EurekAlert! News by Subject: Atmospheric Science - News by Subject: Atmospheric Science

Atmospheric Science

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-May-2025 19:09 ET (7-May-2025 23:09 GMT/UTC)

27-Feb-2025

Sustainable anesthesia: Charité lowers CO2 emissions in the OR by 80 percent

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has reduced the annual CO₂ emissions originating from gases used for anesthesia by over 80 percent since 2018. This reduction in carbon emissions was achieved by using climate-friendlier anesthetics in the operating room. As a study published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia* demonstrates, education and, in particular, fundamental decisions were the keys to success.

Journal: Anesthesia & Analgesia

26-Feb-2025

Are our refrigerants safe? The lingering questions about the chemicals keeping us cool

University of New South Wales
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The latest chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosols can break down into pollutants, UNSW scientists say.

Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society
Funder: Australian Research Council Discovery Program

26-Feb-2025

Researchers make recommendations for promoting sustainable development in mangrove forest areas

University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto
Reports and Proceedings

Although preventing all the consequences of climate change is now impossible, we can adopt policies to mitigate its impact. In a set of policy recommendations produced by the University of Jyväskylä, researchers examine the development of sustainable livelihoods in the Sundarbans, a coastal region of India and Bangladesh that is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Sundarbans is one of the largest threatened mangrove ecosystems, which efficiently store carbon dioxide and protect coastal areas from cyclones.

Journal: Wisdom Letters
Funder: Academy of Finland

26-Feb-2025

Study: Extreme heat may speed up aging in older adults

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology study suggests greater exposure to extreme heat may accelerate biological aging in older adults, raising new concerns about how climate change and heat waves could affect long-term health and aging at the molecular level.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Institute on Aging

26-Feb-2025

Major changes to the Sahara Desert 8,000 years ago uncovered by Moroccan stalagmites

University of Oxford
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Analysis of stalagmite samples from caves in southern Morocco has provided new insights into rainfall patterns in the Sahara Desert in the past. Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine have discovered that rainfall in the desert increased between 8,700 and 4,300 years ago, which had a major impact on ancient herding societies. The study is available to read in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Journal: Earth and Planetary Science Letters

26-Feb-2025

New computer model can predict the length of a household's displacement in any U.S. community after a disaster

Society for Risk Analysis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new study published by Risk Analysis, uses recent, disaster-related data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to train a computer model to predict the length of household displacement and return outcomes after a disaster. The study is the first to use state-by-state data from the U.S. Census Bureau to quantify the contribution of different factors (including household size, tenure status, educational attainment, and income per household member) on household displacement and return.

Journal: Risk Analysis

25-Feb-2025

LA’s urban trees absorb more carbon than expected, USC Dornsife study finds

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers found that vegetation in a section of central L.A. offsets a surprising 60% of fossil fuel emissions (CO₂), particularly during the growing season. The first-of-its-kind study used a dense array of air-quality sensors to track carbon emissions and absorption in real time, providing a more detailed picture than traditional methods. The findings suggest that expanding urban greenery could play a bigger role in reducing the city’s carbon footprint than previously thought. The USC-led approach could serve as a model for other cities aiming to monitor and cut emissions.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology
Funder: residential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), NOAA Cooperative Agreement