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Improved prediction of Indian Monsoon onset three months in advance using machine learning

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The onset of the Indian summer monsoon has been predicted three months ahead for the last 40 years with the highest precision up until today.

The result indicates longer seasonal forecasts based on machine learning may be a way to mitigate the consequences of an erratic monsoon system under future global warming.

Dr. Takahito Mitsui and Dr. Niklas Boers of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK Potsdam), Germany, published the results in Environmental Research Letters. The work is part of the European TiPES project, Coordinated from The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and PIK Potsdam. [Read more…] about Improved prediction of Indian Monsoon onset three months in advance using machine learning

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    Global warming already responsible for one in three heat-related deathsBetween 1991 and 2018, more than a third of all deaths in which heat played a role were attributable to human-induced global warming, according to a new article in Nature Climate Change. The study, the largest of its kind, was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine…
    Tags: climate, warming, global, news
  • Will global warming bring a change in the winds? Dust from the deep sea provides a clue
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    Will global warming bring a change in the winds? Dust from the deep sea provides a clueThe westerlies – or westerly winds – play an important role in weather and climate both locally and on a global scale, by influencing precipitation patterns, impacting ocean circulation and steering tropical cyclones. So, finding a way to assess how they will change as the climate warms is crucial. Typically,…
    Tags: will, warming, climate, global, news, environment

Transformation of controller software to ensure safe behavior under perceptual uncertainty

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A research team consisting of Tsutomu Kobayashi, Ichiro Hasuo, Fuyuki Ishikawa, and Shinya Katsumata at the National Institute of Informatics (NII, Japan) and Rick Salay and Krzysztof Czarnecki at University of Waterloo (Canada) developed a method that automatically transforms models of controller software into models that satisfy safety requirements even when there is uncertainty in sensing the state of the environment.

In addition to the transformation, the method generates formulas that represent the degree of uncertainty that the controller software can tolerate. The method can be applied to various controller systems that interact with the external environment, including autonomous vehicles.

This research was conducted under the ERATO MMSD Project (*1) funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST, Japan). The findings were presented at the 13th NASA Formal Methods Symposium (online) on May 26th, 2021. [Read more…] about Transformation of controller software to ensure safe behavior under perceptual uncertainty

The main reason for the worldwide heatwaves, wildfires and floods

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Now, this is not a scientifically researched theory – it’s not even a complete enough thought to be classed as a theory. Perhaps you could call it just a whim or musing, but it’s uncomfortably hot in here and I feel the need to vent somewhat. 

Think of me as a mad citizen scientist who mostly talks rubbish, or speculatively, if you want to be kind, but there might be something in what I’m saying that’s worth looking into.

What I would like to rage about right now is dams. Yes, those magnificent constructions that stop the flow of gigantic rivers in order to harness Mother Nature’s awesome power and convert it to usable energy for lightbulbs and other creature comforts of modern towns and cities. [Read more…] about The main reason for the worldwide heatwaves, wildfires and floods

Turning plastic into foam to combat pollution

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Biodegradable plastics are supposed to be good for the environment. But because they are specifically made to degrade quickly, they cannot be recycled.

In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have developed a method to turn biodegradable plastic knives, spoons, and forks into a foam that can be used as insulation in walls or in flotation devices.

The investigators placed the cutlery, which was previously thought to be “nonfoamable” plastic, into a chamber filled with carbon dioxide. As pressure increased, the gas dissolved into the plastic. [Read more…] about Turning plastic into foam to combat pollution

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  • New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exports
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    New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exportsGovernments at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the Basel Convention acted to restrict rampant plastic waste exports by requiring countries to obtain prior informed consent before exporting contaminated or mixed plastic waste. A deluge of plastic waste exports from developed countries has polluted developing countries in Southeast…
    Tags: plastic, plastics, features, environment

How humans brought change to a tropical paradise

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After centuries of human impact on the world’s ecosystems, a new study from Flinders University details an example of how a common native bee species has flourished since the very first land clearances by humans on Fiji.

In a new paper in Molecular Ecology (DOI: 10.1111/mec.16034), research led by Flinders University explores a link between the expansion of Homalictus fijiensis, a common bee in the lowlands of Fiji, which has increased its spread on the main island Viti Levu alongside advancing land clearance and the introduction of new plants and weeds to the environment.

