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Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment
Younger, smaller trees that comprise much of North America’s eastern forests have increased their seed production under climate change, but older, larger trees that dominate forests in much of the West have been less responsive, a new Duke University-led study finds.
Researchers have developed a new sensor that could allow practical and low-cost detection of low concentrations of methane gas.
Atmospheric air pollution kills more than 10,000 people every day. The biggest threat to human health has been assumed to be the mass accumulation of atmospheric particles with diameter smaller 2.5 µm: the higher the mass and loss of visibility, the bigger the threat.
The researchers of the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) at the University of Helsinki together with collaborators in China discovered that if we want to solve the accumulation of the biggest particles, we need to start with the smallest.
Until recent studies, very little attention had been given to the ultrafine particles, smaller than 100 nm in diameter, since their weight and surface area are comparably negligible. It has been controversial whether these particles can grow to relevant sizes where they can affect visibility and human health.
“We found that the smallest particles matter the most”, says Academician Markku Kulmala from the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR).
Read more at: University of Helsinki
Researchers followed the growth and chemical composition of the freshly formed particles until those reached sizes where they contribute to mass accumulation. (Photo Credit: Lubna Dada)
Glaciers in West Antarctica are moving more quickly from land into the ocean, contributing to rising global sea levels.
Warming temperatures will potentially alter the climate in Alaska so profoundly later this century that the number of thunderstorms will triple, increasing the risks of widespread flash flooding, landslides, and lightning-induced wildfires, new research finds.
More U.S. adults reported receiving or planning to receive an influenza vaccination during the 2020-2021 flu season than ever before, according to findings from a December 2020 national survey.
