Tropical Cyclone Ava Moving Away from Madagascar

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Ava as it continued moving away from the island nation of Madagascar. Ava was located in the Southern Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of the country.

NUS Researchers Pioneer Water-Based, Eco-Friendly and Energy-Saving Air-Conditioner

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has pioneered a new water-based air-conditioning system that cools air to as low as 18 degrees Celsius without the use of energy-intensive compressors and environmentally harmful chemical refrigerants. This game-changing technology could potentially replace the century-old air-cooling principle that is still being used in our modern-day air-conditioners. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, the novel system is portable and it can also be customised for all types of weather conditions.

New Study Reveals Strong El Niño Events Cause Large Changes in Antarctic Ice Shelves

A new study published Jan. 8 in the journal Nature Geoscience reveals that strong El Niño events can cause significant ice loss in some Antarctic ice shelves while the opposite may occur during strong La Niña events.

US Rivers and Streams are Compromised by Increasing Salt Loads

Human activities are exposing US rivers and streams to a cocktail of salts, with consequences for infrastructure and drinking water supplies. So reports a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that is the first to assess the combined, long-term changes in freshwater salinity and alkalization across the country.

Noise Pollution Causes Chronic Stress in Birds, with Health Consequences for Young

Birds exposed to the persistent noise of natural gas compressors show symptoms remarkably similar to those in humans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, new research shows.

A biological solution to carbon capture and recycling?

Scientists at the University of Dundee have discovered that E. coli bacteria could hold the key to an efficient method of capturing and storing or recycling carbon dioxide.

Cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to slow down and even reverse global warming has been posited as humankind’s greatest challenge. It is a goal that is subject to considerable political and societal hurdles, but it also remains a technological challenge.

Methane hydrate dissociation off Spitsbergen not caused by climate change

Methane hydrates, also known as flammable ice, occur in many regions of the oceans. But only under high pressure and cold temperatures the product of methane and water forms a solid compound. If the pressure is too low or the temperature is too high, the hydrates decompose, and the methane is released as gas from the sea floor into the water column. Spitsbergen has been experiencing severe outgassing for several years. Does the methane originate from decomposed methane hydrates? What is the cause of the dissociation of the hydrates? Warming due to climate change or other, natural processes? An international team of scientists has now been able to answer this question, which has been published in the international journal Nature Communications.

Will Self-Driving Cars Usher in a Transportation Utopia or Dystopia?

The news sounds almost too good to be true.

FSU researcher: Ocean acidification means major changes for California mussels

Accelerating ocean acidification could be transforming the fundamental structure of California mussel shells, according to a new report from a Florida State University-led team of scientists.

Shakedown in Oklahoma: To Cut the Number of Bigger Earthquakes, Inject Less Saltwater

In Oklahoma, reducing the amount of saltwater (highly brackish water produced during oil and gas recovery) pumped into the ground seems to be decreasing the number of small fluid-triggered earthquakes.