EurekAlert! - Atmospheric Science

NJIT receives NSF funding to improve Big Bear Telescope, study solar energy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(New Jersey Institute of Technology) The National Science Foundation has recently provided support that totals nearly $4.3 million for the diverse efforts of the following investigators under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

International expedition investigates climate change, alternative fuels in Arctic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Naval Research Laboratory) NRL marine biogeochemistry and geology and geophysics scientists return from Arctic expedition exploring methane hydrate deposits in the Beaufort Sea and spatial variation of sediment contribution to Arctic climate change.

New method to measure snow, vegetation moisture with GPS may benefit farmers, meteorologists

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Colorado at Boulder) A research team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder has found a clever way to use traditional GPS satellite signals to measure snow depth as well as soil and vegetation moisture, a technique expected to benefit meteorologists, water resource managers, climate modelers and farmers.

Lehigh receives grant to reduce cost of carbon capture at coal-fired power plants

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Lehigh University) A US Department of Energy grant will help develop methods of recovering and reusing heat generated by the compression of CO2 in a carbon-capture system. The goal is to facilitate carbon capture and sequestration and limit the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by coal-fired power plants. Unlike other modeling studies, which focus on specific components of the carbon-capture system, the Lehigh researchers will look at the entire power plant.

ORNL, Los Alamos pioneer new approach to assist scientists, farmers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories.

SMOS satellite instrument comes alive

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(European Space Agency) The MIRAS instrument on ESA's SMOS satellite, launched earlier this month, has been switched on and is operating normally. MIRAS will map soil moisture and ocean salinity to improve our understanding of the role these two key variables play in regulating Earth's water cycle.

NESCent helps to build a global digital data network for biology and the earth sciences

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)) The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center is now part of a major new digital data initiative that will improve the ability of scientists, policymakers and the public to monitor the status of Earth's biota and the environment. Named DataONE, the initiative aims to provide secure and permanent access to data in biology and the earth sciences, including atmospheric, ecological, evolutionary, hydrological and oceanographic sources.

Mysteriously warm times in Antarctica

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(British Antarctic Survey) A new study of Antarctica's past climate reveals that temperatures during the warm periods between ice ages (interglacials) may have been higher than previously thought. The latest analysis of ice core records suggests that Antarctic temperatures may have been up to 6°C warmer than the present day.

After mastodons and mammoths, a transformed landscape

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Wisconsin-Madison) Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals -- including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers -- began their precipitous slide to extinction.

Berkeley Lab lends expertise to India to promote energy efficiency

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) India may rank only a distant fourth in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, behind China, the United States and Russia, but its rapid economic growth rate coupled with aging and inefficient energy infrastructure suggest dire environmental consequences if "business as usual" continues. That's why experts from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been working to expand collaborations with India on energy efficiency.

AGU Fall Meeting: Press room update, book hotels by Nov. 19

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Geophysical Union) This updates for the AGU 2009 Fall Meeting contains a press room update, reminder to book hotels by Nov. 19, how tosearch abstracts by affiliation, the blog roll and more.

Developing 'green' tires that boost mileage and cut carbon dioxide emissions

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Chemical Society) A new generation of "green" automobile tires that can boost fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety and durability is rolling their way through the research pipeline. The new tires could help add an extra mile or two per gallon to a car's fuel economy. That's the topic of the cover story of the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

Hidden threat: Elevated pollution levels near regional airports

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Chemical Society) Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution -- a well-recognized problem at major airports -- may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly important component of global air transport systems. The study, one of only a handful to examine airborne pollutants near regional airports, suggests that officials should pay closer attention to these overlooked emissions, which could cause health problems for local residents.

NASA's QuikScat and Aqua providing important data on Tropical Storm Anja

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Storm Anja has continued to weaken over the last 24 hours, and NASA's QuikScat satellite has confirmed that the once mighty Category 4 Cyclone is now a tropical storm in the southern Indian Ocean. Two instruments on NASA's Aqua satellite have also helped forecasters determine Anja's location and change of shape.

Oceans' uptake of manmade carbon may be slowing

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(The Earth Institute at Columbia University) The oceans play a key role in regulating climate, absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the air. Now, the first year-by-year accounting of this mechanism during the industrial era suggests the oceans are struggling to keep up with rising emissions -- a finding with potentially wide implications for future climate. The study appears in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

Cyclone Anja hits wind shear, weakens drastically

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) This morning, Cyclone Anja was a powerful Category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Wind shear has now giving Anja a strong "punch in the gut" as the storm has weakened to a Category 1 cyclone.

Experts: Failure to focus on farming will undermine global climate agreement and increase hunger

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Burness Communications) Alarmed by a substantial oversight in the global climate talks leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month, more than 60 of the world's most prominent agricultural scientists and leaders underscored how the almost total absence of agriculture in the agreement could lead to widespread famine and food shortages in the years ahead.

Purdue, NASA research provides blueprint for molecular basis of global warming

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Purdue University) A new study indicates that major chemicals most often cited as leading causes of climate change, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are outclassed in their warming potential by compounds receiving less attention.

Human emissions rise 2 percent despite global financial crisis

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(CSIRO Australia) Despite the economic effects of the global financial crisis, carbon dioxide emissions from human activities rose 2 percent in 2008 to an all-time high of 1.3 tons of carbon per capita per year, according to a paper published today in Nature Geoscience.

Fossil fuel CO2 emissions up by 29 percent since 2000

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of East Anglia) The strongest evidence yet that the rise in atmospheric CO2 emissions continues to outstrip the ability of the world's natural "sinks" to absorb carbon is published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Soil experts to discuss terroir, the link between Earth, wine on Nov. 19 in D.C.

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Society of Agronomy) A Congressional educational briefing on Nov. 19 in Washington, D.C., will shed light on how the balance of site selection and vineyard management blend together to provide distinctive grapes which can allow for unique wine characteristics. Soil scientists and vineyards from across the US will present, "The Essence of Earth and Wine: Terroir" on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in 2168 Rayburn House Office Building (Gold Room).

Oak Ridge 'Jaguar' supercomputer is World's fastest

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) An upgrade to a Cray XT5 high-performance computing system deployed by the Department of Energy has made the "Jaguar" supercomputer the world's fastest. Located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Jaguar is the scientific research community's most powerful computational tool for exploring solutions to some of today's most difficult problems.

New funding will stimulate alternative energy research

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory) Initiatives to provide geothermal heating or power at the Pueblo of Jemez and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology campus are receiving Los Alamos National Laboratory assistance, thanks to recent American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding.

Glimpsing a greener future

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Irvine) It's the year 2060, and 75 percent of drivers in the Greater Los Angeles area have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that emit only water vapor.

NASA's TRMM satellite mapped 'Ida the Low's' rainfall from space

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as "TRMM" has the ability to measure rainfall from space, and assessed the heavy rainfall from last week's coastal low pressure area, formerly known as "Ida" that drenched the US east coast.