Articles tagged with Ice
Researchers have pushed the limit of when water will freeze to -44 C by using soft interfaces like gels or lipids. This discovery has significant implications for climate prediction, cloud conditions, cryopreservation of organs, and technologies exposed to icing conditions.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have successfully engineered microbes to produce novel chemicals and developed a new technique for studying enzyme reactions in real-time. This breakthrough could lead to the production of sustainable fuels, pharmaceuticals, and renewable plastics.
Lakes in the Northern Hemisphere are warming at an alarming rate, with some losing up to two months of ice cover since records began. The study, led by York University, found that lakes are losing on average 17 days of ice cover per century.
Researchers have created superionic ice phases XVIII and XX by subjecting water to record-breaking pressures and temperatures. The study provides insights into the formation of these conductive forms of ice and their potential role in explaining the mysterious magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune.
Researchers discovered that ice needles growing on frozen ground can push up rocks into regular patterns through a combination of experiments and computer modeling. Over time, stones cluster together, leaving bare patches stone-free, as the size of the stones, soil moisture, and ice needle growth interact.
Researchers at UCI and NASA JPL found that a thinning of the ice melange, a slushy concoction of windblown snow, iceberg debris, and frozen seawater, is a major driver of ice shelf collapse. The study revealed that melange thinning can lead to rapid retreat of Antarctica's ice shelves.
Researchers have successfully replicated the 'Zen stone' phenomenon, where stones are naturally placed atop pedestals of ice, shedding light on sublimation's influence. This process, which changes solid to gaseous form without a liquid intermediary, is revealed to shape natural structures in unique ways.
A team of researchers from Virginia Tech has created a novel de-icing method that exploits the growth of frost on pillar structures to suspend ice as it forms. By trapping air pockets under forming ice, the approach reduces adhesion, making it easier to remove ice from aircraft surfaces.
A new app under development uses AI to identify various kinds of sea ice in the Arctic, helping ship captains navigate icy waters and researchers better understand climate change. The app's accuracy improves with each user-submitted photo, making it a valuable tool for remote sensing of ice.
Scientists at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are working on developing biobased peptides to restrict ice crystal growth in freezing temperatures. Successful methods could improve frozen food quality, increase crop resistance to freezing temperatures, and enhance biomedical research.
A team of researchers from the University of Warwick has discovered that even short chains of poly(vinyl alcohol) bind to ice and inhibit recrystallization. This finding sheds new light on the fundamental principles of ice recrystallization, enabling the design of more effective cryoprotectants.
Researchers developed ice recrystallization inhibitors to halt ice growth in frozen samples, improving cell recovery and function. The technology prevents cellular damage caused by ice crystals, allowing for more efficient storage and transport of biological materials.
Scientists from CNRS and Melnikov Permafrost Institute conduct cold room simulation to demonstrate permafrost's role in soil collapse. Heterogeneous frozen soils with vertical ice wedges undergo major deformation during thawing, accelerating subsidence and greenhouse gas release.
Researchers have assessed the diversity of freshwater molluscs in the Circumpolar region, finding 104 species. They attribute their ability to survive in the Arctic to biological traits such as hermaphroditism and air travel.
Scientists have found that hydrate protons on the ice surface are generated through autoionization of water molecules, leading to a significant enhancement in proton activity. This discovery has implications for understanding various phenomena such as charge generation and ozone layer destruction.
Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism of ice growth in two dimensions, shedding light on the atomic structure of low-dimensional water. This finding may lead to the development of new materials for efficient ice removal, particularly for wind turbines and other applications.
Scientists have discovered that the unique tiger stripes on Enceladus are caused by tidal forces from Saturn's gravity, which release pressure and prevent the cracks from freezing shut. This allows water to erupt from the fissures, creating a regular spacing pattern.
Researchers found that the transition between ice and water breaks down at the nanoscale, with clusters oscillating between solid and liquid states. The study provides new insights into the conditions necessary for ice formation and has implications for understanding climate regulation and life viability.
Researchers found that even the tallest ice cliffs will support their own weight rather than collapsing catastrophically, with slower ice shelf removal leading to slow sloughing away. This challenges previous predictions of rapid sea-level rise from Antarctica.
