Hidden deep below the ice sheet that covers Antarctica, scientists have discovered a massive amount of water. The groundwater system, found in deep sediments in West Antarctica likely to be the consistency of a wet sponge, reveals an unexplored part of the region and may have implications for how the frozen continent reacts to the climate crisis, according to new research. "This finding highlights groundwater hydrology as a potentially critical piece in understanding the effect of water flow on Antarctic ice sheet dynamics," Winnie Chu, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, wrote in a commentary on the research that was published in Science. Chu, who conducts her own research on how climate change impacts Greenland glaciers, was not involved in the Antarctica study.
Vast amount of water discovered hidden beneath Antarctica
May 5, 2022From Georgia Tech researchers to departments within Chatham County, the city of Savannah, and even a local high school — all of these groups are working to develop the SMART Sea Level Sensors Program to deal with the effects of flooding in the low-lying Savannah area. About 50 sensors have already been deployed through the program. Kim Cobb, Georgia Power Chair, ADVANCE Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and director of Georgia Tech's Global Change Program is a co-leader of the Sea Level Sensors project.
SMART Sea Level Sensors: Monitoring the rise in water levels around our area
April 23, 2022Just before the Hong Kong–sized Conger ice shelf in East Antarctica fell apart abruptly in late March, a storm called an atmospheric river swept over the continent. Although it's too early to tell exactly what happened with the Conger shelf, a new study shows 13 of 21 ice shelf calving events in Antarctica between August and March during the years 2000 through 2020 happened within five days after an atmospheric river, which can hold vast amounts of moisture and heat, and deliver extreme rain, snow, winds, and unusually warm temperatures. The possible environmental consequences? "When ice shelves collapse, the glaciers which feed into them speed up and contribute more to sea level rise,” says Alexander Robel, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who was not involved in the study.
A New Clue to Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse
April 22, 2022Climate change, which has long been framed as a "future" problem, is really a "here and now" problem, says Kim Cobb, Georgia Power Chair and ADVANCE Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Cobb is also on the leadership team of the Georgia Climate Project. For Earth Day 2022, Cobb listed how Georgia's economy is impacted by climate change, and what individuals and families can do to ease their carbon footprint and help the environment. "The science tells us that every little bit of warming that we can reduce in this decade or next decade is going to reap dividends in future generations and also protect our economy and keep us safe today and going forward," Cobb says. "So it's not too late."
How Georgia is doing its part to fight climate change, and how you can aid the effort
April 21, 2022GQ spotlights eight places whose very identities depend on a simple calculation: If we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, these places could be saved. In a 2-degree scenario, they would be irredeemably lost. One of those places is a line of heat-damaged coral reefs in the central Pacific's Line Islands chain, where Kim Cobb, ADVANCE Professor and Georgia Power Chair in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has conducted studies. The impact has already been devastating, Cobb says, adding, “I can’t even imagine what it would look like at 2 degrees Celsius.”
The Razor's Edge of A Warming World
March 31, 2022Researchers in Durham have found the fringes of the world’s largest ice sheet are being threatened by warmer summers in a first of its kind study. The researchers found the size of lakes on the surface of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet varied wildly over a seven-year period, and could be key to showing the potential impact of recent climate change on the continent. Vincent Verjans, a postdoctoral associate in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, contributed to the study.
World’s largest ice sheet is being threatened by warm summers, Durham University study finds
March 31, 2022Shortly after the pandemic began in 2020, researchers began examining the materials used for face masks in order to find the best protection available. Researchers from Georgia Tech included Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with a joint appointment in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Lee, an aerosol scientist, and her research team tested 33 different commercially available materials such as single-layer woven fabrics (like cotton and polyester), mixed fabrics, non-woven materials, and materials used in hospitals.
Combining materials for effective filtration efficacy in masks
March 29, 2022While wildfires destroy homes, plant life and animals, they also contribute to global warming, according to a new study. Researchers from Tianjin University have revealed how 'brown carbon' released during wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere are accelerating global warming in the Arctic. Brown carbon is a major product of wildfires, and is created when grasses, wood, and other biological material burn. A separate 2021 study led by Rodney Weber, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences showed wildfire smoke in the air may affect surface temperatures. Weber says while most brown carbon stays in the lower atmosphere, enough leaks into the upper atmosphere where it has a disproportionately large effect on the planetary radiation balance – much stronger than if it was at the surface.
'Brown carbon' released during wildfires is warming the Arctic twice as much as carbon from burning fossil fuels, study finds
March 18, 2022Since June, Lalith Polepeddi and Akhil Chavan have been using their skills in computer science and machine learning to help study biodiversity in Georgia Tech’s new EcoCommons.
Both research staff at the Georgia Tech Global Change Program, Polepeddi and Chavan teamed up to apply for a micro research grant from the Kendeda Living Building last summer. The grants empower research and innovation at a student, staff, and faculty level through small, accessible, amounts of seed funding.
Georgia Tech Researchers Monitor Campus Biodiversity with Machine Learning
February 28, 2022The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy hosted a two-hour virtual roundtable of climate scientists and other experts to discuss the scientific understanding of why arguments for delaying action on climate change are appealing and how they can be countered effectively. Kim Cobb, Georgia Power Chair and ADVANCE Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and director of Georgia Tech's Global Change Program, was a participant. "What are the opportunities, how can we grow our economy, how can we move equitably towards a low-carbon future?" Cobb asked. "These are the kinds of arguments which can gain traction and help Georgians see what’s the risk and what’s the benefit from a Georgia-based perspective.”
Readout of White House Climate Science Roundtable on Countering “Delayism” and Communicating the Urgency of Climate Action
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