Smoke from wildfires ages in the atmosphere
Emissions, like smoke from wildfires and exhaust from vehicles, go through chemical changes when they enter the atmosphere. New research from the University of Georgia shows, for the first time, that these changes may affect what kind of treatment pa.....»»
How efficiently different US forests will remove atmospheric carbon in the future
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration pattern.....»»
Treatment with smoke can favor seed germination in Brazil"s Cerrado biome
For thousands of years, plants have evolved in the presence of wildfires in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna-like biome. Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) studied the effect of smoke on seed germination for 44 plant species typical of th.....»»
"Baby talk:" Decoding how children"s vocal and cognitive cues sway adults
Compared to other mammals, human children are dependent on their caregivers for a remarkably long time. Throughout the ages, they have developed "psychological tactics" to endear themselves to adults and thus enhance their chances of survival. This p.....»»
Forests destroyed by wildfires emit carbon long after the flames die—new study
Even in Earth's high northern-latitude forest, climate change is predicted to make wildfires more frequent and severe......»»
Machine learning and better radar solve the "cloud cover" problem
Clouds have for decades been a bugbear for remote sensing of land surface temperature—one of the most important earth system metrics, used in everything from tracking climate change to predicting wildfires. A new approach incorporating machine lear.....»»
New York City"s fireworks display prompts temporary surge of air pollution
In 2023, roughly 60,000 firework shells exploded above Manhattan's East River as part of Macy's Fourth of July show. The resulting air pollutant levels were many times higher in the hours after the display than those seen when smoke from a Canadian w.....»»
How to Stop Wildfire Smoke Damaging Your Health
Smoke from fires is linked to thousands of premature deaths every year, and is a growing health threat as widespread blazes becomes more common......»»
Researchers identify useful emission lines in the sun"s outer atmosphere
When studying the solar spectrum, researchers often search for specific emission lines: prominent wavelengths emitted by ions as their electrons transition from higher to lower energy levels. Emission spectra of two iron ions, Fe IX and Fe X, are par.....»»
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon"s tenuous atmosphere
While the moon lacks any breathable air, it does host a barely-there atmosphere. Since the 1980s, astronomers have observed a very thin layer of atoms bouncing over the moon's surface. This delicate atmosphere—technically known as an "exosphere"—.....»»
First full 2-D spectral image of aurora borealis from a hyperspectral camera
Auroras are natural luminous phenomena caused by the interaction of electrons falling from the sky and the upper atmosphere. Most of the observed light consists of emission lines of neutral or ionized nitrogen and oxygen atoms and molecular emission.....»»
Wildfires in Colorado burn dozens of homes and structures, threaten hundreds more
A wildfire burning in Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region has burned dozens of homes and outbuildings, while a second fire crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes near Denver on Thursday......»»
Scientists find a human "fingerprint" in the upper troposphere"s increasing ozone
Ozone can be an agent of good or harm, depending on where you find it in the atmosphere. Way up in the stratosphere, the colorless gas shields the Earth from the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. But closer to the ground, ozone is a harmful air pollutant.....»»
Wildfires encroach on homes near Denver as heat hinders fight
A wildfire on the edge of metro Denver crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes, but authorities said Thursday morning they were hopeful to save hundreds of threatened residences as they grapple with sweltering temperatures and firefighters suf.....»»
Predicting solar storms before they leave the sun
When giant solar storms hit Earth, they trigger beautiful auroral displays high in Earth's atmosphere. There's a dark side to this solar activity, though. The "space weather" it sets off also threatens our technology. The potential for damage is why.....»»
Study finds white Western women have lower body appreciation and greater media pressure to look thin
White Western women have lower body appreciation and experience greater pressure from the media to be thin compared to Black Nigerian and Chinese women across all ages, according to new research......»»
Ammonia-free gallium nitride semiconductor production found to improve crystal quality, reduce environmental impact
Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors can now be grown without ammonia, a toxic chemical that needs a sophisticated detoxifying system before it can be released into the atmosphere. The new technique is not only more environmentally friendly but also.....»»
The New Gods of Weather Can Make Rain on Demand—or So They Want You to Believe
In a gold-trimmed command center on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, scientists are seeking to wring moisture from desert skies. But will all their extravagant cloud-seeding tech—planes that sprinkle nanomaterials, lasers that scramble the atmosphere—.....»»
Drought in Sicily threatens grain fields, animal herds
A crushing drought in Sicily has withered fields of grain, deprived livestock of pasture land and fanned a spate of wildfires, causing damage already estimated at 2.7 billion euros this year......»»
Scientists untangle interactions between the Earth"s early life forms and the environment over 500 million years
The atmosphere, the ocean and life on Earth have interacted over the past 500-plus million years in ways that improved conditions for early organisms to thrive. Now, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has produced a perspective article on this c.....»»
Q&A: Why wildfires don"t just burn, but can also pollute aquatic ecosystems
Last week, wildfires blazed across western Canada, turning the town of Jasper, located near Alberta's Jasper National Park, into ashes. The local government estimated that the fire damaged or destroyed up to half of the town's structures......»»