Western wildfire smoke plumes are getting taller
In recent years the plumes of smoke crawling upward from Western wildfires have trended taller, with more smoke and aerosols lofted up where they can spread farther and impact air quality over a wider area. The likely cause is climate change, with de.....»»
Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales......»»
Q&A: Meaningful social interactions are the only "cure" for loneliness
'Tis the season for friends and family, which could be crucial for combating loneliness, but one Western researcher says we should strive to maintain social connections at all times of the year......»»
A new tool to better model future wildfire impacts in the United States
Wildfire management systems outfitted with remote sensing technology could improve first responders' ability to predict and respond to the spread of deadly forest fires......»»
Key ingredient for life found at Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus
Researchers have found a key ingredient for life in the plumes of water which spew from Enceladus's surface......»»
Helping more people get to safety in a wildfire
Wildfires pose an increasing threat to communities at the wildland-urban interface (WUI)—where dry, flammable vegetation borders backyards, often in remote locations. Despite the well-known danger, many communities at highest risk do not have a str.....»»
Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned, or thinned
A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques—prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both—are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California......»»
Planting less water-intensive crops in the western United States would help alleviate water scarcity, study finds
Across the world, irrigation dominates freshwater consumption, accounting for 88% of all the freshwater consumed on a global scale. In the western United States, this is no different, as irrigated farming is the leading driver of water depletion in t.....»»
Climate change will increase wildfire risk and lengthen fire seasons, study confirms
Wildfires are some of the most destructive natural disasters in the country, threatening lives, destroying homes and infrastructure, and creating air pollution. In order to properly forecast and manage wildfires, managers need to understand wildfire.....»»
Private timberland from Washington to California lost billions in value due to wildfires
A new study from Oregon State University estimates that wildfire and drought caused $11.2 billion in economic losses to privately owned timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades......»»
How are toxic brown carbon nitroaromatics produced in biomass smoke?
Biomass burning from wildfires puts large amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere every year, which are thought to convert into more light-absorbing and toxic nitroaromatics......»»
Research shows that wildfires have erased two decades" worth of air quality gains in western United States
You need only to remember last summer's wildfires in the United States and Canada, which fouled the air from coast to coast, to know the effects these blazes can have on the environment and human health......»»
National climate assessment offers new insights on community resilience and adaptation
A major weather event such as a hurricane or wildfire can have lasting, visible impacts on communities, but the longer-term, compounding effects of a changing climate can be harder to see. In its contributions to the recently released Fifth National.....»»
Study explains the rapid deterioration of one of painter Juan Miró"s favorite colors
A photo from 1978 shows famous Catalan surrealist painter Juan Miró in his Taller Sert, surrounded by his paintings. In the background, the bright, intense yellow of Femme dans le rue (1973), stands out. Fifty years later, that cadmium-based yellow.....»»
How mountains affect El Niño-induced winter precipitation
A consideration of how mountains influence El Niño and La Niña-induced precipitation change in western North America may be the ticket to more informed water conservation planning along the Colorado River, new research suggests......»»
Indonesia"s coal love affair still aflame despite pledges
Sania sits in front of her home in Indonesia, less than a kilometer from Southeast Asia's biggest coal complex, where chimneys pump dark gray smoke and a chemical smell into the air......»»
Global climate change drives fish fitness zones in typical marine habitats, finds study
The tridentiger typically inhabits semi-saline and freshwater environments located in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the western Pacific Ocean. It occupies a crucial position in the food chain, making it ecologically important. A.....»»
Seven-minute hotfire test moves Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket closer to flight
This was one of the final exams for Ariane 6 before its long-delayed debut. Enlarge / Exhaust plumes from the Ariane 6 rocket's main engine rise above the launch pad in French Guiana. (credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/P. Piron).....»»
A critically endangered Sumatran rhino named Delilah successfully gives birth in Indonesia
A critically endangered Sumatran rhino was born in Indonesia's western island of Sumatra on Saturday, the second Sumatran rhino born in the country this year and a welcome addition to a species that currently numbers fewer than 50 animals......»»
Critically endangered Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia
A Sumatran rhino has been born in western Indonesia, officials said Monday, a rare sanctuary birth for the critically endangered animal with only several dozen believed to be left in the world......»»
Arson suspected as wildfire burns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rangers say
A wildfire burning in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is believed to be the work of an arsonist, according to the National Park Service......»»