Wildfires Trigger Violent Storms with Large Hail and Lightning
Research reveals how heat and aerosols from wildfires initiate and invigorate severe storms.
More Urbanization Could Mean More Rain for Cities
A new study shows that urban heat island effects and increased urban aerosols can spur intense rainfall.
Sulfur Dioxide Emission Height Reveals Uncertainty in Radiative Forcing Across Earth System Models
The Emissions Model Intercomparison Project examined how selected emissions-related properties affected results in 11 global chemistry and Earth-system models.
Emulating Interactions Between Atmospheric Particles and Light with Machine Learning
Randomly constructed neural networks can learn how to represent light interacting with atmospheric aerosols accurately at a low computational cost and improve climate modeling capabilities.
State of Stress Assessment Tool
The State of Stress Assessment Tool (SOSAT) is a set of routines that take in information about a geologic carbon storage reservoir and generates a probability distribution for the state of stress in the reservoir before and during injection. As part of this, the tool reports the estimated probability of a critically-oriented fault becoming activated as a result of the injection. The tool also allows a storage site operator to evaluate the likely value of different types of characterization on the knowledge of the geomechanical conditions and probability of induced seismicity.
SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PRECONCENTRATING ANALYTES IN A MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE
Electrokinetic injection is used almost exclusively for microchip electrophoresis. We describe a new approach, based on pneumatic valving, that overcomes the limitations of electrokinetic injection. A detailed description is in the attached file.
Spatial Heterogeneity of Clouds Impacts Rain Initiation in Global Models
The rate of conversion of cloud droplets to precipitation, known as the autoconversion rate, remains a major source of uncertainty in characterizing aerosol’s cloud lifetime effects and precipitation in global and regional models.
E4D
E4D is a 3D geophysical modeling and inversion program designed for subsurface imaging and monitoring using static and time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), spectral induced polarization (SIP) and travel-time tomography data.
System and Method for High Precision Isotope Ratio Destructive Analysis
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing an unattended safeguards instrument concept, combining continuous aerosol particulate collection with uranium isotope assay, to provide timely analysis of enrichment levels within low enriched uranium (LEU) facilities. This approach is based on laser vaporization of aerosol particulate samples, followed by wavelength tuned laser diode spectroscopy, to characterize the uranium isotopic ratio by subtle differences in atomic absorption wavelengths. Environmental sampling media from an integrated aerosol collector is automatically introduced into a small, reduced pressure chamber, where a focused pulsed laser vaporizes a 10 to 20-µm sample diameter. The ejected plasma forms a plume of atomic vapor. Tunable diode lasers are directed through the plume and each isotope is detected by monitoring absorbance signals on a shot-to-shot basis. The media is translated by a micron resolution scanning system to fully characterize the sample surface. Single-shot detection sensitivity approaching the femtogram range and relative isotope ratio uncertainty better than 10% has been demonstrated with surrogate materials. In this paper we present measurement results on samples containing background materials (e.g., dust, minerals, soils) laced with micron-sized target particles having isotopic ratios ranging from 1 to 50%.
Methods for Attaching Transmitters to Animals
Injectable transmitters are provided that can include a body with the body housing a power source and an oscillator, the injectable transmitter also including an antenna extending from the body, the body and antenna being of sufficient size to be injected through a 9 gauge needle. Radio frequency transmitters are provided that can include a body extending from a nose to a tail with the body housing a power source and RF signal generator components. The power source of the transmitter can define at least a portion of the nose of the body. The transmitters can have an antenna extending from the tail. Methods for attaching a radio frequency (RF) transmitter to an animal are provided. The methods can include providing an RF transmitter and providing an injection device having a needle of gauge of 9 or smaller; providing the RF transmitter into the injection device; and providing the RF transmitter through the 9 gauge or smaller needle and into the animal.