“Earlier research connected the relatively recent population expansion to warming climates, but our study reveals an interesting and positive response from an endemic species to human modifications to the landscape which commenced about 1000BC,” says lead author, Flinders University researcher James Dorey. [Read more…] about How humans brought change to a tropical paradise

Coral offspring physiology impacted by parental exposure to intense environmental stresses

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Adult corals that survive high-intensity environmental stresses, such as bleaching events, can produce offspring that are better suited to survive in new environments.

These results from a series of experiments conducted at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in 2017 and 2018 are deepening scientists’ understanding of how the gradual increase of sea surface temperatures and other environmental disturbances may influence future coral generations.

Researchers on the project included BIOS marine ecologists Samantha de Putron and Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley (now with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute), ecophysiologist Hollie Putnam at the University of Rhode Island (URI), and Kevin Wong, then a first-year doctoral student at URI. [Read more…] about Coral offspring physiology impacted by parental exposure to intense environmental stresses

Artificial intelligence breakthrough gives longer advance warning of ozone issues

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Ozone levels in the earth’s troposphere (the lowest level of our atmosphere) can now be forecasted with accuracy up to two weeks in advance, a remarkable improvement over current systems that can accurately predict ozone levels only three days ahead.

The new artificial intelligence system developed in the University of Houston’s Air Quality Forecasting and Modeling Lab could lead to improved ways to control high ozone problems and even contribute to solutions for climate change issues.

“This was very challenging. Nobody had done this previously. I believe we are the first to try to forecast surface ozone levels two weeks in advance,” said Yunsoo Choi, professor of atmospheric chemistry and AI deep learning at UH’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The findings are published online in the scientific journal, Scientific Reports-Nature. [Read more…] about Artificial intelligence breakthrough gives longer advance warning of ozone issues

Cities ‘must become car-free to survive’

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Cities must become fully car-free in order to be liveable in the future, according to the UCL experts behind a new modelling report looking at urban car use.

The experts have called for a shift in collective behaviour to reduce the number of private cars in cities. Globally, the number of cars produced is increasing faster than the population; 80m cars were produced in 2019, while the population increased by 78m.

The researchers said future city planning must include a focus on reducing dependence on cars, promoting fewer and shorter trips and encouraging walking and cycling as primary modes of local transport. [Read more…] about Cities ‘must become car-free to survive’

Separating natural and man-made pollutants in the air

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COVID-19 has changed the world in unimaginable ways. Some have even been positive, with new vaccines developed in record time. Even the extraordinary lockdowns, which have had severe effects on movement and commerce, have had beneficial effects on the environment and therefore, ironically, on health.

Studies from all around the world, including China, Europe and India, have found major drops in the level of air pollution. However, to fully understand the impact of anthropogenic causes, it is important to separate them from natural events in the atmosphere like wind flow.

To demonstrate this point, a new study by researchers at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Japan, uses satellite data and mathematical modeling to explain just how great the lockdown effect on nitrogen oxides has been in Delhi, India, one of the world’s most polluted cities, and its surrounding area. This study was carried out under the activity named “Mission DELHIS (Detection of Emission Change of air pollutants: Human Impact Studies)” as a part of RIHN project, Aakash (meaning “Sky” in Hindi, originated from Sanskrit). [Read more…] about Separating natural and man-made pollutants in the air

Data from community science is underutilized. New study aims to change that

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In recent years, community science – also known as citizen science – has become a global phenomenon, engaging millions of people through wildlife observation platforms like iNaturalist and contributing unparalleled amounts of data on the natural world.

Despite this, however, community science data remains widely underutilized by the scientific community due to its perception as being less reliable than expert-collected data.

In a paper published last week in Oikos, California Academy of Sciences researchers – with support from the California Ocean Protection Council – present a new framework for how community-generated data can be effectively used to monitor and protect our planet’s biodiversity. [Read more…] about Data from community science is underutilized. New study aims to change that

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  • Fossil trees on Peru's Central Andean Plateau tell a tale of dramatic environmental change
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    Fossil trees on Peru's Central Andean Plateau tell a tale of dramatic environmental changeOn an expedition to the Central Andean Plateau, researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and colleagues were astounded to find a huge fossil-tree buried in the cold, grassy plain. The plant fossil record from this high-altitude site in southern Peru contains dramatic reminders that the environment in the…
    Tags: science, researchers, data, environment, change