Science & Environment

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Volcano breath test helps scientists predict deadly eruptions

Chemical signs in vented volcano gas gives insight into the magma deep below our feet.

Humanity has a long history of living in the shadows of active volcanoes.

Prized for their rich, fertile soils – ideal for cultivating crops – and their local topography, it isn’t hard to see why living in active volcanic regions remains a worthwhile gamble.

Volcanic eruptions, however, are notoriously difficult to predict but improving our diagnostic abilities is crucial for developing early warning procedures and evading disaster.

External indicators such as earthquakes and deformation of the Earth’s crust are traditional methods of identifying an imminent eruption, however, not all eruptions give these early warning signs.

But now a research team from the University of Tokyo has gained better insight into the relationship between changes in the magma composition and eruption, by studying the ratio of specific chemical isotopes in gas and steam emitted from fumaroles — holes and cracks in the earth’s surface.

Hirochika Sumino (dark green jacket), Tomoya Obase (blue jacket) and Hiroshi Shinohara (orange jacket) collect gas samples from fumaroles in Tateyama Jigokudani (“Hell Valley”) geothermal area, in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Collecting gas samples from fumaroles is dangerous due to the toxic gas and hot steam, so a gas mask, goggles, helmet and gloves are required. But Sumino says the results of this study show that the insight obtained from the samples is well worth the challenge. Credit: Yuki Kibiya

“When you compare a volcano with a human body, the conventional geophysical methods represented by observations of earthquakes and crustal deformation are similar to listening to the chest and taking body size measurements”, said Professor Hirochika Sumino from the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, who led the study.

“In these cases, it is difficult to know what health problem causes some noise in your chest or a sudden increase in your weight, without a detailed medical check. On the other hand, analysing the chemical and isotope composition of elements in fumarolic gases is like a breath or blood test. This means we are looking at actual material directly derived from magma to know precisely what is going on with the magma.”

Previous research on gas associated with an eruption from a volcano in the Canary Islands in 2011 showed an increase in the ratio of heavier helium isotopes which are typical of mantle material.

“We knew that the helium isotope ratio occasionally changes from a low value, similar to the helium found in the Earth’s crust, to a high value, like that in the Earth’s mantle, when the activity of magma increases,” said Sumino. “But we didn’t know why we had more mantle-derived helium during magmatic unrest.”

Sumino and team sought the answers in fumerole gas around Kusatsu-Shirane, an active volcano 150 km northwest of Tokyo. Taking samples of the gas back to the lab every few months between 2014 and 2021, the researchers were able to ascertain precise measurements of the isotopic components, discovering a relationship between the ratio of argon-40 to helium-3 ( a ‘high value’ isotope of helium) and magmatic unrest.

“Using computer models, we revealed that the ratio reflects how much the magma underground is foaming, making bubbles of volcanic gases which separate from the liquid magma,” explained Sumino.

The extent to which the magma is foaming “controls how much magmatic gas is provided to the hydrothermal system beneath a volcano and how buoyant the magma is. The former is related to a risk of phreatic eruption, in which an increase in water pressure in the hydrothermal system causes the eruption. The latter would increase the rate of magma ascent, resulting in a magmatic eruption.”

The research collaboration is now developing a portable type of mass spectrometer which could be used in the field for real time analysis, reducing the need to constantly collect and transport samples back to the lab – a challenging a time-consuming process.

“Our next step is to establish a noble gas analysis protocol with this new instrument, to make it a reality that all active volcanoes — at least those which have the potential to cause disaster to local residents — are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Sumino.

https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/volcano-breath-test-predict-eruptions/

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by CaaC (John)
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SKA: Construction to begin on world's biggest telescope

One of the grand scientific projects of the 21st Century begins its construction phase on Monday.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the largest radio telescope in the world when completed in 2028.

Split across South Africa and Australia, with a headquarters in the UK, the facility will address the biggest questions in astrophysics.

It will perform the most precise tests of Einstein's theories, and even search for extra-terrestrials.

Delegations from the eight countries leading the project are attending ceremonies in the remote Murchison shire in Western Australia and in the Karoo of South Africa's Northern Cape.

