October 03, 2018

Good Morning,

Did you know that bombs that were set off during the Second World War sent powerful shockwaves to the edge of space? A new study offers some very intriguing information.

Learn about this and more interesting stories from the scientific community in today's issue.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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Climate researchers: More green space, less biofuel

The chorus of biofuel critics is getting louder. In an opinion article published this week in the journal PNAS, a pair climate scientists argued continued support for biofuel production will make it more difficult to protect the climate.

John M. DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute, and William H. Schlesinger, president emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, want to see more conservation of the planet's natural resources.

When burned, many low-carbon biofuels have a much smaller impact on the atmosphere than fossil fuels. But the development or conversion of land for the production of biofuel crops can negatively impact the environment.

"Current policies advancing bioenergy contribute to the pressure to convert natural land into harvested forest or cropland," DeCicco said in a news release. "But high quality land is a limited resource. For reducing atmospheric CO2, the most efficient use of ecologically productive land is to leave it alone, or reforest it. Let it act as a natural, long-term carbon sink."

In their paper, two researchers proposed a greater emphasis on the protection of the planet's natural carbon-absorbing resources.

"To maximize the role of the biosphere in mitigation, we must focus on and start with measurably raising rates of net carbon uptake on land -- rather than seeking to use biomass for energy," they wrote. "The most ecologically sound, economical and scalable ways to accomplish that task are by protecting and enhancing natural climate sinks."

The pair also called for more research to focus on "terrestrial carbon management." A growing number of studies have highlighted the surprising ways different types of landscapes cycle carbon. Some studies have suggested wild grasslands may be more efficient sequesters of carbon in the future.

DeCicco and Schlesinger aren't alone in their plea. Earlier this year, thousands of scientists signed a letter criticizing the European Union's decision to classify wood fuel as carbon neutral. The letter claimed the support of wood-based biofuel production would lead to new pressures on already vulnerable forests across the globe.

WWII bombs sent shockwaves to the edge of space

The edge of space is more than 62 miles away, but what happens on Earth's surface can effect even the uppermost layers of Earth's atmosphere.

According to a new study published this week in the journal Annales Geophysicae, Allied bombing raids during the Second World War were powerful enough to send shockwaves to the edge of space.

"The images of neighborhoods across Europe reduced to rubble due to wartime air raids are a lasting reminder of the destruction that can be caused by man-made explosions," Chris Scott, professor of space and atmospheric physics at the University of Reading in England, said in a news release. "But the impact of these bombs way up in the Earth's atmosphere has never been realized until now."

Previous studies have revealed the effects of lightning strikes and volcanic activity on the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere, including the ionosphere. The latest findings suggest exploding bombs can also impact atmospheric dynamics at the edge of space.

"It is astonishing to see how the ripples caused by man-made explosions can affect the edge of space. Each raid released the energy of at least 300 lightning strikes," Scott said. "The sheer power involved has allowed us to quantify how events on the Earth's surface can also affect the ionosphere."

From 1924 to 1979, scientists at the Radio Research Station in Slough, England, regularly aimed shortwave radio pulses at the atmosphere. The rebounding radio signals helped scientists characterize the changing height and ionization levels in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

For the latest study, Reading researchers analyzed the radio signals collected between 1943 and 1945. Scientists found marked decreases in the ionosphere's electron concentration corresponding to 152 large Allied air raids in Europe during the three-year period.

The analysis confirmed Allied bombs were significantly more powerful than those dropped by the German Luftwaffe. The Allied forces' "Grand Slam" raids included bombs weighing more than 10 tons.

"Aircrew involved in the raids reported having their aircraft damaged by the bomb shockwaves, despite being above the recommended height," said Patrick Major, a professor of history at Reading. "Residents under the bombs would routinely recall being thrown through the air by the pressure waves of air mines exploding, and window casements and doors would be blown off their hinges."

In the wake of the novel work, study authors have requested for the assistance of citizen scientists in the effort to digitize early atmospheric data. Scientists hope to look for links between smaller bombing raids and changes in the ionosphere in order to determine the minimum level of explosive energy required to send shockwaves to the edge of space.

The behavior of the ionosphere can affect modern communications technologies like GPS. By better characterizing the impact of surface-level phenomena on the upper atmosphere, scientists can develop best practices to better protect communication systems.

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