Articles tagged with Water Resources
A recent review study led by UT Austin examines the planet's freshwater supplies and strategies for sustainably managing them. The study emphasizes the importance of recognizing surface water and groundwater as a single resource to ensure future water resilience.
Researchers found that young honey bees who followed dances of older bees improved their performance, reducing disordered dances and increasing orderly ones. Social signal learning refines behaviors for local conditions, suggesting it's advantageous for novice dancers to learn from experienced ones.
The Nile River Delta faces significant environmental threats from heavy metal pollution and coastal erosion, impacting 60 million people in Egypt. The study highlights the need for conservation measures to slow degradation and recover the ecosystem.
Researchers found that levee building and extracting subsurface resources are the main causes of land loss in the Mississippi River Delta, accounting for 40% each. The study suggests that reducing subsurface resource extraction may have slowed down land loss, offering a rosier outlook for restoration projects.
Researchers argue that Earth System Justice is necessary to identify and live within biophysical boundaries. The framework aims to reduce harm to people and nature while ensuring access to resources and minimizing tradeoffs.
Estuaries along the Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico are expected to experience significant increases in nutrient loading, posing risks for harmful algal blooms and ecosystem health. The study identified regions with high adaptive capacity as having more resources to mitigate these effects.
Researchers argue that polders are an important part of China's water heritage, reflecting the country's long history of water management. Over 2,500 years, polders have evolved in response to changing societal needs, adapting to agricultural modernisation and urban encroachment.
Climate change is disrupting Pakistan's natural system, making it challenging to predict future changes. A recent study found that streamflow timing in the country's four major rivers will decrease significantly, with a range of -5 to -20 days in the near future.
River temperature is a critical measure of water quality, regulating physical, chemical, and biological processes in flowing waters. Rising temperatures are linked to climate change and human activities, impacting ecosystems, human health, and industries.
A new game theory study by Professor Claudius Gros finds that unregulated competition can lead to catastrophic poverty for investors, with profits scaling as 1/N². Cooperation among investors can avoid this damage, resulting in a net profit corresponding to the number of investors.
A new study analyzed state nutrient reduction strategies and found that initial energy and inclusive planning processes were key to success. Emphasizing local water body impacts was more motivating than distant goals, and addressing scale challenges is crucial for significant results.
A new UC Riverside-led study reveals that drought-tolerant trees in urban areas use significantly more water than their natural counterparts. The research found that even 'drought-tolerant' species like eucalyptus and ficus increase their water intake when irrigated.
A team of researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and other institutions has identified a flexible and user-friendly model for predicting flood frequency in a changing environment. The fractional polynomial-based regression method is more effective than existing models, which often fail to account for factors like climate ...
Lei Fang's NSF-funded project models interactions between active matter and transport barriers to improve understanding of ocean currents and drone technologies. The study uses a laboratory flow system with tiny zooplankton, brine shrimp, to examine the effect of their movement on transport barriers.
Researchers found that rusty center pivots indicate a lack of nitrate in the groundwater they feed. In fact, most wells supplying full-rust and part-rust pivots had nitrate concentrations below the EPA's safety threshold. However, some part-rust pivots showed higher nitrate levels, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Scientists have discovered a long-sought plant water loss-regulating sensor, composed of two proteins working together to regulate stomatal movements in response to changing CO2 concentrations. This finding has significant implications for trees, crops, and wildfires, as well as efficient plant water use and CO2 uptake.
Researchers propose new structures to capture and condense water vapor from above oceans, providing fresh water for large population centers in subtropical regions. The study assesses the feasibility of this method under climate change conditions.
Researchers found that red light is more efficient for growing plants while blue light is better suited for solar energy production. This breakthrough could guide global interest in agrivoltaics and identify potential applications for those systems.
Researchers from Politecnico di Milano investigated water's role in conflicts, focusing on socio-hydrological conditions and unequal resource use. The study provides a new methodological approach to understanding natural resource conflicts, with potential applications for creating more accurate representations of socio-ecological systems.
A regime shift in the Southeast Greenland marine ecosystem has led to a permanent change from an ice-infested to a more temperate system, with large numbers of fin and humpback whales migrating to the area. This tipping point may be irreversible, having cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.
A new study finds that achieving access to minimum resources and services for all while safeguarding the Earth system requires redistribution and societal transformations. The research shows that the wealthiest individuals and societies must undergo transformative change to mitigate climate impacts, while the poor are not the primary c...
