Connect with us

Published

6 hours ago

on

An alarming reduction in Earth’s freshwater supply has been identified through data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites. This trend, which began in May 2014, highlights a significant shift in global water availability, according to findings published in Surveys in Geophysics. The research, conducted by an international team of scientists, points to a persistent drier phase for the planet, with freshwater reserves remaining below average levels.

Key Findings from GRACE Satellite Data

The GRACE mission, operated jointly by NASA and German research centres, revealed that global freshwater reserves between 2015 and 2023 measured approximately 1,200 cubic kilometres—equivalent to two-and-a-half times the volume of Lake Erie. These measurements encompass surface water, underground aquifers, and other freshwater sources.

Matt Rodell, a hydrologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, stated in a press release that this reduction reflects a departure from pre-2014 averages.

Droughts and Global Warming Linked to Freshwater Loss

Research highlighted the occurrence of 13 major droughts globally since 2015, affecting regions such as Central Brazil, Australasia, and parts of Africa and Europe. These droughts have coincided with record high global temperatures, raising concerns about climate change’s role in exacerbating water shortages.

Michael Bosilovich, a meteorologist at NASA Goddard, indicated that rising temperatures have intensified droughts by altering precipitation patterns, leading to runoff rather than groundwater replenishment.

Uncertainty Surrounding Long-Term Impact

While these findings underline the urgent need for sustainable water management, some researchers remain cautious about drawing definitive links between global warming and the observed trends. Susanna Werth, a hydrologist from Virginia Tech, pointed out the inherent uncertainties in climate models, emphasising the need for continued monitoring.

Whether Earth’s freshwater supplies will recover remains uncertain, but the observed decline could foreshadow prolonged dry conditions, scientists warn.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Science

NASA Europa Clipper Advances Toward Jupiter’s Moon, Instruments Deployed

Published

2 hours ago

on

November 26, 2024

By

NASA Europa Clipper Advances Toward Jupiter’s Moon, Instruments Deployed

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched on October 14, 2024, is now moving at 35 kilometres per second and has travelled more than 13 million miles from Earth as reported by NASA. Designed for an ambitious mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, the spacecraft is expected to arrive in the Jupiter system in 2030. Following its arrival, the mission will embark on a series of 49 close flybys of Europa to gather data on the moon’s subsurface ocean and assess its potential to support life.

Spacecraft’s Instruments Undergo Deployment and Testing

After its deployment from a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, the Europa Clipper’s vast solar arrays—each stretching the length of a basketball court—were successfully extended, NASA revealed. The magnetometer boom, a 28-foot (8.5-metre) component designed to measure Europa’s magnetic field, was also deployed. This will help scientists examine the depth and salinity of the ocean thought to lie beneath Europa’s icy shell.

Subsequent stages included the deployment of several radar antennas, which will aid in examining Europa’s ice layer. According to Jordan Evans, the Europa Clipper project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, the successful deployment of these instruments provides valuable data on the spacecraft’s operational behaviour.

Upcoming Mars Flyby for Gravity Assist

As per the report, a significant phase of the mission is planned for March 1, 2025, when Europa Clipper will use Mars for a gravity assist manoeuvre. The spacecraft will pass by Mars, gaining speed and adjusting its trajectory towards Jupiter. During this flyby, a test operation involving the thermal imager will capture multicoloured images of Mars, while the radar instrument will gather data, ensuring functionality as intended.

Next Steps and Earth Flyby

Another gravity assist with Earth is scheduled for December 2026, further boosting Europa Clipper’s speed as it heads toward Jupiter. The magnetometer will also be recalibrated during this Earth flyby by measuring Earth’s magnetic field.

Europa Clipper’s Science Goals

Europa Clipper is equipped with a suite of instruments for studying Europa’s icy surface and hidden ocean. The primary mission objectives are to investigate the ice thickness, determine its composition, and characterise the moon’s geology, offering insights into Europa’s potential as a habitable world.

