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NASA sees Hurricane Orlene at peak intensity

Hurricane Orlene reached peak strength as the Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead.

On Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. EDT Orlene's maximum sustained winds reached 110 mph (175 kph) and became a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Orlene on Sept. 12 at 4:40 p.m. EDT (20:40 UTC). The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the storm that showed the storm at its peak intensity with an eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms.

Proton diffusion discovery a boost for fuel cell technologies

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have made an important breakthrough which could lead to the design of better fuel cell materials.

In a paper published in 'Nature Communications', they demonstrate how they synthesised nanometre-sized cage molecules that can be used to transport charge in proton exchange membrane (PEM) applications.

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered to be a promising technology for clean and efficient power generation in the twenty-first century.

NASA sees Tropical Depression Rai over Thailand, Vietnam, Laos

After Tropical Depression 19W moved ashore in central Vietnam NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the system and found some powerful thunderstorms over Thailand, Vietnam and Laos capable of dropping heavy rainfall.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP finds powerful storms in Tropical Storm Malakas

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite measured cloud top temperatures as it passed over Tropical Storm Malakas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and found strong storms.

On Sept. 13 at 0328 UTC (Sept. 12 at 11:28 p.m. EDT) NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Malakas and measured cloud-top temperatures. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an infrared image of the storm that revealed the location of coldest cloud top temperatures and strongest storms.

Land-based food not nutritionally sufficient for wild polar bears, according to new study

A study, by San Diego Zoo Global conservationists, released this week (Sept. 12, 2016) is shedding new light on how scientists evaluate polar bear diet and weight loss during their fasting season. On average, a polar bear loses up to 30 percent of its total body mass while fasting during the open-water season.

Rare Roman gold coin found in Jerusalem at Mt. Zion archaeological dig

The discovery of a rare gold coin bearing the image of the Roman Emperor Nero at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's archaeological excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, has just been announced by the archaeologists in charge of the project, Drs. Shimon Gibson, James Tabor, and Rafael Lewis.

"The coin is exceptional," said Gibson, "because this is the first time that a coin of this kind has turned up in Jerusalem in a scientific dig. Coins of this type are usually only found in private collections, where we don't have clear evidence as to place of origin."

Westerly winds have blown across central Asia for at least 42 million years

The gusting westerly winds that dominate the climate in central Asia, setting the pattern of dryness and location of central Asian deserts, have blown mostly unchanged for 42 million years.A University of Washington geologist led a team that has discovered a surprising resilience to one of the world's dominant weather systems. The finding could help long-term climate forecasts, since it suggests these winds are likely to persist through radical climate shifts.

Metal in chains

If one looked deep into three different solids using a super-microscope, one would, in principle, always see the same thing: atomic nuclei arranged in a crystal lattice and electrons, of which some orbit the atomic nuclei and others criss-cross the entire crystal lattice. Nevertheless, those three materials might behave very differently when an electric voltage is applied to them.

Magma build-up at Japanese volcano poses threat to 'Naples of the Eastern World'

One of Japan's most active volcanoes could be close to a major eruption, threatening the safety of hundreds and thousands of residents of a nearby city, a new study has shown.

A team of experts, including Dr James Hickey from the University of Exeter, developed pioneering techniques to map the natural 'plumbing system' of Sakurajima volcano, on the south-west tip of the East Asian country, to discover a substantial growing magma reserve.

On-surface chemistry leads to novel products

On-surface chemical reactions can lead to novel chemical compounds not yet synthesized by solution chemistry. The first-step, second-step, and third-step products can be analyzed in detail using a high-resolution atomic force microscope, as demonstrated in Nature Communications by scientists from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at Basel University and their colleagues from Japan and Finland.

The significance of seaweed

Our understanding of the global carbon cycle has been reshaped by KAUST researchers who have helped to reveal a major role for the abundance of seaweed growing around the world's coasts.

Some years ago, Carlos Duarte, now director of the Red Sea Research Center at KAUST, was among the first scientists to establish that marine vegetation plays a major role in the movement of carbon through the environment and all living organisms. The dominant players in the waters of coastal zones are macroalgae - more commonly known as seaweeds, such as kelp and sargassum.

Scientists move step closer to solving fusion plasma dilemma

A team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST claims to have made yet another step towards finding a solution to one of the critical but unsolved fusion plasma physics problems, which is to mitigate or suppress the potentially harmful plasma edge instabilities, so-called the Edge Localised Modes (ELMs).

Fractional calculus: A new language for explaining crowd behavior

From a very young age, we're warned against shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. The possibility of inciting mass panic presents an obvious moral problem. But for researchers, the situation also presents an interesting mathematical problem: How do large crowds of people behave in emergency situations? While many have turned to classical physics and calculus for the answer, a recent study shows that a branch of mathematics called fractional calculus may offer a more realistic picture of crowd dynamics.

New laser provides ultra-precise tool for scientists probing the secrets of the universe

WASHINGTON -- Researchers have developed a new laser that makes it possible to measure electron transition energies in small atoms and molecules with unprecedented precision. The instrument will help scientists test one of the bedrock theories of modern physics to new limits, and may help resolve an unexplained discrepancy in measurements of the size of the proton.

The team will present their work during the Frontiers in Optics (FiO) / Laser Science (LS) conference in Rochester, New York, USA on 17-21 October 2016.

NASA follows Hurricane Orlene in the Eastern Pacific

The sixteenth tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific Ocean Hurricane Season formed on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11 p.m. EDT and became a hurricane named Orlene early on Sept. 12. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of the strengthening storm.

At 5:00 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC) on Sept. 11, 2016, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Orlene when it was a strong tropical storm. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the satellite captured a visible image of the storm.