Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere hit new record highs in 2022, with no end in sight to the rising trend, according to this new report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This Bulletin represents the latest analysis of observations from the WMO GAW Programme. It shows globally averaged surface …
the ozone layer over Antarctica has depleted severely, according to the World Meteorological Organisation ( wmo ), a un agency. "The latest satellite observations in the sunlight portion of the Antarctica perimetre show an average decrease of about 30 per cent in the total amount of ozone overhead when compared …
allergy sufferers, beware: global warming could bring more hay fever, according to us government research that shows ragweed produces significantly more pollen as carbon dioxide increases. The ubiquitous weed makes nearly twice as much pollen now as it did 100 years ago and is likely to double its production over …
Researchers in the us have found out that the nitrate in snow interacts with sunlight and sets off a very rapid series of photochemical reactions, producing oxides of nitrogen (no x ). "We found very high concentrations of no x in the snow of areas which are beyond the reach …
a team of us and European scientists have identified a new greenhouse gas that traps heat more effectively than all other known greenhouse gases. Trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride ( sf5 cf3 ) is a synthetic gas and is 18,000 times more effective in trapping atmospheric heat as compared to carbon dioxide, …
one would assume that carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( pah s) were confined just to this world alone. But for nearly 20 years astronomers have been debating whether molecules of pah s are as common in space as they are on earth. pah s are customarily found in …
mirrors orbiting outer space; giant reflectors between the Earth and the Sun; trillions of helium balloons in the air. Does this read like a sci-fi script to you? These are some of the rather elaborate solutions to counter the rising carbon dioxide ( co2 ) levels in the atmosphere. These …
Measurements and models show that enhanced aerosol concentrations can augment cloud albedo not only by increasing total droplet cross-sectional area, but also by reducing precipitation and thereby increasing cloud water content and cloud coverage. Aerosol pollution is expected to exert a net cooling influence on the global climate through these …
in recent years, the rainfall pattern in midsummer in the densely populated Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan has changed from gentle to tropical squall-type rainfall, involving sudden, violent winds with torrential downpours. Researchers at Tokyo University's Centre for Climate System Research believe it is due to the "heat island phenomenon", …
the concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide ( co 2 ), methane and nitrogen in the atmosphere have been steadily rising over the last few decades. This is likely to go up unabated. These gases are increasing at the rate of 1.5 parts per million per year and, …
in the 1970s, western Europe, Sweden in particular, was in the grip of a severe environmental crisis: acid rain. Eastern usa faced the same phenomenon in the 1980s. Ever since, many developed nations have undertaken efforts to avert the threat of acid rain. However, a number of polluted areas around …
Turbulence in the atmosphere is a major problem with Earth-based telescopes. Most modern telescopes take care of this by using adaptive optics, a corrective process in which parts of the telescope mirror are mechanically flexed. This is done by a complex motor system in an amount typically equal to a …
The upper layers of the atmosphere are getting cooler, and ironically, the greenhouse effect is being blamed. The Mesosphere, the atmospheric layer between 50 to 90 km of the atmosphere, has been cooling one degree annually for the last 30 years. This is much faster than expected. Researchers say that …
swirling around Jupiter at thousands of miles an hour is a huge sheet of electically charged gas and dust that extends outward about two million miles. This plasma sheet rotates like a filmy skirt on a spinning ice-skater. The gas and dust are from volcanoes on the moon Io. Something …
The decision of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh to cut hundreds of trees to build a conference centre for the forthcoming Non-aligned Movement summit in 2001 has been criticised by environmentalists. The 5000-seat auditorium is proposed to be built at capital Dhaka's Osmany Udyan, which is along the green …
Long-term exposure to atmospheric particles less than 10 microgrammes in diameter (PM10s) can increase chances of lung cancer in men, says a new study. David Abbey and his team from Loma Lind University, California, USA, monitored 6,338 non-smoking Caucasians between the ages of 27 and 95 years who lived in …
Hell on wheels Dieselmania hits the Indian private automobile sector. And why not? Diesel is cheaper than petrol, and car loans are available in plenty it's sleek , it's mean, it races, it is not an aircraft. It runs on diesel. Some of them even run on petrol. The automobile …
The euphoria over the growth in the diesel-powered private vehicular segment would evaporate if people were to open their eyes to the evidence on environmental and health hazards of diesel engines. Diesel engines are primarily responsible for harmful emissions of suspended particulate matter ( spm )
Recent studies show that neither using clean diesel fuel nor improving the quality of the engine help in solving the threat of particulate matter in diesel emissions. So banning the manufacture of diesel cars may be the only option to counter the threats posed by particulate matter. Fuel quality A …
unpredictable stormy winters in northern Europe are known to put life out of gear. Now, their uncertainty may be a thing of the past because researchers in the uk have found a link between temperatures in the Atlantic and an atmospheric effect that influences European winters. Since the 1930s, climate …
When it rains it burns Acid rain has already been reported in some parts of India, and the situation is likely to get worse India faces an increasing threat from acid rain
