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Categories: Environmental: Water, Space: Cosmology
Published New eco-friendly lubricant additives protect turbine equipment, waterways
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed lubricant additives that protect both water turbine equipment and the surrounding environment.
Published For microscopic organisms, ocean currents act as 'expressway' to deeper depths
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some of the ocean's tiniest organisms get swept into underwater currents that act as a conduit that shuttles them from the sunny surface to deeper, darker depths where they play a huge role in affecting the ocean's chemistry and ecosystem, according to new research.
Published Oil palm plantations are driving massive downstream impact to watershed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The global demand for palm oil -- the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, in everything from instant noodles to lipstick -- is driving worldwide tropical deforestation. While many studies have shown the loss of biodiversity when rainforests are converted to oil palm plantations, researchers have now shown the far-reaching and wide-ranging disturbances to the watersheds in which such plantations occur.
Published Mystery behind huge opening in Antarctic sea ice solved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered the missing piece of the puzzle behind a rare opening in the sea ice around Antarctica, which was nearly twice the size of Wales and occurred during the winters of 2016 and 2017. A study reveals a key process that had eluded scientists as to how the opening, called a polynya, was able to form and persist for several weeks.
Published A 'cosmic glitch' in gravity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a potential 'cosmic glitch' in the universe's gravity, explaining its strange behavior on a cosmic scale.
Published Improved AI process could better predict water supplies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new computer model uses a better artificial intelligence process to measure snow and water availability more accurately across vast distances in the West, information that could someday be used to better predict water availability for farmers and others. The researchers predict water availability from areas in the West where snow amounts aren't being physically measured.
Published Researchers develop an AI model to reduce uncertainty in evapotranspiration prediction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Evapotranspiration (ET) includes evaporation from soil and open water pools such as lakes, rivers, and ponds, as well as transpiration from plant leaves. The difference between precipitation and ET indicates the water balance available for societal needs, including agricultural and industrial production. However, measuring ET is challenging. A new study presents a computer model that uses artificial intelligence (AI) for ET prediction based on remote sensing estimates.
Published Webb captures top of iconic horsehead nebula in unprecedented detail
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of a zoomed-in portion of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. These observations show the top of the 'horse's mane' or edge of this iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing the region's complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution.
Published A virus could help save billions of gallons of wastewater produced by fracking
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater -- or produced water -- is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report. The major waste stream has proved both difficult and costly to treat because of the chemical complexity of the water.
Published Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind plant adaptation: New insights into the evolution of a water-saving trait in the pineapple family (bromeliaceae)
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Tillandsia (air plants). This sheds light on the complex actions that cause plant adaptation and ecological diversity.
Published Astronomers' simulations support dark matter theory
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Computer simulations by astronomers support the idea that dark matter -- matter that no one has yet directly detected but which many physicists think must be there to explain several aspects of the observable universe -- exists, according to the researchers.
Published Gemini south reveals origin of unexpected differences in giant binary stars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have confirmed that differences in binary stars' composition can originate from chemical variations in the cloud of stellar material from which they formed. The results help explain why stars born from the same molecular cloud can possess different chemical composition and host different planetary systems, as well as pose challenges to current stellar and planet formation models.
Published Energy trades could help resolve Nile conflict
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have shed light on a new, transformative approach that could help resolve a dispute over the Nile river's water resources.
Published Recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge ash
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemical and heat treatment of sewage sludge can recover phosphorus in a process that could help address the problem of diminishing supplies of phosphorus ores.
Published The longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers and oceans. The longer that oil remains in freshwater, the more chemical changes it undergoes, creating products that can persist in the environment.
Published How do birds flock? Researchers do the math to reveal previously unknown aerodynamic phenomenon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How do birds fly in a coordinated and seemingly effortless fashion? Part of the answer lies in precise, and previously unknown, aerodynamic interactions, reports a team of mathematicians. Its breakthrough broadens our understanding of wildlife, including fish, who move in schools, and could have applications in transportation and energy.
Published Human activities have an intense impact on Earth's deep subsurface fluid flow
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hydrologists predict human-induced underground fluid fluxes to rise with climate change mitigation strategies like carbon sequestration.
Published Managing meandering waterways in a changing world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Just as water moves through a river, rivers themselves move across the landscape. They carve valleys and canyons, create floodplains and deltas, and transport sediment from the uplands to the ocean.
Published How light can vaporize water without the need for heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers discovered that light can cause evaporation of water from a surface without the need for heat. This 'photomolecular effect' could be important for understanding climate change and for improving some industrial processes.
Published Nanofibers rid water of hazardous dyes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A special nanostructure has been developed to filter a widespread class of harmful dyes from water. A crucial component is a material that is considered waste: used cellulose, for example in the form of cleaning cloths or paper cups. The cellulose is utilized to coat a fine nano-fabric to create an efficient filter for polluted water.