Earth | Page 902 | Science Codex

Geoengineering the climate could reduce vital rains

BOULDER—Although a significant build-up in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would alter worldwide precipitation patterns, a widely discussed technological approach to reduce future global warming would also interfere with rainfall and snowfall, new research shows.

The international study, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), finds that global warming caused by a massive increase in greenhouse gases would spur a nearly 7 percent average increase in precipitation compared to preindustrial conditions.

Gaming technology unravels 1 of the most complex entities in nature

BBSRC-funded researchers at the University of Manchester's Institute of Biotechnology have used the power of off-the-shelf computer gaming technology to capture previously unobservable atomic movements. The research is helping to chart one of nature's most complex entities known as "glycomes" - the entire complement of carbohydrates within a cell.

This novel solution provides a new understanding of these vital biomolecules which play a role in everything from neuronal development, inflammation and cell structure, to disease pathology and blood clotting.

First results from LUX dark matter detector rule out some candidates

Results from the first run of the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operating a mile underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota, have proven the detector's sensitivity and ruled out some possible candidates for a dark matter particle.

Initial results from 85 days worth of accumulated data were announced today, Oct. 30 at a seminar today at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, S.D.

Improving earthquake early warning systems for California and Taiwan

SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, 2013 -- Earthquake early warning systems may provide the public with crucial seconds to prepare for severe shaking. For California, a new study suggests upgrading current technology and relocating some seismic stations would improve the warning time, particularly in areas poorly served by the existing network – south of San Francisco Bay Area to north Los Angeles and north of the San Francisco Bay Area.

A sauropod walks into a bar. 'Why the long neck?'

A new PLOS Collection featuring research on the complex evolutionary cascade theory that made the unique gigantism of sauropod dinosaurs possible launched on October 30th. This Collection features new research articles that have published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

Scientists announce first results from LUX dark matter detector

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In its first three months of operation, the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment has proven itself to be the most sensitive dark matter detector in the world, scientists with the experiment announced today.

Google street view -- tool for recording earthquake damage

SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, 2013 -- A scientist from Cologne University has used Google's online street view scans to document the damage caused by the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake and suggests that the database would be a useful tool for surveying damage caused by future earthquakes. The findings are published in the November issue of the Seismological Research Letters.

The magnitude 6.3 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in the Italian Abruzzi Mountains caused widespread damage in the city and surrounding villages.

Study: Models to predict scientists' future impact often fail

Models universities partially use to forecast scientists' future contributions are not as reliable as previously thought. In a recent study, Aalto University and IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca researchers demonstrate mathematical analysis of past performance cannot reliably determine the future performance. This means that current models dangerously overestimate the predictability and should not be used for career advancement decision process.

Cat's eyes: Designing the perfect mixer

WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct. 29, 2013 -- As any amateur baker knows, proper mixing is crucial to a perfect pastry. Mix too little and ingredients will not be evenly distributed; beat instead of fold, and a soufflé will fall flat. Mixing strategies are even more critical for industrial products, where every batch that is manufactured must meet the same exacting standards and yet, to manage costs, be created in the least amount of time.

Redwood trees reveal history of West Coast rain, fog, ocean conditions

Many people use tree ring records to see into the past. But redwoods – the iconic trees that are the world's tallest living things – have so far proven too erratic in their growth patterns to help with reconstructing historic climate.

A University of Washington researcher has developed a way to use the trees as a window into coastal conditions, using oxygen and carbon atoms in the wood to detect fog and rainfall in previous seasons.

New study suggests coral reefs may be able to adapt to moderate climate change

Coral reefs may be able to adapt to moderate climate warming, improving their chance of surviving through the end of this century, if there are large reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, according to a study funded by NOAA and researched by the agency's scientists and its academic partners. Results further suggest corals have already adapted to part of the warming that has occurred.

Physicists provide new insights into coral skeleton formation

An international team of scientists, led by physicists from the University of York, has shed important new light on coral skeleton formation.

Their investigations, carried out at the nanoscale, provide valuable new information for scientists and environmentalists working to protect and conserve coral from the threats of acidification and rising water temperatures.

As corals grow, they produce limestone – calcium carbonate - skeletons which build up over time into vast reefs. The skeleton's role is to help the living biofilm to move towards the light and nutrients.

Melting Arctic sea ice could increase summer rainfall in northwest Europe suggests new study

A new study offers an explanation for the extraordinary run of wet summers experienced by Britain and northwest Europe between 2007 and 2012. The study found that loss of Arctic sea ice shifts the jet stream further south than normal resulting in increased rain during the summer in northwest Europe.

Breakthrough in study of aluminum should yield new technological advances

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon today announced a scientific advance that has eluded researchers for more than 100 years – a platform to fully study and understand the aqueous chemistry of aluminum, one of the world's most important metals.

The findings, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, should open the door to significant advances in electronics and many other fields, ranging from manufacturing to construction, agriculture and drinking water treatment.

Researchers quantify toxic ocean conditions during major extinction 93.9 million years ago

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Oxygen in the atmosphere and ocean rose dramatically about 600 million years ago, coinciding with the first proliferation of animal life. Since then, numerous short lived biotic events — typically marked by significant climatic perturbations — took place when oxygen concentrations in the ocean dipped episodically.