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A new way to build safer, more sustainable skyscrapers

Researchers from Imperial College London and Arup have developed a new approach to designing tall buildings that uses the building's own mass to reduce movement in high winds and earthquakes. The system, which separates usable floors from the central core, reduces peak accelerations by up to 71% and base moments by more than 50%.

SourceImperial College London·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 6, 2026

AMS science preview: global heat record false? Rainier storms

Recent research from the American Meteorological Society reveals a false global heat record, suggests that severe weather events are increasing in frequency, and predicts an expansion of fire-prone areas. The study also examines the impact of cold wakes on tropical cyclone rainfall and finds that they intensify with global warming.

SourceAmerican Meteorological Society·JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society·DateOct 9, 2025

Purdue study uncovers why some hurricanes balloon in size and what that means for forecasting future storms

A new study by Purdue University researchers reveals that hurricanes grow in size faster when traveling over locally warm waters, which can help improve daily forecasting of hurricane size and impacts. This discovery has the potential to better model hurricane size in long-term risk models used by industry.

SourcePurdue University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 18, 2025

New Reichman University study: bacteria survive dust storms and introduce new genetic traits into our air

A new study reveals bacteria can survive inside dust particles transported through desert storms, carrying new genes that may affect human health. The research team identified a beneficial bacterium from the Bacillus subtilis family, which could enhance applications in agriculture, construction, and medicine.

SourceReichman University·JournalCommunications Earth & Environment·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 28, 2025

Major dust-up for water in the Colorado River

Researchers used satellite data to analyze the impact of dust on snowmelt in the Colorado River Basin. The study found that dust-driven melting tends to peak earliest and be most intense in central-southern Rocky Mountains, accelerating spring melt rates by up to 1 mm water-equivalent per hour.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeObservational study·DateApr 21, 2025

LA’s urban trees absorb more carbon than expected, USC Dornsife study finds

A new study from USC Dornsife finds that LA's urban greenery absorbs up to 60% of daytime fossil fuel CO2 emissions in spring and summer, providing valuable insights into the impact of trees on air quality. The research provides data-driven insights for future planting efforts and informs the USC Urban Trees Initiative.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalEnvironmental Science & Technology·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 25, 2025

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

Research suggests that numerical weather prediction models require improvement in simulating vector winds, with a study finding the ECMWF model outperforms the CMA-MESO model in forecasting vector wind fields. The study also highlights the importance of evaluating wind field variability for better wind power predictions.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAtmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters·DateDec 23, 2024

Facing the wind: How trees behave across various forest settings and weather events

Researchers found that trees exhibit two distinct swaying patterns depending on wind speed, with branches absorbing energy in light winds and whole-tree sway in higher winds. The transition between patterns occurred at different wind speeds depending on forest density, shedding light on how forests respond to wind stress.

SourceShinshu University·JournalForest Ecology and Management·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 12, 2024

Measuring Martian winds with sound

A team of researchers has created a new sonic anemometer that can track wind speeds on Mars with remarkable precision and speed. The system uses sound pulses to measure wind direction and speed in three dimensions, providing valuable insights into the Martian climate and atmosphere.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalThe Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·DateAug 13, 2024

AMS Science Preview: Hawaiian climates; chronic pain; lightning-caused wildfires

A new study establishes official climate divisions in Hawaii, improving climate research and forecasting. Chronic pain sufferers who spend time outdoors experience stronger weather-based effects, while lightning-initiated wildfires are responsible for more than half the acres burned in the contiguous United States.

SourceAmerican Meteorological Society·JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society·DateApr 26, 2024

Hurricanes jeopardize carbon-storing New England forests

A new study reveals that a single hurricane can wipe out 5-10% of New England's total aboveground forest carbon through tree damage. The research team analyzed the impact of 10 powerful hurricanes on the region's forests and found that future storms could pose a significant risk to carbon offset programs.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalGlobal Change Biology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 24, 2024

Rapidly-intensifying tropical cyclones likely to increase flood hazard in the North Atlantic as climate warms

A recent study found that rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones (RI) are already more hazardous than normal TCs and will worsen coastal flooding under future climate warming. RI events may increase by 10-30% for each degree of global mean temperature increase, posing a significant threat to coastal communities.

SourcePrinceton School of Public and International Affairs·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 28, 2024

Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines

A recent study by Leibniz-IZW and Philipps-Universität Marburg found that forest bats reduce their activity by 77% within a radius of 80-450 meters around operational wind turbines. The researchers suggest noise emission from turbine rotors is the primary cause of this avoidance behavior.

SourceLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)·JournalGlobal Ecology and Conservation·TypeObservational study·DateJan 4, 2024

Damaging thunderstorm winds increasing in central U.S.

New research by the National Center for Atmospheric Research shows a fivefold increase in damaging thunderstorm straight line winds in the central U.S. over the past 40 years, resulting from warmer temperatures and increasing wind speeds. The study used high-resolution computer modeling to estimate changes in winds and found that clima...

SourceNational Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research·JournalNature Climate Change·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 2, 2023

Improved wind speed forecasts can help urban power generation, according to new Concordia research

A new hybrid method developed by Concordia researchers combines data from Weibull probability distribution and numerical weather prediction models to improve wind speed forecasting accuracy. This innovation has the potential to significantly enhance urban power generation, particularly in areas with high variability in wind speeds.

SourceConcordia University·JournalEnergies·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 31, 2023

Climate change: Atlantic hurricanes twice as likely to strengthen from weak to major intensity in 24 hours

A recent study found that Atlantic hurricanes are now twice as likely to strengthen from weak to major intensity in a 24-hour period than between 1970 and 1990. The study suggests that warmer oceans under climate change are driving this increase, with the fastest intensification typically occurring over warm sea surface temperatures.

SourceScientific Reports·JournalScientific Reports·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 19, 2023

How weather phenomena affect ocean circulation

Research investigates impact of storm fronts, tropical storms, and cyclones on ocean circulation, finding changes in atmospheric synoptic variability (ASV) slow down ocean circulation and decrease primary productivity. ASV variations also affect mixing of ocean's layers and strength of oceanic circulation systems.

SourceHelmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)·Journalnpj Climate and Atmospheric Science·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 13, 2023