Category: Environment

Figure 1. Warming in places like Mount Kenya is steeper than current climate models predict.
2016-17, Environment

High-Elevation Warming is Steeper than Previously Expected

By Megan Tan ’19 The Earth is warming at about two degrees annually at sea level. Though it is estimated that high-elevation warming occurs more steeply, it is difficult to measure due to environmental factors such as radiation and humidity which have made it challenging to accurately quantify past temperature changes. Shannon E. Loomis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary … Continue reading High-Elevation Warming is Steeper than Previously Expected

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2016-17, Biology, Environment

Climate Change Triggers Local Extinctions

    By Patrick Yang ‘20 Average annual temperatures worldwide have reached an approximate 1°C increase since 1880 – a shift hardly noticeable to humans, but a harbinger of biodiversity loss in plants and animals, especially in warmer regions. Past models have predicted 0% to >50% species loss due to future climate change. However, the extent of biodiversity loss is much harder to ascertain because … Continue reading Climate Change Triggers Local Extinctions

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2016-17, Environment

Mitigation in Sea Level Rise Due to Increased Snowfall

by Patrick Yang Many global climate models project that anthropogenic global warming will lead to increased snowfall in Antarctica due to increased moisture in the atmosphere. However, the actual trend in Antarctica shows a discrepancy. Surface mass balance (SMB), the difference between the amount of snow accumulated and sublimated, has not shown any significant increase, despite the rise in global temperature. This discrepancy may be … Continue reading Mitigation in Sea Level Rise Due to Increased Snowfall

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2016-17, Environment, Medicine and Physiology

A Baby’s Association of Food and Environment

    by Rideeta Raquib The dilemma of what to eat for dinner is a peculiar evolutionary trait that has enabled human beings to survive for centuries. Culture and our social surroundings are aspects that influence our species when it comes to our preference in food. A recent study from Dr. Zoe Liberman and her team at the University of Chicago has revealed that infants have … Continue reading A Baby’s Association of Food and Environment

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2016-17, Ecology, Environment

The Removal of Coal Mine Contaminates

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Numerous abandoned coal mines exist throughout the US, many of which are consistently spewing toxic drainage, known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), into our waters. AMD leads to elevations in sulfuric acid, iron, aluminum, and manganese levels, which leads to extensive environmental damage. Scientists have struggled to find a cost-effective and efficient way of removing these substances. It has been hypothesized … Continue reading The Removal of Coal Mine Contaminates

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2016-17, Ecology, Environment

The Effectiveness of Wildlife Conservation

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Numerous organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, exist in order to help protect and save our environment and the animals that live in it. As scientists gain a better understanding of our impact on the world, wildlife conservation has become a more pressing issue. Since scientists must act fast in order to save species and ensure their propagation into the … Continue reading The Effectiveness of Wildlife Conservation

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2016-17, Ecology, Environment

The Cardiotoxic Effects of Oil on Fish Embryos

by Julia Newman (’19) Recent oil spills in the North Atlantic are currently causing detrimental effects not only on the water’s safety for humans, but also on the millions of fish species that live there. One species in particular, the Atlantic haddock, has shown a decreased survival correlated with the oil spills. This is a concern for both the ecosystems the fish are a part … Continue reading The Cardiotoxic Effects of Oil on Fish Embryos

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2016-17, Environment

The Effects of Palm Oil Deforestation

by Lillian Pao (’18) Palm oil is harvested from the African oil palm cash crop and is used in cooking oil, fast foods, cosmetic products, and household cleaners. Because of the demand for these products, the production of palm oil in the humid tropics continues to increase and often leads to deforestation of tropical forests.  Professor Varsha Vijay from Duke University and his colleagues decided … Continue reading The Effects of Palm Oil Deforestation

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2016-17, Environment

Long Term Trends for Wind Speed

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Wind speed is an important area of climate study because it has lasting effects on climate variations. In the Southern Hemisphere, studies involving wind speed are unavailable, despite there being research on air temperature and precipitation. As a result, Luiz Felipe N. Cardoso from the Department of Meteorology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a team of researchers … Continue reading Long Term Trends for Wind Speed

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2016-17, Engineering, Environment, Technology

Bio-Diesel Enhances the Flow of Emulsions in Pipelines

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Emulsions, mixtures containing two immiscible liquids, are used in a variety of industries including food, paint, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and oil/gas. Emulsions play a large role in petroleum production since they exist at every stage of production, from crude oil to the refined petroleum. Issues arise when it comes to the transport of petroleum: the emulsions in the petroleum may contain solids … Continue reading Bio-Diesel Enhances the Flow of Emulsions in Pipelines

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2016-17, Environment, Sociology

The Impact of Climate on Crime Rates

by Julia Newman (’19) Previous data has shown that overall levels of aggression increase as you move closer to the equator, with Central America showing a murder rate over twenty people greater than that in European countries, but a definitive reasoning has yet to be found. Scientists have suggested that high temperatures cause increased heart rate and blood pressure leading to anger; others have pointed … Continue reading The Impact of Climate on Crime Rates

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2016-17, Environment

Small-Scale Modeling Shows Influences on Climate Change

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Due to their low-latitude location, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean are at particularly high risk of experiencing the effects of climate change. There are currently many global models that show the effects of climate change on a large scale, but fail to take into account the effects that topography and land use have on temperature and precipitation.  This prompted Robert Oglesby, of … Continue reading Small-Scale Modeling Shows Influences on Climate Change

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