greenhouse gases tagged posts

Shear genius: Researchers find way to Scale up Wonder Material, which could do wonders for the Earth

A factory with smoke coming out of it
Many industries use carbon capture to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, which has little commercial value. However, with minimal energy input, using electricity to catalyze a reaction, MOF-525 can convert the captured CO2 to carbon monoxide — a chemical that is valuable in manufacturing.

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have figured out how to take a miracle material, one capable of extracting value from captured carbon dioxide, and do what no one else has: make it practical to fabricate for large-scale application.

The breakthrough from chemical engineering assistant professor Gaurav “Gino” Giri’s lab group has implications for the cleanup of the greenhouse gas, a major contributor to the climate change dilemma...

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New Catalyst turns Greenhouse Gases into Hydrogen Gas

New catalyst turns greenhouse gases into hydrogen gas
Schematic comparison, SEM images, the correlation between the number of ALD cycles and the particle size/population, and x-ray photoelectron curves for the samples. (A) Conventional exsolution for LSTN and (B) corresponding SEM image of LSTN. Scale bar, 500 nm. (C) Topotactic exsolution via ALD for LSTN-20C-Fe and the corresponding SEM image of (D) LSTN-20C-Fe after reduction. Scale bar, 500 nm. Credit: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

A new nanocatalyst that recycles major greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), into highly value-added hydrogen (H2) gas has been developed...

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Oil Production Releases more Methane than Previously Thought

 Graph showing the sources of methane from oil production since 1980. Click to enlarge. ©Höglund-Isaksson 2017

Graph showing the sources of methane from oil production since 1980. Click to enlarge. ©Höglund-Isaksson 2017

Global methane and ethane emissions from oil production from 1980 to 2012 were far higher than previous estimates show, according to a new study which for the first time takes into account different production management systems and geological conditions around the world. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which scientists rank as the second-most important contributor to climate change after CO2. Yet while methane concentrations in the atmosphere can be easily measured, it is difficult to determine the contribution of different sources, whether human or natural.

“In an oil reservoir, there is a layer of gas above the oil which has a methane content of 50 to 85%...

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NASA Finds New Way to Track Ocean Currents from Space

NASA's GRACE satellites (artist's concept) measured Atlantic Ocean bottom pressure

NASA’s GRACE satellites (artist’s concept) measured Atlantic Ocean bottom pressure as an indicator of deep ocean current speed. In 2009, this pattern of above-average (blue) and below-average (red) seafloor pressure revealed a temporary slowing of the deep currents. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A team of NASA and university scientists has developed a new way to use satellite measurements to track changes in Atlantic Ocean currents, which are a driving force in global climate. The finding opens a path to better monitoring and understanding of how ocean circulation is changing and what the changes may mean for future climate.

In the Atlantic, currents at the ocean surface, eg Gulf Stream, carry sun-warmed water from the tropics NE. As the water moves through colder regions, it sheds its heat...

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