article thumbnail

Humans Have Increased Atmospheric Mercury Sevenfold, Study Finds

Yale E360

Humans have raised the level of mercury in the atmosphere sevenfold, largely by burning coal, a new study finds. Read more on E360 →

article thumbnail

The Upper Atmosphere Is Cooling, Prompting New Climate Concerns

Yale E360

A new study reaffirming that global climate change is human-made also found the upper atmosphere is cooling dramatically because of rising CO2 levels. Scientists are worried about the effect this cooling could have on orbiting satellites, the ozone layer, and Earth’s weather. Read more on E360 →

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

HotSpots H2O: Unusually Powerful ‘Atmospheric River’ Pummels British Columbia and Pacific Northwest

Circle of Blue

The rains were the result of a weather phenomenon known as an “atmospheric river,” a narrow column that transports water vapor from the tropics to the poles. Atmospheric rivers are projected to intensify as the climate continues to warm. Atmospheric rivers are not uncommon in the region.

article thumbnail

Atmospheric helium levels are on the rise

Physics World

Levels of helium-4 in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing since at least 1974, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, US that resolves a longstanding anomaly in atmospheric science. When the gas is extracted and burned, the helium is released into the atmosphere.

article thumbnail

The Lego-like way to get CO2 out of the atmosphere

Environmental News Bits

For decades, scientists have tried to figure out ways to reverse climate change by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and storing it underground.

article thumbnail

Cold atmospheric plasma eradicates residual cancer cells

Physics World

Cleaning up cancer cells: Richard Wirz and colleagues are developing a portable cold atmospheric plasma device for postsurgical cancer treatment. Cold atmospheric plasma could provide an alternative anti-cancer tool and is under investigation as a potential postsurgical treatment. Courtesy: Richard Wirz).

article thumbnail

Inferno-like exoplanet has ionized calcium in its atmosphere

Physics World

Signatures of ionized calcium in the upper atmosphere of an ultra-hot, Jupiter-like exoplanet have been found by international team of astronomers led by Emily Deibert at the University of Toronto. days and this stellar transit is visible from Earth, making WASP-76b an ideal candidate for atmospheric analysis.