New research from the University of Canterbury School of Mathematics and Statistics in New Zealand has found that seismic signals can be used to track pyroclastic flows, which are the most deadly volcanic hazard in the world. These flows result from volcanic eruptions and can travel at speeds of up to 500 kmh (310 mph).
Earth
The Brazilian rainforest is known for its clean air, but this is only true during the wet season when particulate matter is at a minimum. During the dry season, which is when deforestation fires occur, air quality is significantly reduced due to soot and other emissions. The concentration of soot particles in the atmosphere above
As the planet continues to grow warmer, a team of atmospheric scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology and the University of California have found that the number of atmospheric rivers (ARs) associated with flooding in India has been rising. In their study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, the group describes how
A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that atmospheric rivers are a crucial element in the complex conditions that are leading to the acceleration of glacial melting in northern Greenland. Atmospheric rivers are long, concentrated flows of moisture in the sky that can stretch thousands of kilometers. They are an essential part
With the recent increase in extreme weather events both in New Zealand and globally, a new study published in Nature Geoscience aims to improve the prediction of heavy rainfall and provide earlier warnings to the public. Cameron McErlich, a Ph.D. student at the University of Canterbury, used models and satellite observations to examine daily rainfall.
Scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, leading an international team, have discovered aerosols from the Hunga Tonga eruption in the stratospheric westerlies of the Northern Hemisphere for the first time. The discovery, published in Science Bulletin, will help scientists to simulate the physical and chemical processes in
Researchers from Oregon State University have led a study that reveals the impact of dust on the world’s oceans. Phytoplankton, which are found in the upper part of the ocean and are the foundation of the marine food web, rely on dust from land-based sources for key nutrients. However, the extent that this dust, from
The continents on Earth play an essential role in making the planet habitable for life as we know it. However, very little is known about how these huge pieces of the planet’s crust emerged or what gives them their unique properties. A new study published in Science by Elizabeth Cottrell, a research geologist at the
Three environmental scientists and city planners from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Miami conducted a study on the impact of electric-powered vehicles (EVs) on air quality. The researchers found that the introduction of EVs had a varying impact on air quality in different neighborhoods,
A new study by researchers at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Climate Central has found that as sea levels rise, hundreds of toxic sites along the California coast are at risk of flooding, with the most significant potential impact on the state’s most marginalized communities. The Risks The study identified 736 facilities at risk of coastal
A recent study published in the journal Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research has sought to answer why Arctic sea ice is melting at a faster and more obvious rate than Antarctic sea ice. The research has found that the differences in how both regions respond to climate change can be explained through their geographical, climatic, and meteorological differences.
The Grand Canyon is visited by millions of people every year, but despite this, not all of its rock layers have been named or studied. In a new report published in the journal Geosphere, a UNLV-led research team has identified and named a previously unexplored 500 million-year-old rock formation in the Grand Canyon. The newly
Volcanic eruptions can have severe global impacts, but accurately measuring the size of such eruptions can be challenging. To classify the size of volcanic eruptions, volcanologists estimate the magma volume and deposition volume. However, it is often difficult to determine these values accurately, making it challenging to infer the actual volume of magma and measure