When the festivities are over, the bulldozers will move in.

"This is the moment it becomes real," said Prof Phil Diamond, director general of the Square Kilometre Array Organisation.

"It's been a 30-year journey. The first 10 years were about developing the concepts and ideas. The second 10 was spent doing the technology development. And then the last decade was about detailed design, securing the sites, getting governments to agree to set up a treaty organisation (SKAO) and provide the funds to start," he told BBC News.

The initial architecture of the telescope will incorporate just under 200 parabolic antennas, or "dishes", as well as 131,000 dipole antennas, which look a little like Christmas trees.

The aim is to construct an effective collecting area measuring hundreds of thousands of square metres.

This will give the SKA unparalleled sensitivity and resolutions as it probes targets on the sky.

The system will operate across a frequency range from roughly 50 megahertz to, ultimately, 25 gigahertz. In wavelength terms, this is in the centimetres to metres range.

This should enable the telescope to detect very faint radio signals coming from cosmic sources billions of light-years from Earth, including those signals emitted in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

One of the SKA's great quests will be to trace the full history of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the Universe.

The telescope should be able to detect hydrogen's presence even before great clouds of it collapsed to form the first stars.

"The SKA is going to contribute to so many areas of astronomy," said Dr Shari Breen, the observatory's head of science operations.

"One would be these 'fast radio bursts' that have been detected. These things output the equivalent of an entire year's worth of energy from our Sun in just a fraction of a second. And we have no idea what they are. How is that possible? Hopefully the SKA will have an answer."

The telescope is being built in areas already used for radio astronomy on a smaller scale.

To expand these sites, however, has required various land agreements, with farmers in the Karoo; and with the Wajarri Yamaji, the Aboriginal title holders in the Murchison.

The Wajarri community have organised Monday's celebration to inaugurate the SKA.

Various procurement contracts will be announced around the ceremonies.

These will take the total financial outlay to date to just under €500m (£430m) - out of an expected final construction budget of €2bn.

The first major milestone should come in 2024, when four dishes in Australia and six antenna stations in South Africa are made to work seamlessly together as a basic telescope. This proof-of-principle moment will then trigger the array's full roll-out.

By 2028, the SKA will have an effective collecting area of just under 500,000 square metres. But the set-up is such that it can continue growing, perhaps up to the much desired one million square metres, or one square kilometre.

One way this could happen is if more and more countries join the organisation and provide the necessary funds.

The current members are: South Africa, Australia, the UK, China, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland. These countries have ratified the treaty.

France, Spain, and most recently Germany, have got themselves on to the accession path.

Canada, India, Sweden, South Korea and Japan have indicated their intention to join at some point.

"And we're actually in the process of talking to other countries as well, to see what interest they might have in joining the observatory," said Prof Diamond.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63836496

 

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Breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy announced

A major breakthrough has been announced by US scientists in the race to recreate nuclear fusion.

Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy.

On Tuesday researchers confirmed they have overcome a major barrier - producing more energy from a fusion experiment than was put in.

But experts say there is still some way to go before fusion powers homes.

• How does nuclear fusion work?

The experiment took place at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California.

LLNL director Dr Kim Budil said: "This is a historic achievement… over the past 60 years thousands of people have contributed to this endeavour and it took real vision to get us here."

Nuclear fusion is described as the "holy grail" of energy production. It is the process that powers the Sun and other stars.

It works by taking pairs of light atoms and forcing them together - this "fusion" releases a lot of energy.

It is the opposite of nuclear fission, where heavy atoms are split apart. Fission is the technology currently used in nuclear power stations, but the process also produces a lot of waste that continues to give out radiation for a long time. It can be dangerous and must be stored safely.

Nuclear fusion produces far more energy, and only small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste. And importantly, the process produces no greenhouse gas emissions and therefore does not contribute to climate change.

But one of the challenges is that forcing and keeping the elements together in fusion requires very large amounts of temperature and pressure. Until now, no experiment has managed to produce more energy than the amount put in to make it work.