A new study reveals huge gaps in data on how communities use mountain water sources, complicating efforts to model future scenarios. The researchers emphasize the need for improved data and process understanding to guide effective climate change adaptation.
A survey by Osaka Metropolitan University found that disaster emergency wells complemented the Kumamoto city government's emergency water supply, speeding up water delivery and improving access. However, some welfare facilities did not use emergency wells despite being nearby, highlighting the importance of publicizing their locations.
A KAUST-led team creates selective anode catalysts for stable and efficient hydrogen evolution in seawater splitting. The nanoreactors exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and stability due to their unique structure, isolating the electrolysis from side reactions.
A University of Maryland study found that stakeholders agree on the need for a decentralized approach to stormwater management but diverge on responsibility. Two groups believe stormwater poses a public threat, while the third sees it as an underutilized resource that can be managed with technology.
Research identifies Colorado River flow decline as main cause of Salton Sea's shrinking, leading to increased salt and chemical concentrations. The study highlights the need for a watershed-centric approach to mitigate the environmental risks and health impacts of the Salton Sea's decline.
New research suggests that droughts in England and Scotland led to a shortage of available water power, prompting the transition from water-based steam power. The findings contradict the prevailing narrative that water resources were exhausted or became too expensive.
Researchers have identified four genes in corn and Arabidopsis that regulate root growth in response to gravity, a trait essential for drought tolerance and efficient water use. The study's approach, leveraging genomic comparisons between distantly related species, has the potential to be applied to other traits.
Researchers confirm significant increase in freshwater entering the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, leading to a decrease in saltiness and potential impacts on sea ice formation and regional ecosystems. This change could also affect climate-sensitive processes, such as deep water mixing in the North Atlantic.
Researchers developed a wireless system called Contactless Moisture Estimation (CoMEt) that estimates soil moisture in agricultural fields at multiple depths using radio signals. CoMEt can assess soil moisture without requiring in-ground sensors, making it more cost-effective and convenient for farmers.
Researchers have centralized over 300 key figures in the Human Impacts Database, providing information on global plastic production, standing livestock population, and sea level rise. The database aims to promote collective quantitative literacy of the Anthropocene.
Researchers at ORNL developed a theory that thylakoids help plants tolerate harsh conditions, while a digital platform informs on hydropower development. AI-powered neutron scattering can also accelerate experiments, and e-waste recycling is being explored.
A recent study found that the desert climate has extended 60 miles northward in Central Asia since the 1980s due to rising temperatures and dwindling precipitation. The region's high-altitude areas have seen an increase in precipitation, but this is largely in the form of rain rather than snow.
A new climate change study finds that water resources will become more variable and unpredictable due to declining snowpack, resulting in less reliable runoff and streamflow. This decline will have cascading impacts on ecosystems that rely on snow-based water resources, including drying out soils and increasing fire risk.
Researchers created a dataset quantifying trends of evaporative water loss from 1.4 million global lakes and artificial reservoirs, revealing a 15.4% increase in long-term lake evaporation volume. This finding highlights the importance of accurate information for water management decision-makers in addressing climate change impacts.
A new approach to developing flood maps uses confidence intervals to capture the uncertainty in flood predictions, providing a more realistic depiction of flood zones. This simplified method is more accessible and cost-effective than traditional methods, producing acceptable results with less effort and lower costs.
Researchers found that shallow lakes are linked to fertile plains, high anthropogenic disturbances, and strong water-sediment interactions, making them susceptible to eutrophication. Lake depth also predicts external nutrient load and sensitivity to human disturbance, with shallower lakes being more sensitive.
Researchers found an association between estimated groundwater arsenic concentration and risk of low birth weight, suggesting efforts to reduce arsenic in private wells could help more babies be born at healthy weights. The study used machine learning algorithms to estimate arsenic levels in nearly all US counties.
USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers introduce platinum as a non-toxic catalyst to transform toxic aldehydes into harmless carboxylic acids in wastewater. The breakthrough enables the production of clean and reusable water, addressing growing concerns about water shortages and regulatory requirements.
Researchers found that wetter pre-growing seasons reduced soil nitrogen through leaching, but applying more fertilizer can mitigate this effect. The model also showed that cold pre-growing season temperatures limited early growth in ways that affected yield potential, making extra fertilizer less effective.
