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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Space: Exploration

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In the atmosphere, gaseous sulfuric acid can form particles that influence the physical properties of clouds. Thus, the formation of sulfuric acid in the gas phase directly affects the radiative forcing and Earth's climate. In addition to the known formation from sulfur dioxide, researchers have now been able to demonstrate through experiments that there is another formation pathway that has been speculated about for decades. Sulfuric acid in the atmosphere can also be formed directly by the oxidation of organic sulfur compounds. This new production pathway can be responsible for up to half of the gaseous sulfuric acid formation over the oceans and is thus of high importance for climate projections -- especially over the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere.

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A new study found that 12% of Americans, mostly men or people aged 50-65, consume half of all beef on a given day, contributing to adverse health and environmental impacts. Educational programs targeting this group may help reduce consumption and address environmental concerns, as beef production has high greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the need for awareness and messaging.

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Carbon capture is a promising method to help slow climate change. With this approach, carbon dioxide (CO¬¬2) is trapped before it escapes into the atmosphere, but the process requires a large amount of energy and equipment. Now, researchers have designed a capture system using an electrochemical cell that can easily grab and release CO2. The device operates at room temperature and requires less energy than conventional, amine-based carbon-capture systems.

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With a remarkable observational campaign that involved 12 telescopes both on the ground and in space, including three European Southern Observatory (ESO) facilities, astronomers have uncovered the strange behavior of a pulsar, a super-fast-spinning dead star. This mysterious object is known to switch between two brightness modes almost constantly, something that until now has been an enigma. But astronomers have now found that sudden ejections of matter from the pulsar over very short periods are responsible for the peculiar switches.

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Scientists have revised previous assumptions about the influence of pollutant particles, known as aerosols, on global warming. Using satellite data, researchers have shown that the relationship between water droplets in clouds and aerosol concentration is more non-linear than previously thought. Specifically, in heavily polluted regions, the additional warming of the Earth resulting from better air quality could occur much later than originally believed -- perhaps as much as 20 or 30 years later than expected.

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New research has detected significant levels of metals in the blood and urine among marijuana users, concluding that marijuana may be an important and under-recognized source of lead and cadmium exposure. This is among the first studies to report biomarker metal levels among marijuana users and most likely the largest study to date, that links self-reported marijuana use to internal measures of metal exposure, rather than just looking at metal levels in the cannabis plant. The results are important because marijuana is the third most used drug in the world.

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Astronomers have uncovered a link between Neptune's shifting cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle, in which the waxing and waning of the Sun's entangled magnetic fields drives solar activity.

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Nitrogen dioxide levels in remote forest areas are increasing, and wildfire and soil emissions are likely the reasons why, finds a new study.

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Methylcyclohexane is very promising as a hydrogen carrier that can safely and efficiently transport and store hydrogen. However, the dehydrogenation process using catalysts has issues due to its durability and large energy loss. Recently, researchers have succeeded in using solid oxide fuel cells to generate electricity directly from methylcyclohexane and recover toluene for reuse. This research is expected to not only reduce energy requirements but also explore new chemical synthesis by fuel cells.

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Could blending of crushed rock with arable soil lower global temperatures? Researchers study global warming events from 40 and 56 million years ago to find answers.

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Among the negative impacts of extreme weather events around the world is one that most people may not think of: an increase in child marriages.

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High-quality sequencing of nearly the entire kakapo population is helping New Zealand to manage the health of this critically endangered species.

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Abrupt climate changes have affected rainfall patterns worldwide in the past, especially in the tropical monsoon region, a new study shows. An international team of scientists used dripstones from globally distributed caves together with model simulations to analyze the global impacts of rapid Northern-Hemisphere temperature increases, the widely studied Dansgaard-Oeschger events, that repeatedly occurred during the last ice age. The comparison of stalagmite and model data shows in unprecedented detail how these abrupt changes and the associated modifications of the Atlantic overturning circulation, AMOC for short, have affected global atmospheric circulation.

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Due to intensifying sea-ice melting in the Arctic, sunlight is now penetrating deeper and deeper into the ocean. Since marine zooplankton respond to the available light, this is also changing their behavior -- especially how the tiny organisms rise and fall within the water column. As an international team of researchers has now shown, in the future this could lead to more frequent food shortages for the zooplankton, and to negative effects for larger species including seals and whales.

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A team of researchers is designing novel systems to capture water vapor in the air and turn it into liquid. They have developed sponges or membranes with a large surface area that continually capture moisture from their surrounding environment.

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A new study has examined how T cells of the immune system are affected by weightlessness. The results could explain why astronauts' T cells become less active and less effective at fighting infection.

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'Eco-friendly' paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded.

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Replacing single use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic. Researchers show that a paper cup that ends up in nature can also cause damage as they also contain toxic chemicals.

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Study analyses 18 major carbon offset projects, and compares their conservation claims with matched sites that offer a real-world benchmark for deforestation levels. Over 60 million carbon credits came from projects that barely reduced deforestation, if at all. Of a potential 89 million credits from these offset schemes, only 5.4 million (6%) were linked to additional carbon reductions through preserved forest.

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Despite the rapid increase in severe flooding, a new article indicates recent floods and droughts in the Amazon River Basin may have not yet exceeded the range of natural hydroclimatic variability.