A world-first multi-sensor detection of an intense gamma-ray flash has been observed by researchers from The University of Osaka, when two lightning leaders collided. Observations across a wide radiation spectrum enabled precise measurement of the electric current produced during this extreme event, and demonstrated that the gamma-ray flash preceded the collision of the lightning leaders between the thundercloud and the ground.

As extreme weather events become more common, researchers are turning to higher- quality information. However, interpreting these massive datasets presents another set of challenges, such as maintaining accuracy and keeping costs down. Paris Perdikaris of the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators at Microsoft Research have created Aurora, a low-cost model that can predict a wide range of environmental events.

The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth, but in recent decades, the region has been rapidly warming, at a rate three to four times faster than the global average. However, current climate models have been unable to account for this increased pace. Now, researchers at Kyushu University have reported in a study, published April 29 in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, that clouds may be to blame.

A new open-source tool, greenfeedr—outlined in a new technical note in JDS Communications—is simplifying processing and data reporting from GreenFeed systems, making it easier to get flexible, useful, and impactful data and accelerate the work toward a sustainable future for dairy and livestock production. GreenFeed is a popular tool helping researchers and producers measure emissions in real time.