Amazon fires quickening glacier melting in Andes
The burning rainforest releases black carbon into the atmosphere, which, according to a growing number of scientific studies, directly contributes to the melting of glaciers.
Fukushima: Lessons learned from an extraordinary case of soil decontamination
(European Geosciences Union) Following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011, the Japanese authorities decided to carry out major decontamination works in the affected area, which covers more than 9,000 km2. On Dec. 12, 2019, with most of this work having been completed, the scientific journal SOIL of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is publishing a synthesis of approximately 60 scientific publications that provide an overview of the decontamination strategies used and their effectiveness.
Martian aurora offers climate change clues, Embry-Riddle reports
(Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) A newly published study reveals that a type of Martian aurora originally detected by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft is in fact the most common aurora on the Red Planet, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers said. The research suggests a way to track water loss and better understand how the Martian climate has changed over time.
Supporting structures of wind turbines contribute to wind farm blockage effect
(American Institute of Physics) Much about the aerodynamic effects of larger wind farms remains poorly understood. New work in this week’s Journal of Renewable and Sustainably Energy looks to provide more insight in how the structures necessary for wind farms affect air flow. Using a two-scale coupled momentum balance method, researchers theoretically and computationally reconstructed conditions that large wind farms might face in the future, including the dampening effect that comes with spacing turbines close to one another.
Climate Doomsters Sound Food Alarm As Global Crop Yields Soar
There they go again. A new paper relying on modeling rather than real-world observations, claims global warming is creating a food production crisis. The media are breathlessly promoting the doom-and-gloom paper, even as global food production reaches yet another new…
UNFCCC closes the door literally on civil society demanding climate justice at COP25
Multiple civil society organisations including indigenous and environmental groups co-ordinated a protest outside the main Plenary – Baker Room this afternoon, to protest the lack of action during this COP on multiple fronts, and the continuing attack on the space…
Punching holes in opaque solar cells turns them transparent
Researchers in Korea have found an effective and inexpensive strategy to transform solar cells from opaque to transparent. Existing transparent solar cells tend to have a reddish hue and lower efficiency, but by punching tiny holes on crystalline silicon wafers, it allows light through without coloring. The holes are then strategically spaced, so the human eye is unable to ‘see’ the pattern.
Punching holes in opaque solar cells turns them transparent
Researchers in Korea have found an effective and inexpensive strategy to transform solar cells from opaque to transparent. Existing transparent solar cells tend to have a reddish hue and lower efficiency, but by punching tiny holes on crystalline silicon wafers, it allows light through without coloring. The holes are then strategically spaced, so the human eye is unable to ‘see’ the pattern.
New spray gel could help take the bite out of frostbite
(American Chemical Society) Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the dangers of frostbite — the tissue damage that can occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears, fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering have developed a convenient gel that could be sprayed onto frostbite injuries when they occur, helping wounds heal.
Paleontology: Experiments in evolution
(Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) A new find from Patagonia sheds light on the evolution of large predatory dinosaurs. Features of the 8-m long specimen from the Middle Jurassic suggest that it records a phase of rapid diversification and evolutionary experimentation.
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