From airplane wings to overhead powerlines to the giant blades of wind turbines, a buildup of ice can cause problems ranging from impaired performance all the way to catastrophic failure. But preventing that buildup usually requires energy-intensive heating systems or chemical sprays that are environmentally harmful. Now, MIT researchers have developed a completely passive, solar-powered […]
Researchers found that in spite of heavy rains in early 2017,groundwater extraction for agriculture and human use leads to a continual sinking of land, as seen from satellites. Despite higher-than-normal amounts of rain in early 2017, the large agricultural and metropolitan communities that rely on groundwater in central California experienced only a short respite from […]
Over the past several decades, the Arctic has begun to show signs of significant ecological upheaval. The rate of warming in the Arctic is nearly twice the global average, and those changes are triggering a cascade of destabilizing environmental effects. Ice is melting, permafrost is thawing, and experts say fires in Arctic forests are as […]
The death toll from floods in the southern Indian state of Kerala has jumped to 164 and could grow further, with more rain predicted and thousands of people still awaiting rescue. Roads are damaged, mobile phone networks are down, an international airport has been closed and more than 150,000 people have been left homeless after […]
Groundwater contamination is increasingly recognized as a widespread environmental problem. The most important course of action often involves long-term monitoring. But what is the most cost-effective way to monitor when the contaminant plumes are large, complex, and long-term, or an unexpected event such as a storm could cause sudden changes in contaminant levels that may […]
Flooding caused by rain falling on snowpack could more than double by the end of this century in some areas of the western U.S. and Canada due to climate change, according to new research from CU Boulder and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The greatest flood risk increases are projected for the Sierra […]
Abandoned farmlands hold potential for the preservation of wetland and grassland birds as rehabilitation zones. Agriculture and conversion of pristine lands into urban or industrial areas have exerted immense pressure on the natural biota due to habitat destruction and fragmentation in industrialized countries around the world. But since the 1900s, farmlands have been increasingly abandoned […]
Belizean prime minister Dean Barrow’s decision to impose an indefinite moratorium marks the first time a developing country has taken such a major step to protect its oceans from oil exploration and extraction – and will help safeguard Belize’s important dive tourism sector. “The decision is hugely significant,” said Chris Gee, of charity WWF-UK, which […]
Scientists have stepped in as environmental matchmakers by breeding baby coral on the Great Barrier Reef in a move that could have worldwide significance. Coral eggs and sperm were collected from Heron Island’s reef during last November’s coral spawning to produce more than a million larvae. The larvae were returned to the wild and placed on to reef patches […]
Summer thunderstorms in North America will likely be larger, wetter and more frequent in a warmer world, dumping 80 percent more rain in some areas and worsening flooding, a new study says. Future storms will also be wilder, soaking entire cities and huge portions of states, according to a federally-funded study released Monday in the […]