FULL REPORT

 

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The Antarctic and Arctic sounds rarely heard before

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Watch: The moment SpaceX tests its powerful rocket system and FULL REPORT

 

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When was the crucifixion? A little eclipse science can help

Three eclipses could line up to the events commemorated at Easter time.

Whether you’re a Christian recognising Easter this month, or simply enjoying time with friends, family and chocolate, you’ve probably come across one particular part of the Easter story – the crucifixion.

 

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Royal Society: Four incredible objects that made science history

One of the first scientific findings signed by a woman is now online for the public to see for the first time.

Martha Gerrish's descriptions of the stars in 1734 joins discoveries by Isaac Newton, Victorian fossil hunters and pioneer photographers.

The documents have been digitised by the scientific institution the Royal Society in London.......

 

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Global warming set to break key 1.5C limit for first time

Our overheating world is likely to break a key temperature limit for the first time over the next few years, scientists predict.

Researchers say there's now a 66% chance we will pass the 1.5C global warming threshold between now and 2027.

The chances are rising due to emissions from human activities and a change in weather patterns expected this summer.......

 

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Dartmoor wild camping to resume after appeal win Published 2 days ago

The public can 'wild camp' in Dartmoor again without landowners' permission after the National Park Authority won their appeal case.

The right to do so had been allowed under a decades-old local law until January this year, when it was challenged by a local landowner......

 

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Scientists get closer to solving mystery of antimatter

Scientists have made a key discovery about antimatter - a mysterious substance which was plentiful when the Universe began.

Antimatter is the opposite of matter, from which stars and planets are made.

Both were created in equal amounts in the Big Bang which formed our Universe. While matter is everywhere, though, its opposite is now fiendishly hard to find........

 

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Science & Environment 

Osiris-Rex: Nasa reveals first look at 'beautiful' asteroid sample

"It's beautiful, it really is - certainly what we've seen of it so far," said Dr Ashley King.

The UK scientist was in a select group to put first eyes and instruments on the rocky samples that have just been brought back from asteroid Bennu.

The materials, scooped up by a US space agency (Nasa) mission and returned to Earth 17 days ago, are currently being examined in a special lab in Texas........

 

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Volcanic eruption under the sea creates new land mass - but expert warns island may not last long
A small new island was born off Japan's coast after an undersea volcano erupted three weeks ago - but it may not last long.

The unnamed land mass, which is about 1km from the island of Iwo Jima and 1,200km from mainland Japan, formed early this month after volcanic ash and rocks piled up from the sea bed.

It measured about 100 metres in diameter and reached as high as 20 metres above sea level, according to Yuji Usui, an analyst in the Japan Meteorological Agency's volcanic division............

 

 

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‘Stressed jellyfish’ reveal dangers of seabed mining

An experiment to test how seabed mining could affect deep sea life has revealed unexpected impacts on common jellyfish.

There is increasing interest in extracting precious minerals from what are called metallic "nodules" that naturally occur on the seabed.......

 

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A23a: World's biggest iceberg on the move after 30 years

The world's biggest iceberg is on the move after more than 30 years being stuck to the ocean floor.

The iceberg, called A23a, split from the Antarctic coastline in 1986. But it swiftly grounded in the Weddell Sea, becoming, essentially, an ice island.

At almost 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq miles) in area, it's more than twice the size of Greater London.

The past year has seen it drifting at speed, and the berg is now about to spill beyond Antarctic waters.....

 

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Science & Environment

New coffee genetic map promises better brews

 Scientists have unravelled the genetic secrets of coffee in a discovery they say paves the way for more flavoursome brews.

Researchers in Italy pieced together the most complete genetic map yet of Arabica coffee, the world's most popular drink.

The new insights into the plant's genetic make-up will help in the breeding of new coffee crops.

 

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Science & Envoironment

 Is Iceland entering a new volcanic era?

This week, Iceland woke up to yet another day of fire, as towering fountains of lava lit up the dark morning sky.

This time the evacuated town of Grindavik was spared, but the molten rock still wreaked havoc - engulfing a pipe that provides heat and hot water to thousands living in the area and cutting off a road to the Blue Lagoon tourist attraction.