Research reveals Paradise, California's water contained VOCs at levels exceeding EPA standards due to degraded plastic pipes near or above ground. To protect communities, experts recommend burying service lines deeper, using isolation valves, and monitoring temperature thresholds.
A new study reveals that the Asian Water Tower's frozen assets are melting away, with more liquid water in northern endorheic basins and less in southern exorheic basins. This imbalance is expected to pose a challenge to water supply-demand balancing in downstream regions.
A new mathematical model has been developed to reproduce the experimental results of topological change in a partially miscible VF pattern. The researchers successfully incorporated phase separation effects and the Korteweg force into the classical miscible VF model.
Wealthy individuals are more likely to purchase unsustainable products with higher price tags, feeling entitled to the benefits despite environmental costs. However, when encouraged to think about equality, this effect is diminished.
New study finds tree branches move downward up to 20 cm at night as leaves and branches replenish water storage. This phenomenon has practical applications, including monitoring plant water status in greenhouses to automate watering regimes.
A major new study is investigating the effects of beavers on the Arctic landscape, other animals, and local Indigenous communities. The project aims to understand the complex interlinkages between ecological and sociological changes as beaver numbers increase.
Researchers monitored mercury levels in artificial lakes to identify sources and factors affecting concentration. Most mercury originated from soil in catchment areas, with surface runoff contributing in shorter-residence time reservoirs.
The BlueSwell Incubator program provides $50,000 in funding and access to industry leaders to support startups focused on ocean sustainability solutions. Seven startups have graduated from the previous cohorts, collectively raising over $9.6 million dollars since joining the incubator.
A new study provides a framework for predicting snowpack runoff and its impact on flood risk during rain-on-snow events. By leveraging hourly data from existing snow monitoring stations, researchers have created a decision support tool that can help water managers prepare for potential flooding.
The study found that stream gauges are disproportionately located in large rivers and human-occupied watersheds, but sparsely distributed in protected areas and non-perennial rivers. This is critical information for freshwater conservation and water security concerns.
Researchers have developed an eco-friendly and reusable solution for removing toxic synthetic dyes from wastewater using nanocomposite-based hydrogels. The new material, made from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and graphene oxide, demonstrates high adsorption capacities and retains its effectiveness even after multiple cycles of use.
Researchers at McGill University argue that urban runoff toxicity is a growing concern due to increasing urbanization, impacting surface water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Sustainable strategies such as retention ponds and settling tanks can be implemented to control pollutant release and mitigate ecological impacts.
The University of Alabama has been awarded $360 million to lead a national water effort, transforming its research into operations that improve the nation's ability to predict water-related hazards. The award will be administered by the Alabama Water Institute and establishes the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydr...
A research group studied China's water conservation regulations in the northern drylands and found they drove industrial transformation, reducing negative environmental impacts. Adaptive strategies were developed for 12 cities to integrate their development pathways and promote holistic sustainable development through cooperation.
A new study suggests that relocating farmland could reduce global carbon emissions by 71% and increase biodiversity by 87%. The researchers mapped out optimal locations for major food crops, recommending areas in the US Midwest and sub-Saharan Africa to maximize yield and minimize environmental impact.
The Bureau of Reclamation is providing $5.6 million in funding to 15 projects focused on improving desalination and water purification technologies. These advancements aim to expand access to otherwise unusable water resources, addressing the climate crisis and meeting Western communities' needs for a new source of water.
The Bureau of Reclamation released a new report evaluating current and emerging snow measurement technologies to enhance water supply forecasting. The report identifies under-utilized emerging technologies with potential to improve forecast accuracy in the near term.
Higher elevation mountain forests are using more water on average during droughts, reducing water availability downstream for cities and wildlife. Researchers found that these forests tend to be located above 3,280 feet and have increased water use due to rising temperatures and changes in tree species composition.
Research by Oregon State University scientists has found that tiny tire particles inhibit growth and cause adverse behavioral changes in organisms in freshwater and coastal estuary ecosystems. The findings suggest that even at current environmental levels of tire-related pollution, aquatic ecosystems may be experiencing negative impacts.
According to a new EPFL study, Swiss rivers are at risk of overheating by the end of the century. If greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, river temperatures may only rise by 1°C and discharge decreases by 5% in mountain catchments. Inaction could lead to extreme consequences, including glacier loss and decreased biodiversity.