Earth | Page 648 | Science Codex

Southwest sliding into a drier climate

BOULDER -- The weather patterns that typically bring moisture to the southwestern United States are becoming more rare, an indication that the region is sliding into the drier climate state predicted by global models, according to a new study.

"A normal year in the Southwest is now drier than it once was," said Andreas Prein, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) who led the study. "If you have a drought nowadays, it will be more severe because our base state is drier."

Scientists from MIPT gain insights into 'forbidden' chemistry

Gabriele Saleh, a research fellow at MIPT, and Prof. Artem Oganov, a Laboratory Supervisor at MIPT and Professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), have discovered what causes the stability of various compounds that are not commonly found in 'textbook' chemistry.

The reorganisation of the chemical interactions results in the stability of the 'new' structure of the compounds. The results of the study have been published in the journal Physical Chemistry & Chemical Physics.

SLAC X-ray laser turns crystal imperfections into better images of important biomolecules

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Often the most difficult step in taking atomic-resolution images of biological molecules is getting them to form high-quality crystals needed for X-ray studies of their structure. Now researchers have shown they can get sharp images even with imperfect crystals using the world's brightest X-ray source at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Study challenges widely accepted theory of Yellowstone formation

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Understanding the complex geological processes that form supervolcanoes could ultimately help geologists determine what triggers their eruptions. A new study using an advanced computer model casts doubt on previously held theories about the Yellowstone supervolcano's origins, adding to the mystery of Yellowstone's formation.

The most accurate optical single-ion clock worldwide

Atomic clock experts from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) are the first research group in the world to have built an optical single-ion clock which attains an accuracy which had only been predicted theoretically so far. As early as 1981, Hans Dehmelt, who was to be awarded a Nobel prize later, had already developed the basic notions of how to use an ion kept in a high-frequency trap to build a clock which could attain the -- then unbelievably low -- relative measure-ment uncertainty in the range of 1E-18.

More measurement precision in a short time

Researchers from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) have thoroughly analyzed the noise processes in their optical lattice clock with neutral strontium atoms. This analysis proves that their optical atomic clock has reached the best stability worldwide thanks to a newly developed laser system whose frequency is extremely stable. This allows high-precision measurements in a short time and considerably facilitates the future reduction of the total measurement uncertainty down to a few parts in 1E18.

Water plus magma = increased explosivity

Boulder, Colo., USA - When water interacts with magma, it can dramatically increase the explosivity of the eruption. However, water in the eruption cloud can also increase the rate at which the particles aggregate into larger clumps, allowing them to settle out faster. The five-week-long 2008 Okmok eruption in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska was explosive due to the interaction of the magma with the abundant water inside the caldera, producing billowing clouds that deposited most of the tephra as fine-grained ash within 10 km of the vent area.

Spin waves out of waste heat: Researchers present new findings on magnetic spin waves

This is a sketch of the thermal excitation of the magnetic sublattices, consisting of two Iron (Fe) and one Gadolinium (Gd) lattice sides: the excitation causes the emission of a magnetic spin wave, a so-called magnon, which propagates within the lattice. Credit: Ill./©: Andreas Kehlberger

source: Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz

Penguin parents: Inability to share roles increases their vulnerability to climate change

The fixed division of labour between crested penguin parents increases their chicks' vulnerability to food shortages made ever more common by climate change. The parents have been unable to adapt their habits to the challenges of increasingly frequent years of limited food supply and, as a result, will become further threatened by extinction. So says Kyle Morrison of Massey University and the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, who led a study published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

Flow phenomena on solid surfaces: Boundary layer velocity plays key role

This was demonstrated by studying the behaviour of droplets on surfaces with different coatings as they evolved into the equilibrium state. The results could prove useful in optimizing industrial processes, such as the extrusion of plastics. The study has been published in the respected academic journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

'Electronic nose' from a Russian scientist will help to diagnose diseases

The device analyzes a gas mixture using semiconductor sensors.

- Smell is determined by a combination of existing gases in the atmosphere. It is found that the conductivity of the semiconductor probe changes during sedimentation of the gas molecules from the atmosphere. This allows determining their presence - says Timur Muksunov. - During manufacture the sensor can be customized to react well to some gases, and react badly to the others.

Baby physics

If we hold a ball and then let go of it and the ball remains suspended in mid-air, even a baby a few months old will be surprised. Just like an adult, the baby expects the ball to fall to the floor. Even at such a young age humans already have some rudimentary knowledge of the behaviour of solids. Now a new study extends this knowledge to add liquids and other non-solids to the "naïve physics" of infants.

Menominee Crack is an unusual geological pop-up structure

To a geologist, a rock is not just a rock, and a big crack in the ground is not what it first seems either. One such split, north of Menominee, Michigan, in the state's Upper Peninsula, is a large crack that formed in 2010. Not known for its earthquakes, Michigan is considered aseismic, and the Menominee Crack registered the Upper Peninsula's first recorded earthquake--measured at less than magnitude 1. The feature and its causes were mysterious.

Hydrogels can put stem cells to sleep

Unlike normal cells, stem cells are pluripotent -- they can become any cell type, which makes them powerful potential treatments for diseases such as diabetes, leukemia and age-related blindness. However, maintaining this versatility until the time is right is a major challenge. This week in ACS Central Science, researchers reveal that mimicking a natural process called diapause can halt stem cells, effectively putting them to sleep for up to two weeks.

Climate change will delay transatlantic flights

IOP PUBLISHING PRESS RELEASE: This release is provided on behalf of the University of Reading.

Planes flying between Europe and North America will be spending more time in the air due to the effects of climate change, a new study has shown.

By accelerating the jet stream -- a high-altitude wind blowing from west to east across the Atlantic -- climate change will speed up eastbound flights but slow down westbound flights, the study found. The findings could have implications for airlines, passengers, and airports.