Articles tagged with Atmosphere
New research on brown dwarfs has found that atmospheric properties may be behind their incredible variation in size, temperature, chemistry, and more. The discovery may also apply to planets outside the solar system, making brown dwarfs a valuable tool for studying exoplanet evolution.
Ancient Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and a habitable surface due to its slow spin, which exposed the dayside to sunlight for almost two months at a time. This warmed the surface and created rain, leading to a thick layer of clouds that shielded the surface from solar heating.
Researchers from Boston University found that Jupiter's Great Red Spot is responsible for heating the planet's upper atmosphere to unusually high temperatures. The team used infrared observations to map temperature anomalies across the planet, revealing that the Great Red Spot's heat distribution matches the observed values.
Naturally occurring carbon dioxide concentrations allowed for a relatively slow onset of climate change effects. Scientists have a longer window to understand and mitigate human-induced climate change.
Researchers from MIT and the University of Liège announce a new study on the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, which hosts three potentially habitable, Earth-sized worlds. The team discovers that two innermost planets have compact atmospheres similar to those of rocky planets like Earth, Venus, and Mars.
Researchers from KU Leuven show that surface composition and atmosphere interaction on exoplanets affect their temperature and habitability. A well-functioning 'air conditioning' system can make even planets with permanent day and night sides potentially habitable.
Global Aerospace Corporation and Northrop Grumman will develop a new exploration vehicle for Saturn's moon Titan, addressing technical challenges with innovative engineering approaches. The Titan Winged Aerobot concept incorporates ultra-low power requirements and extended vertical range, enabling long-lived flight at low altitudes.
Researchers identified human fingerprint on Indo-Pacific warm pool growth using climate model simulations and fingerprinting technique. Human-induced greenhouse gas increase is the dominant cause of IPWP warming and expansion, with a small contribution from natural climate variability.
Researchers have discovered 'wind-drag ripples' on Mars, which are similar to underwater ripples in shape and spacing. These unique formations provide a way to measure global changes in the planet's atmospheric density over time.
Researchers reconstructed past global warming and estimated potential future warming using computer modeling. Climate sensitivity was higher during past global warm periods, amplifying the effect of greenhouse gas emissions.
An international team of scientists has found a way to remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere by turning it into rock. The process, known as carbonate mineralisation, can take as little as two years and permanently locks away CO2 in basaltic rocks.
Astronomers have produced the most detailed radio map yet of Jupiter's atmosphere, revealing massive movement of ammonia gas that underlies colorful bands and whirling clouds. The study sheds light on global circulation and cloud formation driven by Jupiter's internal heat source.
A UM researcher is leading an international campaign to study the impact of smoke particles on regional climate warming. The experiment will investigate how smoke affects marine low clouds in the southeast Atlantic Ocean. By understanding this interaction, scientists can improve global aerosol models and climate change forecasts.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have discovered a new process behind the formation and evolution of small atmospheric particles free from pollution, key to creating accurate models for global climate change. The findings suggest that up to half of the warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions may be masked by aerosol cooling.
Researchers have found a major carbon dioxide reservoir at depths of 2000-4300 meters in the South Pacific. The study suggests that during the last ice age, a sea ice cover on the Antarctic Ocean closed oceanic ventilation windows, leading to slowed deep water circulation and increased storage of old carbon dioxide.
Scientists discovered that up to 60% of airborne particles after a rainstorm come from the soil, releasing organic matter into the atmosphere. This finding has significant implications for understanding the planet's climate and will be integrated into atmospheric models.
A recent study found an increase in atmospheric high pressure systems over Greenland since the 1980s, leading to extreme weather patterns and warmer air. This is caused by strong Arctic warming and changes in the atmospheric jet stream.
Physicists at UTA are developing a global simulation model combining knowledge and experience from seven leading research universities to predict space weather effects with higher accuracy and detail. The project aims to reduce errors in GPS and communication systems by up to 30%.
Geologists at MIT identified ancient tectonic collisions as the trigger for two ice ages, 80 million and 50 million years ago. The collisions exposed rock to the atmosphere, leading to chemical reactions that absorbed large amounts of carbon dioxide.
A class of super-Earths with gaseous atmospheres is stripped away due to intense stellar radiation. This phenomenon occurs when planets lie close to their host stars, resulting in the loss of planetary 'envelopes', according to a new study.
