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Categories: Environmental: Water, Mathematics: Statistics
Published Cool roofs are best at beating cities' heat



Painting roofs white or covering them with a reflective coating would be more effective at cooling cities like London than vegetation-covered 'green roofs,' street-level vegetation or solar panels, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Published A breakthrough in inexpensive, clean, fast-charging batteries



Scientists have created an anode-free sodium solid-state battery. This brings the reality of inexpensive, fast-charging, high-capacity batteries for electric vehicles and grid storage closer than ever.
Published Early-onset El NiƱo means warmer winters in East Asia, and vice versa



Researchers have found that the early onset of El Nino around June leads to warm winter climates in Japan, while the late onset of El Nino is associated with colder winters. By analyzing 100-ensemble member climate simulations over the past 61 years, the team found that the warming of the tropical Indian Ocean was a player in warmer Japanese winters.
Published Layers of carbonate provide insight into the world of the ancient Romans



Archaeologists face a major challenge when they intend to acquire information about buildings or facilities of which only ruins remain. This was a particular challenge for the remnants of the Roman water mills in Barbegal in Southern France, dating back to the 2nd century CE. This unique industrial complex consisted of 16 water wheels placed in parallel rows. Little could at first be deduced about the site from these now scant ruins -- except that the wheels were supplied by an aqueduct that brought water from the surrounding hills. Researchers have now unraveled the history of the mill complex using calcium carbonate deposits that are now stored in the Archaeological Museum of Arles. These deposits had formed towards the end of the roughly 100-year operational life of the Barbegal water mills on the sides and base of the wooden supply system that conveyed the water to the wheels.
Published Researchers identify unique survival strategies adopted by fish in the world's warmest waters



A team of researchers have identified unexpected ways coral reef fish living in the warmest waters on earth, in the Arabian Gulf, have adapted to survive extreme temperatures.
Published Novel spectroscopy technique sheds light on NOx reduction



The process that can convert pollution into benign by-products is called selective catalytic reduction, or SCR. Until now, it has been unclear how this reaction actually occurs, and contradictions have long existed between reaction models within the literature. Catalysis researchers used a technology called modulation excitation spectroscopy, or MES, to finally identify the correct pathway.
Published Investigating newly discovered hydrothermal vents at depths of 3,000 meters off Svalbard



Hydrothermal vents can be found around the world at the junctions of drifting tectonic plates. But there are many hydrothermal fields still to be discovered. During a 2022 expedition of the MARIA S. MERIAN, the first field of hydrothermal vents on the 500-kilometer-long Knipovich Ridge off the coast of Svalbard was discovered.
Published Drowning in waste: Pollution hotspots in aquatic environments



A new study explores waste management systems and reveals that achieving zero waste leakage by 2030 is unlikely, potentially jeopardizing related Sustainable Development Goals. The authors emphasize the need for global cooperation, particularly across four regions, to responsibly manage waste disposal.
Published Climate change to shift tropical rains northward



Atmospheric scientists predict that unchecked carbon emissions will force tropical rains to shift northward in the coming decades, which would profoundly impact agriculture and economies near the Earth's equator. The northward rain shift would be spurred by carbon emissions that influence the formation of the intertropical convergence zones that are essentially atmospheric engines that drive about a third of the world's precipitation.
Published Antarctic ice shelves hold twice as much meltwater as previously thought



Slush -- water-soaked snow -- makes up more than half of all meltwater on the Antarctic ice shelves during the height of summer, yet is poorly accounted for in regional climate models. The findings could have profound implications for ice shelf stability and sea level rise.
Published Pacific cod can't rely on coastal safe havens for protection during marine heat waves



During recent periods of unusually warm water in the Gulf of Alaska, young Pacific cod in near shore safe havens where they typically spend their adolescence did not experience the protective effects those areas typically provide, a new study found.
Published US Clean Water Act leaves about 55% of water flowing out of rivers vulnerable to pollution



The Supreme Court ruled last year that rivers that only flow in response to weather events -- called ephemeral streams -- do not fall under the protection of the Clean Water Act. New research suggests that this now leaves many U.S. waterways vulnerable to pollution.
Published Climate change and sea level rise pose an acute challenge for cities with combined sewer systems



Older coastal cities, like Philadelphia, New York and Boston are at risk of being inundated by untreated sewage during floods. Due in part to the design of their combined sewer systems and in part due to sea level rise, these cities could be facing a growing public health crisis as climate change also drives more extreme precipitation. The group recently published research that modeled the potential extent of the problem in a section of the coastal city of Camden, New Jersey, and the effectiveness of one proposed intervention to help protect these communities.
Published Simple new process stores CO2 in concrete without compromising strength



By using carbonated -- rather than still -- water during the concrete manufacturing process, a team of engineers has discovered a new way to store carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ubiquitous construction material.
Published Researchers address ocean paradox with 55 gallons of fluorescent dye



Researchers have directly measured cold, deep water upwelling via turbulent mixing along the slope of a submarine canyon in the Atlantic Ocean.
Published Some landfill 'burps' contain airborne PFAS



Many municipal landfills 'burp' gas from decomposing organic matter rather than letting it build up. And burps from buried waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can release these 'forever chemicals' into the air, say researchers. Their study reports unexpectedly high levels of airborne PFAS at three landfills and demonstrates that vented gases and liquid by-products called leachates could transport similar amounts of these contaminants to the environment.
Published Small, adsorbent 'fins' collect humidity rather than swim through water



Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations.
Published Balancing act: Novel wearable sensors and AI transform balance assessment



Traditional methods to assess balance often suffer from subjectivity, aren't comprehensive enough and can't be administered remotely. They also are expensive and require specialized equipment and clinical expertise. Using wearable sensors and advanced machine learning algorithms, researchers offer a practical and cost-effective solution for capturing detailed movement data, essential for balance analysis. This approach is more accessible and can be administered remotely, which could have significant implications for health care, rehabilitation, sports science or other fields where balance assessment is important.
Published Underwater mountains have a big impact on ocean circulation



Colossal undersea mountains, towering up to thousands of metres high, stir up deep sea currents: impacting how our ocean stores heat and carbon. An international team used numerical modelling to quantify how underwater turbulence around these mountains, called seamounts, influences ocean circulation; finding it is an important mechanism in ocean mixing and one that is missing from climate models used in policymaking.
Published New study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin



A study of 17 commonly used synthetic 'forever chemicals' has shown that these toxic substances can readily be absorbed through human skin.