Urban friction could strengthen landfalling tropical cyclone precipitation
Landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) can pose substantial threats to densely populated and highly developed cities on the North Pacific and North Atlantic coasts. For example, Hurricane Harvey, which occurred in 2017, impacted Houston in the U.S. with.....»»
New mRNA and gene editing tools offer hope for dengue virus treatment
Dengue virus, a painful and sometimes fatal mosquito-borne infection well known in tropical countries, is surging rapidly across the planet. Now, 4 billion people live in places at risk for the disease, like the southeastern United States, which does.....»»
Examining climate justice in urban public space adaptation
Evaluating processes and outcomes of climate change adaptation enables learning to facilitate climate-resilient pathways and prevent potentially unjust outcomes. A new study by Vanesa Castán Broto and her colleagues focuses on adaptation interventio.....»»
Chinese cities suspend schools, cancel flights ahead of super typhoon Yagi
Cities in southern China suspended schools and cancelled some flights on Thursday, as tropical storm Yagi strengthened into a super typhoon and barreled straight for the holiday island province of Hainan......»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Tropical forests face increased soil carbon loss due to climate change
Tropical forests account for more than 50% of the global terrestrial carbon sink, but climate change threatens to alter the carbon balance of these ecosystems......»»
Genomic study illuminates mango"s heritage and future
Mango, a tropical fruit with a long cultivation history, faces significant challenges such as low genetic diversity and limited breeding improvements due to complex domestication and self-pollination. These issues hinder genetic advancements in trait.....»»
Global South cities lack cooling green spaces
Cities in the Global South are more exposed to extreme heat because they lack cooling green spaces, new research shows. The study found that Global South cities have just 70% of the "cooling capacity" provided by urban greenery in the Global North. T.....»»
Weakening Shanshan rains still disrupting transport in Japan
A powerful typhoon now downgraded to a tropical storm was still disrupting flights and trains in Japan Saturday, with authorities warning of possible landslides caused by heavy rain......»»
Study finds lower-income NYC residents trade comfort for affordability
In a revealing piece of research coauthored by a Singapore Management University academic, public policies to ease urban heat in one of the largest first world cities have seen price gaps emerge between homes in cooler and hotter areas, with lower-in.....»»
Study reveals key strategies to combat urban heat vulnerability
A QUT study analyzing five decades of research and thousands of studies has identified five critical areas needed to tackle urban heat vulnerability (UHV), a growing issue impacting millions in increasingly heat-prone cities......»»
AI peers into the deep: High-resolution 3D tracking of coral reef fish
A study by the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) is employing new methods in coral reef research. Under the leadership of fish ecologist Dr. Julian Lilkendey, an international research team utilized innovative AI technologies to analy.....»»
There"s more to accessibility than availability of recreational spaces, says study
Urban planners and developers have predetermined markers of accessibility for recreational spaces, such as parks and playgrounds that might include ramps or the ability to travel to the space using public transportation......»»
Climate change feedbacks lead to surge in natural methane emissions
Attempts to cut greenhouse gases made tougher by increased emissions. Enlarge / A view of the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil. New research shows a large chunk of global methane emissions are from rotting vegetation in tropical wetla.....»»
Q&A: Rwanda is creating shiny, modern cities after the genocide—but this won"t help communities heal from the past
Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has cleared informal settlements to make way for modern urban construction. Kigali's ambitious city master plan is expected to be fully realized by 2050. But what about the people who are pushed out in the process, and.....»»
A price on their heads? Implications of international trade for African hornbills in Cameroon
Tropical birds known for their massive bills, hornbills include 32 Asian and 27 African species in the avian family Bucerotidae. Many hornbills have a casque on their upper mandible, which in some species is spectacularly colorful. Many species also.....»»
Kamikaze termites protect their colony with the help of a special enzyme whose secrets have now been uncovered
Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, are unraveling the myst.....»»
Record-breaking drought in southern China linked to Eurasian warming and tropical sea surface temperature
Southern China experienced an extreme drought that persisted from summer to autumn in 2022, ranking as the most severe drought since 1980. The reason for the occurrence of this extreme drought event was investigated. It shows that both the Eurasian w.....»»
Extreme rainfall event study demonstrates improved forecasting via physics-guided machine learning
A research team focused on the extreme rainfall event of "21·7" in Henan in 2021. By analyzing anomalous physical characteristics and understanding multi-model forecast biases, they significantly enhanced the accuracy of precipitation intensity fore.....»»
Fighting coastal erosion with electricity
New research from Northwestern University has systematically proven that a mild zap of electricity can strengthen a marine coastline for generations—greatly reducing the threat of erosion in the face of climate change and rising sea levels......»»
Physics meets machine learning for better cyclone predictions
Time is of the essence in tropical cyclone prediction: The more warning time a community has, the better prepared its members will be when a storm makes landfall. Currently, the path and nature of tropical cyclones can be predicted up to only five da.....»»