Environmental Science Archives - Page 2 of 20 - Scitke

Tokamak Fusion Reactor Converts Mercury into Gold as Fusion Byproduct

A centuries-old alchemical fantasy may be edging toward reality, as Marathon Fusion claims its tokamak fusion reactor can transform ordinary mercury into gold during the fusion process — and in quantities that would leave even Auric Goldfinger astonished. The Philosopher’s Stone and Ancient Ambitions For millennia, alchemists dreamt of crafting the elusive Philosopher’s Stone — […]

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Ocean Shipping Reveals an Unexpected Methane Emission Issue

Methane is a major environmental concern—it ranks as the second most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and is roughly 28 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere. While it’s commonly linked to coal production and livestock digestion, unexpected sources such as cow burps—and now, as Swedish researchers have discovered, ships traveling through

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Ion Clock Achieves Unmatched Precision, Surpassing the Lifespan of the Universe

Environmental Science, Science / Samilton Santos

If you’re the kind of person who needs your watch to be perfectly in sync down to the second, you’ll be thrilled to know that scientists have developed an atomic clock with record-breaking precision—accurate to within 5.5 x 10⁻¹⁹, meaning it would gain or lose just one second over a span of 57.6 billion years.

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China’s Air Quality Improvements May Be Driving a Surge in Global Warming

Earth Science, Environmental Science / Samilton Santos

Since around 2010, the pace of global warming has accelerated, contributing to a succession of record-breaking warm years. The exact cause of this rapid increase remains one of the major unsolved questions in climate science. East Asia’s Pollution Reductions as a Key Driver A recent study suggests that significant reductions in air pollution — especially

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Air Pollution Cuts in East Asia May Have Sped Up Global Warming

Climatology, Earth Science, Environmental Science / Jorge Paka

A new study published Monday (July 14) in Communications Earth and Environment reveals that efforts to reduce air pollution in East Asia have contributed to a faster pace of global warming. Global warming—primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions—has been accelerating over the past 15 years, causing record-high surface temperatures. During this same period, East Asian

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Researchers Flag 4,200 Harmful Plastic Chemicals, Urge Safer Alternatives

Earth Science, Environmental Science / Jorge Paka

Nations are in the process of negotiating a global agreement aimed at ending plastic pollution and improving the safety and sustainability of plastics. A key concern in these talks is the presence of chemicals in plastics—ranging from food wrappers to car tires—that can seep into food, household environments, and ecosystems. Many of these plastic-related chemicals

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Climate Change’s Earliest Detectable Sign Emerged 130 Years Ago

Climatology, Earth Science, Environmental Science / Jorge Paka

Had 19th-century scientists possessed today’s advanced atmospheric tools, they might have detected the earliest signs of climate change caused by human activity—specifically, the burning of coal and wood. Scientists Suggest Climate Change Could Have Been Detected as Early as 1885 In a recent thought experiment, a group of Earth and atmospheric scientists concluded that, with

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The Atmosphere’s Growing Thirst: A Key but Overlooked Factor in Intensifying Droughts

Earth Science, Environmental Science, Science / Samilton Santos

Droughts are becoming increasingly intense and widespread around the world—but declining rainfall isn’t the only reason. A lesser-known culprit is the atmosphere’s growing demand for water. In a recent Nature study, my colleagues and I found that this increased “atmospheric thirst”—technically known as atmospheric evaporative demand (AED)—has driven around 40% of the worsening drought conditions

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Famous ‘Gateway to Hell’ Fire May Be Coming to an End After 50 Years

Earth Science, Environmental Science / Samilton Santos

Turkmenistan announced on Thursday that it has significantly reduced the fire that has been burning for five decades at a site known as the “Gateway to Hell.” Origin of the ‘Gateway to Hell’ The flames have been burning continuously since 1971 in the Karakum Desert, after Soviet scientists accidentally drilled into an underground gas pocket.

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A Huge Saharan Dust Plume Is Headed Toward the United States

Climatology, Earth Science, Environmental Science / Jorge Paka

Dust from the Sahara Desert is set to drift over the southeastern United States this week, part of an annual weather phenomenon that doesn’t always make it as far as North America. Saharan Air Layer Sends Thick Dust Plumes Across Atlantic Each Summer, Driven by Tropical Winds and Moist Ocean Air The dust originates from

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