A CU Boulder-led study finds that thick ice slabs in Greenland are sending meltwater spilling into the ocean, contributing to sea-level rise. The runoff zone could expand by the size of Colorado or Texas under different climate scenarios, raising seas by an extra quarter inch to nearly three inches.
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the deep Earth's interior, determining the phase boundary for the transportation of water. The new phase H MgSiO4H2 has been identified and its decomposition process explained, shedding light on the complex geodynamics at play.
Scientists create dynamic phases of matter by nudging quantum materials to jump between two states, allowing for new window into materials research. The discovery could lead to breakthroughs in quantum technologies and communication systems.
Researchers report the discovery of a methane hydrate phase in which water molecules surround and trap methane, remaining stable at pressures up to 150 gigapascals. This phase is similar to those found in the mantles of Uranus and Neptune.
Virginia Tech researchers uncovered how soap films and bubbles freeze, revealing a previously unknown phenomenon called Marangoni Flow. The study found that temperature gradients cause the flow of ice crystals within the bubble, hastening its complete freezing.
Scientists have discovered a unique biomolecule that can alter the structure of water and prevent ice crystals from forming. This antifreeze characteristic could be used to develop synthetic versions for de-icing airplanes, preserving organs, and preventing freezer burn on ice cream.
Researchers discovered thousands of tiny 'ice quakes' on the McMurdo Ice Shelf that appear to be caused by pools of partially melted ice expanding and freezing at night. This phenomenon may help track glacier melting and explain the breakup of large ice shelves.
The MOSAiC project aims to improve climate prediction models by studying the marginal ice zone and seasonal ice floes. Researchers will investigate how winter ice deforms and melts in the summer, with Dr. Phil Hwang tracking ice movement using specially-designed buoys.
Scientists have discovered an ice-binding protein that attaches to both basal and prism faces of ice crystals, affecting their growth and defying conventional classification. This finding could lead to a broader application of antifreeze proteins in food and medical industries.
Researchers at the University of Utah and University of California, San Diego discovered how antifreeze proteins function, providing a direction for future research. The study found that AFPs prevent water from freezing by surrounding and binding to small ice crystals, preventing their spread.
Researchers found that adding cellulose fibers extracted from banana plant waste to ice cream can slow melting, increase shelf life, and potentially replace fats used in the treat. The addition of these fibers also improves the creaminess and texture of low-fat ice cream.
Researchers at Arizona State University have observed a previously unseen property of water, where it changes from one liquid to another under super-cooling and specific conditions. This phenomenon, known as a liquid-liquid phase transition, was only seen in computer simulations until now.
Scientists from Carnegie Institution for Science have observed evidence of the long-theorized, difficult-to-see low-density liquid phase of water. The team used a rapid-decompression technique to create this phase, which only lasted for half a second at extremely cold temperatures.
Researchers developed a new model to characterize ice accumulation on aircraft wings, including mixed ice forms and their effects on adhesion characteristics. The study aims to improve understanding of thermally active nanocoatings to combat ice formation.
Scientists have found that water droplets in clouds can turn to ice more rapidly than previously predicted, with a disordered ice structure forming under certain cloud conditions. This discovery reconciles theoretical models of clouds with observations of freezing rates, helping cloud modelers understand better their observational data.
Researchers found that water with different isotopes exhibits complex dynamic properties when in contact with liquid water. The team's findings have significant implications for understanding ice crystallization and its applications in various industries, including agriculture and food preservation.
Researchers analyzed how water molecules interact with one another in three types of ice, finding that interactions depend strongly on molecule orientation and ice structure. Insights from this analysis will help understand liquid water and its behavior surrounding biomolecules.
A team from Okayama University in Japan has discovered a new family of ice phases called aeroices, which have the lowest density of all known ice crystals. These ices can be more stable than zeolitic ice at certain thermodynamic conditions under negative pressure.
Researchers develop iron-based synthetic antifreeze mimicking natural Antifreeze Proteins (AFPs), which can slow ice crystal growth, making airplane wings safer, ice cream smoother and human tissue for transplantation more stable.
Researchers at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences have captured the freezing of water into a strange, dense form called ice VII, which can be found naturally in otherworldly environments. This discovery could reveal how water and other substances undergo transitions from liquids to solids.
Researchers at Ohio State University have created ice crystals with near-perfect cubic arrangement of water molecules, a form of ice that may exist in high-altitude clouds. The ability to study cubic ice in the lab could improve computer models of climate change and enhance our understanding of water.