A new study suggests that global climate models have underestimated the impact of clouds on warming, leading to lower projections. Clouds and aerosol particles significantly influence atmospheric temperatures, and recent data show that certain ice formation processes are less common than previously thought.
Researchers found that atmospheric circulation patterns, including the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge, are more frequent in recent decades, increasing the risk of drought. The study also showed that temperature plays a significant role in drought development.
A new study has mapped the climate patterns on a super-Earth planet, revealing a significant temperature difference between its dayside and nightside. The research found that processes similar to those on Earth, such as high winds or lava flows, are at work on this distant world.
A new study of the young, Sun-like star Kappa Ceti found that a magnetic field played a key role in making a planet conducive to life. The presence of such a field helped shield the atmosphere from intense stellar winds and superflares.
A new climate model developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison can better predict changes to the ocean-carbon sink, a crucial factor in understanding future climate change. The improved predictive capacity allows scientists to distinguish human-induced effects from natural variability.
Astronomers have measured the rotation rate of a massive exoplanet using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, revealing patchy and colorless cloud layers. The super-Jupiter completes one rotation every 10 hours, similar to Jupiter, with temperatures reaching 2,200-2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
A new study shows the Arctic tundra now releases more carbon than it gains during winter, resulting in a net loss to the atmosphere. Meanwhile, a training initiative in Europe supports young atmospheric researchers with unique skills and collaboration opportunities.
Using video footage and geodesic Lagrangian coherent structures theory, researchers found unsteady material transport barriers surrounding Jupiter's Great Red Spot and jet streams. This analysis enhances knowledge of the planet's atmosphere, with potential applications in oceanography, meteorology, and environmental monitoring.
Fiamma Straneo has been chosen by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for the Sverdrup Lecture, a top honor in ocean sciences. Her research focuses on the role of high-latitude oceans in climate change and ice sheet dynamics.
Researchers at University College London have detected hydrogen and helium gases in the atmosphere of a super-Earth called 55 Cancri e. The discovery reveals clues about the planet's formation, evolution, and composition, with potential implications for understanding carbon-rich atmospheres.
A study by Duke University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory finds that global temperature remains stable in the long run due to the Planck Response and other mechanisms. Natural climate cycles alone are insufficient to explain large, sustained changes in global temperature.
Scientists at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found a unique relationship between summer insolation and atmospheric CO2 that explains past eight ice ages. Moderate human interference with the planet's natural carbon balance can postpone the next glacial inception by up to 100,000 years.
Cheyenne will be a critical tool for researchers studying climate change, severe weather, and other important geoscience topics. The new system will help scientists lay the groundwork for improved predictions of various phenomena, including thunderstorm outbreaks and solar cycles.
A UCL-led study reveals that oxygen levels in oceans and atmosphere rose to support animal life 100 million years earlier than previously thought. This finding suggests that increased oxygen may have kick-started early animal evolution, rather than a change in animal behavior.
Researchers at UTA are analyzing the energy entering the upper atmosphere following space weather events to refine models used for satellite trajectory forecasting. Current estimates can be off by as much as 100%, resulting in an error of up to 30% in tracking satellites.
Scientists have finally shed light on the atmospheres of a group of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. A team of experts analyzed observations from NASA and ESA telescopes, revealing that water was hidden by haze and cloud on some hot-Jupiter exoplanets.
Astronomers have studied ten hot Jupiter-sized exoplanets in detail using Hubble and Spitzer telescopes. The results show that planetary atmospheres are more diverse than expected, with some planets containing clouds and haze that hide water from view. This solves the mystery of why some exoplanets appear to have less water than expected.
A team of astronomers has solved the long-standing mystery of missing water in hot Jupiter-sized exoplanets by analyzing atmospheric data from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The study found that cloudy atmospheres are responsible for hiding water, ruling out dry hot Jupiters.
Researchers found clouds in Arctic warming surface, especially in fall and winter, contrary to previous expectations. The warm air's insulating properties allow clouds to amplify regional warming, making the situation even hotter.
Researchers found that most climate models underestimate the increase in absorption of sunlight by water vapor, leading to overestimation of global precipitation. The team's study suggests that improving radiation representation in models can lead to more accurate predictions of future precipitation change.
A new study by Princeton University researchers suggests that warmer nights may lead to more carbon being released into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. The research found a strong correlation between tropical nighttime temperatures and variations in plant respiration rates, which produce carbon dioxide.
