On a Midwestern farm growing corn and beans, a tractor will soon spread 1,543 tons of rock dust over 140 acres. The goal: fighting climate change. Over the next two growing seasons, the dust — crushed basalt — is expected to capture 384 tons of carbon on the farm while helping crops grow. The farm is one of 14 that are working with Lithos, a new startup pioneering an unusual approach to carbon capture. Instead of pulling carbon dioxide from the air, when rain falls, it combines with atmospheric carbon dioxide to make it slightly acidic, and when the combination hits certain kinds of rocks, it causes a chemical reaction that slowly removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Chris Reinhard, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is a Lithos cofounder. (This story is also covered in GeekWire and Carbon Herald.)
This US startup uses volcanic rock dust to capture carbon on farms
November 18, 2022Climate change and melting glaciers are synonymous at this point when the topic is discussed, and usually addresses the future impacts of melting ice and its effects on coastal communities. But how do we determine what those impacts are and when they could occur? Joining the Weather Geeks podcast to talk about this topic is Alex Robel, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and a climate researcher who helps to develop mathematical models that provide this information.
Weather Geeks: Cryospheric Changes & Coastal Communities
November 9, 2022Imagining what it would be like to visit another planet has been a staple of science fiction for decades. Whether it's here in the Solar System or out somewhere else in the universe, other worlds tend to intrigue us. Yet it's worth remembering that humans exist on Earth, and not somewhere like Mars, for a reason — it's the only place in the universe that we know of that would not kill us horribly within minutes or less. This Newsweek story list the different ways humans would die on each planet in the Solar System, with Jennifer Glass, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, providing gruesome details on the effects of asphyxia (lack of oxygen), extreme temperatures, and crushing atmospheric pressure on the human body.
Here's How You Would Die on Each Planet of the Solar System
October 30, 2022Don’t laugh off the potential value in finding nitrous oxide (N2O) in space atmospheres—scientists say the laughing gas could be a key biosignature in the search for life beyond our own planet. In a paper published earlier this month in The Astrophysical Journal, researchers say we’ve focused plenty on oxygen and methane as biosignatures, but skipping out on nitrous oxide “may be a mistake.” Researchers used simulations to show that with different stars from the sun we know and love, the biosignature search could well include N2O. One of those researchers is Chris Reinhard, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Laughing Gas Could Be the Key to Hunting Down Alien Life
October 13, 2022A Georgia Tech alumnus, and School of Biological Sciences Professor and Associate Chair of Research Joel Kostka, are working to restore seven acres of degraded salt marsh in historic Ashleyville, S.C. Albert George, who received an M.S. from Georgia Tech, is a former conservation director with the South Carolina Aquarium who is credited with spearheading work to restore the marsh. A group led by Kostka, who has a joint appointment in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and is researching coastal wetlands, received a grant from the National Coastal Resilience Fund for the marsh restoration project. Ashleyville was formerly known as Maryville, once a self-sustaining Black community, chartered and settled in 1886. It offered formerly enslaved people safe places to buy land, raise families, and work in the Jim Crow era. South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources will work with Georgia Tech to monitor the restoration efforts.
Historic Maryville marsh damaged by drought getting new life with volunteers in the muck
October 10, 2022October is National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month, and The Able Channel is celebrating by raising awareness about the importance of work for those living and working with disability. Hosted by Paralympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer Mallory Weggeman, "Together We Are Able" showcases the stories of 10 Americans who have redefined perceptions of what the word able is all about. College of Sciences Advisory Board member Paul S. Goggin (Physics 1991, M.S. Atmospheric Sciences 1994) is the founder and chief operating officer of The Able Channel. "Together We Are Able" will air on NBC, CBS, Fox, and other channels, and on The Able Channel's streaming service.
Able Channel Announces One Hour Television Special "Together We Are Able"
October 4, 2022From bears to moose to lynx, and even squirrels and frogs, animals are leaving their homes in search of cooler climates as the planet warms. In fact, roughly half of the world’s 4,000 species are on the move, with many migrating northwards towards higher latitudes. For ecologists and conservationists, understanding how these species’ viable habitats expand and contract in the context of a rapidly shifting climate is critical. But current models can produce inaccurate, and overly optimistic results, because they fail to consider a key question: can a species realistically reach a suitable climate before it’s too late? A new computer modeling tool, MegaSDM, may help. It includes research from Jenny McGuire, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the School of Biological Sciences, and Ben Shipley, Ph.D. candidate in the School of Biological Sciences, and it's the first modeling tool that considers dispersal limits for many species, climate models, and time periods at once.
In a Warmer World, Half of all Species Are on the Move. Where Are They Going?
September 8, 2022Britney Schmidt hunts for clues about the universe in a West Australian salt lake. The NASA-funded researcher, formerly with the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, says the otherworldly landscape, with its pink-hued water and fringing trees, is no mere illusion; it is more like Mars than almost any other location on Earth. It could even help scientists detect extraterrestrial life on other planets. Joining Schmidt in that hunt is Taylor Plattner, a graduate student in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
NASA researchers study 'Mars-like' WA salt lakes for information about extraterrestrial life
August 12, 2022Temperatures are climbing around the globe, leaving parts of the world sweltering under extreme heat, with record-breaking temperatures fueling wildfires and severe drought in some areas. Heat waves around the world have dashed records, threatened public health, and buckled infrastructure, in what Georgia Tech researchers say are signs of the climate crisis' impact on day-to-day weather. “This is a stronger heat wave than it used to be,” says Zachary Handlos, senior academic professional in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “But, really, the concern is that these are expected to happen more frequently as the globe warms and atmosphere warms. So, that means everything is warmer in general.”
The Search for Relief Against Extreme Heat
August 9, 2022Has this summer felt hotter than usual? Atlanta has experienced once-in-a-century heat over the past six months. However, as the world battles rising sea levels and increasing CO2 emissions, the Supreme Court limited the power of the EPA to regulate industry into addressing climate change. This climate episode of Georgia Public Broadcasting's Political Rewind podcast includes the UrbanHeatATL project and other Georgia Tech-related climate research, and features Marilyn A. Brown, Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy. Brown is also co-founder of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Political Rewind: What are the biggest obstacles Georgia faces when it comes to climate change?
July 18, 2022- ‹ previous
- 13 of 28
- next ›
