathode could unlock potential of solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries



Engineers developed a cathode material for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries that is healable and highly conductive, overcoming longstanding challenges of traditional sulfur cathodes. The advance holds promise for bringing more energy dense and low-cost Li-S batteries closer to market.
Published Unlocking the potential of lithium-ion batteries with advanced binders



Lithium-ion batteries employ binders that encounter challenges such as poor conductivity and expansion during charging. In a recent study, scientists have developed a high-performing binder using poly(vinylphosphonic acid) for silicon oxide-based anodes in lithium-ion batteries. This binder offers enhanced performance as demonstrated by the superior durability, and discharging capacity of the anodes compared to conventional options. With patents filed internationally, this technology holds promise for broader applications in electric vehicles and beyond.
Published Lithium-ion batteries from drones might find second lives in less 'stressful' devices



Taking flight can be stressful -- especially for a lithium-ion battery that powers a drone. Too much strain on these cells causes damage and shortens a device's overall lifespan. Research shows the potential to improve batteries in aerial electric vehicles that take off and land vertically. The team developed a new electrolyte to address these challenges and said the 'stressed out' batteries could also have second lives in less strenuous applications.
Published Mercury rising: Study sheds new light on ancient volcanoes' environmental impact



Massive volcanic events in Earth's history that released large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere frequently correlate with periods of severe environmental change and mass extinctions. A new method to estimate how much and how rapidly carbon was released by the volcanoes could improve our understanding of the climate response, according to an international team.
Published Microbial viruses act as secret drivers of climate change



Scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment.
Published Climate change threatens thousands of archaeological sites in coastal Georgia



Thousands of historic and archaeological sites in Georgia are at risk from tropical storm surges, and that number will increase with climate change, according to a new study.
Published Imaging grain boundaries that impede lithium-ion migration in solid-state batteries



A research team has developed a new technique to image grain boundaries obstructing lithium-ion migration in solid-state batteries -- a promising type of next-generation battery.
Published Significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s



Among the vast expanse of Antarctica lies the Thwaites Glacier, the world's widest glacier measuring about 80 miles on the western edge of the continent. Despite its size, the massive landform is losing about 50 billion tons of ice more than it is receiving in snowfall, which places it in a precarious position in respect to its stability. Accelerating ice loss has been observed since the 1970s, but it is unclear when this significant melting initiated -- until now. A new study suggests that the significant glacial retreat of two glaciers on the west coast of Antarctica began in the 1940's, likely spurred by climate change.
Published A new vibrant blue pottery pigment with less cobalt



Whether ultramarine, cerulean, Egyptian or cobalt, blue pigments have colored artworks for centuries. Now, seemingly out of the blue, scientists have discovered a new blue pigment that uses less cobalt but still maintains a brilliant shine. Though something like this might only happen once in a blue moon, the cobalt-doped barium aluminosilicate colorant withstands the high temperatures found in a kiln and provides a bright color to glazed tiles.
Published Biggest Holocene volcano eruption found by seabed survey



A detailed survey of the volcanic underwater deposits around the Kikai caldera in Japan clarified the deposition mechanisms as well as the event's magnitude. As a result, the research team found that the event 7,300 years ago was the largest volcanic eruption in the Holocene by far.
Published Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats has long been in flux



It has been long assumed that Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats was formed as its ancient namesake lake dried up 13,000 years ago. But new research has gutted that narrative, determining these crusts did not form until several thousand years after Lake Bonneville disappeared, which could have important implications for managing this feature that has been shrinking for decades to the dismay of the racing community and others who revere the saline pan 100 miles west of Salt Lake City. Relying on radiocarbon analysis of pollen found in salt cores, the study concludes the salt began accumulating between 5,400 and 3,500 years ago, demonstrating how this geological feature is not a permanent fixture on the landscape.
Published New water batteries stay cool under pressure



A global team of researchers has invented recyclable 'water batteries' that won't catch fire or explode. The team use water to replace organic electrolytes -- which enable the flow of electric current between the positive and negative terminals -- meaning their batteries can't start a fire or blow up -- unlike their lithium-ion counterparts.
Published Road to better performing batteries using less critical raw materials



Researchers are developing batteries that can charge faster, offer more stable storage and are made of sustainable materials that are widely available. In doing so, they offer a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries that consist of rare materials and have a high CO2 -footprint.
Published Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries



Researchers have discovered a solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions. Consisting of non-toxic earth-abundant elements, the new material has high enough Li ion conductivity to replace the liquid electrolytes in current Li ion battery technology, improving safety and energy capacity. The research team have synthesized the material in the laboratory, determined its structure and demonstrated it in a battery cell.
Published Researchers studying ocean transform faults, describe a previously unknown part of the geological carbon cycle



This study reports widespread mineral carbonation of mantle rocks in an oceanic transform fueled by magmatic degassing of CO2. The findings describe a previously unknown part of the geological carbon cycle in transform faults that represent one of the three principal plate boundaries on Earth. The confluence of tectonically exhumed mantle rocks and CO2-rich alkaline basalt formed through limited extents of melting characteristic of the St. Paul's transform faults may be a pervasive feature at oceanic transform faults in general. Because transform faults have not been accounted for in previous estimates of global geological CO2 fluxes, the mass transfer of magmatic CO2 to the altered oceanic mantle and seawater may be larger than previously thought.
Published Ancient pollen trapped in Greenland ice uncovers changes in Canadian forests over 800 years



The Greenland ice sheet lies thousands of miles from North America yet holds clues to the distant continent's environmental history. Nearly two miles thick in places, the ice sheet grows as snow drifts from the sky and builds up over time. But snow isn't the only thing carried in by air currents that swirl around the atmosphere, with microscopic pollen grains and pieces of ash mixing with snowfall and preserving records of the past in the ice. A new study examined these pollen grains and identified how eastern Canada's forests grew, retreated, and changed through time.
Published Greenhouse gas repurposed



Cutting-edge research converted waste carbon dioxide into a potential precursor for chemicals and carbon-free fuel.
Published Ice cores provide first documentation of rapid Antarctic ice loss in the past



Researchers have uncovered the first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrunk suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around eight thousand years ago. The evidence, contained within an ice core, shows that in one location the ice sheet thinned by 450 meters -- that's more than the height of the Empire State Building -- in just under 200 years.
Published Smart earrings can monitor a person's temperature



Researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user's earlobe temperature. Potential applications include tracking signs of ovulation, stress, eating and exercise. The smart earring prototype is about the size and weight of a small paperclip and has a 28-day battery life.