Researchers found that arsenic concentrations in ancient oceans varied greatly over time, coinciding with the rise and fall of atmospheric oxygen and global glaciations. This suggests that ocean toxicity played a significant role in shaping the evolution of complex life on Earth.
A new study analyzing data from 1901 to 2008 found that dams and irrigation significantly raise the global human consumption of freshwater by increasing evapotranspiration. The study's results indicate a 20% increase in the global human freshwater footprint, corresponding to around 4,370 km3 per year.
Climate change impacts on global food security are projected to be larger in tropical and subtropical regions due to changes in crop and livestock productivity. The report warns that warmer temperatures and altered precipitation patterns can disrupt transportation systems, degrade food safety, and threaten food production.
A new study suggests that vast quantities of radiation from superflaring Red Dwarf stars like Kepler-438 can strip away an atmosphere and make a planet uninhabitable. The energy released by each superflare is equivalent to 100 billion megatons of TNT, posing a significant threat to life on Earth-like planets.
Yingcai Zheng, an assistant professor at the University of Houston, has received the 2015 J. Clarence Karcher Award for his significant contributions to exploration geophysics. His research focuses on characterizing fractured reservoirs, a key area of study in the field.
A new technique allows for faster monitoring of magnetic field changes before solar flares, providing advance warning of potentially devastating space storms. The method, developed by Queen's University Belfast, enables scientists to examine the precursors responsible for destructive space weather.
Researchers at the University of Warwick have created the first ever weather map of a planet outside our solar system, revealing wind speeds of over 2km per second. The winds on exoplanet HD 189733b are 20 times faster than the fastest recorded on Earth.
The discovery of GJ 1132b, a rocky planet orbiting a red dwarf star, has sparked excitement among astronomers. With temperatures potentially conducive to hosting an atmosphere, this planet is close enough (39 light-years away) to be studied in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope and future observatories.
A new study using state-of-the-art computer models finds that most aerosol species will increase under climate change associated with greenhouse-gas-induced warming. This could lead to reduced air quality and increased atmospheric aerosols, outweighing the decrease in precipitation in certain regions.
Researchers study past abrupt climatic changes in North Atlantic and find global impacts, highlighting ocean and atmosphere coupling. They confirm 'bipolar ocean seesaw' concept and warn of climate instability triggered by forcing the climate system into a different state.
A computer model developed by University of Hawaii researchers can accurately forecast the movement of vog around the state, posing a serious threat to health and ecosystems. The model uses sulfur dioxide emissions and wind predictions to provide near-real-time forecasts.
NASA's MAVEN mission has determined that Mars is losing gas to space via stripping by the solar wind, a process that may have contributed to the planet's dry climate. The research suggests that powerful solar storms can accelerate this process, potentially playing a significant role in changing Mars' climate over billions of years.
The Martian atmosphere is losing gas to space via stripping by the solar wind, with erosion rates increasing significantly during solar storms. Researchers have determined that almost 75% of escaping ions come from Mars' tail region.
A study by University of Miami researchers found a weakening of the Walker circulation due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, leading to changes in rainfall patterns. The analysis used historical cloud cover observations as a proxy for wind velocity in climate models.
A new study reveals the source of near-annual pressure and wind changes in the Southeast Asian Monsoon system, attributing them to El Niño's interaction with solar radiation. The research demonstrates that these oscillations are more predictable than previously assumed and provide a new mechanism for understanding climate phenomena.
A University of Miami-led study suggests the atmosphere drives the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), a decades-long climate variation affecting global weather patterns. The research finds that atmospheric circulation alone can explain the pattern, without ocean circulation's role.
Data from New Horizons' flyby of Pluto suggest the dwarf planet has been frequently resurfaced by erosion or crustal recycling. The study also reveals large regions of differing brightness on Pluto's surface, carved out by structures similar to terrestrial glaciers.
Researchers used climate models to predict how greenhouse warming could be the source of water on early Mars, which would support a warm and habitable environment. The study found that volcanic fluxes caused by plate tectonics may have led to a high percentage of hydrogen in the atmosphere, driving global warming.
A University of Southampton study suggests that an abrupt collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) could lead to cooling, rather than warming, for a period of 20 years. Global warming would continue after this initial cooling, with a globally averaged temperature offset of about 0.8°C.