Managed by JPL and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Europa Clipper is among NASA’s most ambitious planetary missions, overseen by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Continue Reading

Science

Brazilian Flowers Employ Pollen Catapults to Dominate Pollination Battles

Published

2 hours ago

on

November 26, 2024

By

Brazilian Flowers Employ Pollen Catapults to Dominate Pollination Battles

Flowers of Hypenia macrantha, a species native to Brazil, have been observed using unique mechanisms to outcompete rivals during pollination. According to research, these blooms utilise a pollen “catapult” system to increase the chances of successful pollination. The strategy involves launching their pollen in a burst to displace rival pollen from the beaks of visiting hummingbirds, enhancing their reproductive success.

Pollination Strategy Observed in Brazilian Flowers

The flowers exhibit both male and female reproductive stages, switching roles to avoid self-pollination. During their male phase, pollen is produced and stored under petal-covered compartments. When a hummingbird probes the flower for nectar, a trigger mechanism is activated, launching the stored pollen forcefully. This process was studied using hummingbird skulls coated with fluorescent particles to simulate natural conditions, as per a ScienceNewsExplores report.

High-speed footage of the experiment demonstrated that the pollen launch effectively removed rival pollen from the simulated beak, replacing it with the flower’s own. Researchers found that beaks lost significantly more pollen when entering flowers still in their male phase compared to those that had already discharged their pollen.

Bruce Anderson, an evolutionary ecologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, told Science News that this mechanism appears to allocate pollen for two distinct purposes: reproduction and competitive displacement.

A Mechanism of Floral Competition

Rebecca Burch, an evolutionary biologist at the State University of New York at Oswego, has noted parallels between plant and animal reproductive competition. In comments reported by the research team on the Science News, she highlighted that plants exhibit dynamic behaviours often underestimated in ecological studies.

Further research is planned to examine whether this explosive pollen delivery translates into increased seed production. As reported, these findings contribute to understanding how plants evolve strategies to enhance reproductive success in competitive environments.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


Samsung Foldable Gaming Console Design Revealed in Patent Document: How it Works



Anthropic Open-Sources Model Context Protocol to Offer a New Way to Connect AI Chatbots to Data

Continue Reading

Science

Scientists Spot Record-Breaking Cosmic Ray Electrons Near Earth

Published

2 hours ago

on

November 26, 2024

By

Scientists Spot Record-Breaking Cosmic Ray Electrons Near Earth

After over a decade of research, the H.E.S.S. Observatory in Namibia has recorded the most energetic cosmic ray electrons ever detected, according to reports. These high-energy particles, comprising electrons and positrons, are believed to originate from intense cosmic phenomena such as supernova explosions, neutron stars, and black holes. The discovery suggests that the sources of these particles are likely to be within a few hundred light-years of the solar system.

High-Energy Electron Detection Challenges

The study, as per a Space.com report, highlights that these findings shed light on extreme cosmic processes. Dr Mathieu de Naurois, Deputy Director of the H.E.S.S. collaboration and a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, stated that understanding these cosmic rays allows us to unveil big particle accelerators in the universe that are often associated with the most violent phenomena.

The research indicates that detecting these particles is particularly challenging due to their rarity and the difficulty in distinguishing them from other cosmic rays. Reports state that the H.E.S.S. Observatory utilised a vast telescope array designed to capture Cherenkov radiation, a phenomenon occurring when high-energy particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere. This innovative approach enabled the detection of electrons with energy levels surpassing several teraelectronvolts, which exceed the capabilities of Earth-based particle accelerators.

Nearby Cosmic Accelerators

According to the study, the team identified a sharp energy spectrum break at 1 TeV, indicating rapid energy loss by electrons within the Milky Way. Dr Mathieu de Naurois told Space.com that this points to nearby sources, possibly involving supernova remnants or pulsars. The analysis suggests that these phenomena serve as powerful particle accelerators, producing the highest-energy electrons ever observed.

The findings provide crucial data for understanding cosmic rays and will serve as a benchmark for future studies, as noted by researchers involved in the project. This discovery adds to ongoing efforts to explore the universe’s most energetic processes and their implications.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


NASA and JAXA’s XRISM Mission Captures Detailed Data from X-Ray Emitting Wolf-Rayet Star



Windows 11, Version 24H2, Update Causing Issues With Some Ubisoft Games, Microsoft Confirms

Continue Reading

Trending