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.....»»
Study of wintering sites shows bat seasonal migration is more complex than previously assumed
In late summer, some bat species migrate from northern Europe along the coastlines to their wintering sites in central and western Europe. Until now it was assumed that all bats traveled in the same direction during the migration. However, the realit.....»»
Libyan desert"s yellow glass: How we discovered the origin of these rare and mysterious shards
The Great Sand Sea Desert stretches over an area of 72,000km² linking Egypt and Libya. If you find yourself in a particular part of the desert in south-east Libya and south-western parts of Egypt, you'll spot pieces of yellow glass scattered across.....»»
First comprehensive look at effects of 2020–2021 California megafires on terrestrial wildlife habitat
The only thing constant is change—isn't that how the saying goes? We know that wildlife in western forests evolved with changing habitats and disturbances like wildfire. Each species responds differently, some benefiting from openings, others losin.....»»
400-year-old mystery of why early explosive produces purple smoke solved by academics
Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered why fulminating gold—the world's first known high explosive—produces a purple smoke when it detonates, solving a 400-year-old alchemy puzzle......»»
Fire is consuming more of the world"s forests than ever before, threatening supplies of wood, paper
A third of the world's forests are cut for timber. This generates US$1.5 trillion annually. But wildfire threatens industries such as timber milling and paper manufacturing, and the threat is far greater than most people realize......»»
Study reveals wintertime formation of large pollution particles in China"s skies
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers find dangerous sulfates are formed, and their particles get bigger, within the plumes of pollution belching from coal-fired power plants.....»»
Study highlights need for enhanced tropical cyclone identification and simulation in climate models
Tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific (WNP) stand as formidable natural forces, wreaking havoc on Earth and posing significant challenges to disaster preparedness. As we grapple with the uncertainties of future projections for WNP tropical c.....»»
Western Digital responds to claims that SanDisk SSD failures have design flaw
SanDisk's parent company has been facing lawsuits over several failed SSDs. Now, researchers have discovered that is issue is not in the firmware......»»
Study highlights 4 strategies to overcome barriers to prescribed fire in the west
Prescribed fire, which mimics natural fire regimes, can help improve forest health and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire. But this management tool is underused in the fire-prone U.S. West and Baja California, Mexico, due to several barri.....»»
"Out of control" fires endanger wildlife in Brazilian wetlands
The Pantanal wetlands in western Brazil are famed as a paradise of biodiversity, but these days they have enormous clouds of smoke billowing over them, as raging wildfires reduce vast expanses to scorched earth......»»
Don’t let these 3 hidden gem November streaming TV shows fly under your radar
The three hidden gem streaming TV shows you don't want to fly under your radar this month include a gripping Western from the creator of Yellowstone......»»
IIHS: Tall, flat vehicle fronts boost risk to pedestrians
Vehicles with taller front ends are more likely to kill pedestrians they strike than shorter-faced counterparts, but models of medium front-end height also pose an increased threat if they feature a flatter nose, according to a new study from the Ins.....»»
Study finds individual extreme forest fires can lead to global impacts
The radiative effects of smoke from individual extreme forest fires can apparently lead to global impacts that influence the energy balance of the atmosphere and thus the global climate in a complex way......»»
Low-intensity fires reduce wildfire risk by 60%, according to study
There is no longer any question of how to prevent high-intensity, often catastrophic, wildfires that have become increasingly frequent across the Western U.S., according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and Columbia universities......»»
Boys choir found to compete sexually for female audiences through more energetic singing
Research led by Western Sydney University, Australia, has found that boys singing in a choir engage in simultaneous group cohesion and sexually motivated competition exhibited through voice modulation in the presence of a female audience......»»
Lightning identified as the leading cause of wildfires in boreal forests, threatening carbon storage
Lightning is the dominant cause of wildfire ignition in boreal forests—areas of global importance for carbon storage—and will increase in frequency with climate change, according to new research......»»
Heat, cold, pollution, noise and insects: Too many apartment blocks aren"t up to the challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impacts of air quality on high-rise living. However, apartments face a range of atmospheric challenges. These include air and noise pollution, temperature and weather extremes, bushfire smoke and insects......»»
New analysis finds strong El Niño could bring extra floods this winter
An analysis by NASA's sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the frequency of high-tide flooding that can swamp roads and spill into.....»»
If the next Starship makes it through staging, you can call that a win
A key moment will come 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the next Starship test flight. Enlarge / SpaceX's second Starship rocket stands a few feet taller than the first iteration of the full-size vehicle. (credit: SpaceX) S.....»»
New microfossils suggest earlier rise in complex life
Microfossils from Western Australia may capture a jump in the complexity of life that coincided with the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and oceans, according to an international team of scientists......»»