Researchers at Stockholm University have found that water can exist as two different liquids at low temperatures, with large differences in structure and density. The discovery was made possible through experimental studies using X-rays, which revealed the existence of these two liquid phases.
A new study found that ultra-pure water forms ice crystals most efficiently in wedge-shaped surfaces with 45-degree or 70-degree angles. This discovery could impact transportation safety and the production of frozen food.
A team of researchers has made a breakthrough in understanding the structure of ice XV, revealing new insights into its formation from ice VI. Their work uses neutron diffraction and computer simulations to shed light on the hydrogen ordering phase transition.
Researchers at MIT discovered that water can freeze solid even at high temperatures in carbon nanotubes, raising the freezing point by tens of degrees. This unexpected finding may lead to new applications such as ice-filled wires with unique electrical and thermal properties.
Researchers use advanced microscope to observe thin water layers on ice, discovering they don't homogeneously wet the surface. This contradicts conventional wisdom and suggests a metastable transient state formed through vapor growth and sublimation.
Scientists develop glucose-based molecules to reduce ice formation in red blood cells frozen at -80 degrees Celsius. The new protectants lower the concentration of glycerol needed, enabling faster processing and transfusion of thawed cells.
A new model developed by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University provides a fuller understanding of supercooled large droplet icing mechanisms. The model identifies a different icing mechanism than previously identified and incorporates heat generated from impact thermodynamics.
A new study led by Brown University Ph.D. student Noah Hammond suggests that Pluto likely has a subsurface ocean today, contrary to previous theories. The research uses thermal evolution models updated with data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which revealed signs of tectonic features and expansion on Pluto's surface.
New Horizons team members used computer models to determine the depth and rate of Pluto's convective cells, which are 10-30 miles across and less than a million years old. These cells help support Pluto's atmosphere by refreshing its surface.
Five studies on New Horizons' flyby of Pluto uncover a wide variety of geological features, including tectonics, glacial flow, and cryovolcanoes. The dwarf planet's interaction with the solar wind and icy surfaces also provides insights into its space environment.
Researchers found that Humboldt penguins' unique feather structure is anti-adhesive and hydrophobic, preventing ice from accumulating. The discovery led to the creation of a nanofiber membrane with similar properties, which could be used in applications like electrical insulation.
A new paper in Nature presents an alternative narrative to the collapse of Earth's ice sheets. Research on the Laurentide Ice Sheet reveals that ice loss occurred through frozen rivers that turned on and off, shifting from place to place. The findings provide a window into ice streams' complex behavior over long periods of time.
A new theory explains how ice becomes slippery when a hard material slides across it, improving ski design and understanding glacier movement. The study uses experimental data to connect temperature and sliding speed to friction on ice.
Researchers at Princeton University have predicted a new phase of superionic ice with unusual conductivity properties. The P21/c-SI phase occurs at high pressures beyond giant ice planets, offering insights into the material's behavior.
Researchers create biphilic surface that repels water in some areas and attracts it in others, delaying frost formation even at 6 degrees below freezing. The unique condensation dynamics on the surface cause small droplets to merge and release energy, delaying freezing for over 3 hours.
A team of researchers has discovered that the presence of salty impurities in ice can push the formation of electrically conducting ice to occur at higher pressures, potentially explaining the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune. This finding challenges current assumptions about the physics of icy planetary bodies.
A recent study reveals that supercooled water does not become completely unstable before turning into ice crystals, thanks to an energy barrier for crystal formation. As temperature drops, liquid water becomes easier to compress, unlike other substances.
Researchers at UC San Diego discover that moving rocks requires a rare combination of events: water-filled playa, freezing temperatures, and thin sheets of 'windowpane' ice. Light winds drive the ice panels across the playa, pushing rocks in front of them.
A 2010 Chilean earthquake caused icequakes in Antarctica due to the continent's sensitive response to seismic waves. Researchers detected high-frequency signals at 30% of seismic stations, indicating repeated failure and fracturing of ice near the surface.
The NASA satellite captured a record-breaking freeze on the Great Lakes, with 80.3% of the lake's surface covered in ice. This is the most extensive ice cover since 1994, and scientists attribute it to persistently low temperatures across the region.