Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Filtered by: Earth & Environment
Real-time monitoring of water states in large-diameter aqueducts – learning from distributed acoustic sensing signals
Dao-Yuan Tan and colleagues present a real-time acoustic sensing system with hierarchical clustering for monitoring large-diameter aqueduct flow states. A 6 km aqueduct case study demonstrated improved water management and infrastructure reliability.
Exploring ClimateAF: High-Resolution Historical and Future Climate Data for Africa
By Sarah Namiiro & Andreas Hamann
Assessing the sustainability of municipal solid waste management using life-cycle analysis
This paper compares four waste management methods in Delhi using life-cycle analysis. It finds landfill with composting has the highest impact, while anaerobic digestion combined with incineration is the most environmentally friendly due to energy recovery.
The Hidden Impact of Antarctic Ice Melt on Global Ocean Circulation.
As warming threatens Antarctic ice sheets, meltwater entering the Southern Ocean may disrupt deep ocean circulation. Meltwater reaching deep water formation zones weakens it the most. Interestingly, slower, prolonged input reduces circulation more than a rapid pulse.
Mapping Kerala's Coastal Defences: From Field Survey to Shoreline Management Plans
With 41% of Kerala's coast eroding, a team of scientists set out to map 1200+ protection structures across 590+ Km. Their findings shaped Kerala's first Shoreline Management Plan and laid the foundation for similar efforts in other Indian states.
Urban meteorology-chemistry coupling in compound heat-ozone extremes
Escalating heat and ozone extremes have emerged as a principal urban challenge. We find that heatwave-reinforced emissions and turbulence accelerate ozone production at the surface and aloft. Stringent emission control of nitrogen oxides could mitigate heat-ozone extremes under a warming climate.
Behind the Paper: How the Red Sea dried up and flooded back
The Red Sea underwent complete desiccation prior to the Messinian Salinity Crisis, but this event ended rapidly about 6.2 million years ago as a result of a catastrophic flood from the Gulf of Aden according to an analysis of seismic data, biostratigraphy, and strontium isotope dating.
