PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Increased greenhouse gases and aerosols have similar effects on rainfall

2013-09-02
(Press-News.org) Although greenhouse gases and aerosols have very distinct properties, their effects on spatial patterns of rainfall change are surprisingly similar, according to new research from the University of Hawaii at Manoa's International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The study is published in the September 1 online issue of Nature Geoscience.

Manmade climate change comes mostly from the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases and air pollutants or aerosols. While greenhouse gases are well-mixed in the atmosphere and tend to be evenly distributed around the globe, aerosols vary greatly in local concentration and tend to be found near emission sources such as industrial centers in Asia and North America.

Aerosols affect climate in two ways: one is fast and perturbs the physics and behavior of clouds in minutes to days; the other effect takes years and is mediated by interactions with the ocean and atmosphere. The fast effects of aerosols on clouds have been studied intensely, but their long-term ocean-mediated effect has received little attention.

A team of scientists at the IPRC and Scripps has now provided important new insights based on results from experiments with three state-of-the-art climate models. Even though aerosols and greenhouse gases are concentrated in vastly different regions of the earth, all three models revealed similar regional effects on rainfall over the ocean.

"This came as a big surprise to us," reflected lead-author Shang-Ping Xie, a professor of climate science and first Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science at Scripps. "It took a while for the result to sink in. The result means that it is hard to tell apart the greenhouse and aerosol effects."

The scientists noted that both aerosol-induced and greenhouse-gas-induced changes in rainfall appear to be mediated by the spatial patterns of sea surface temperature.

"Although much of the aerosol research has focused on microphysical processes, over the ocean the climate response to aerosols appears to be insensitive to details of the micro-processes in clouds," Xie said. "The climate changes induced by greenhouse gases and by aerosols share a common set of ocean-atmospheric feedback structures, explaining the spatial resemblance between the two types of response."

"Innovative model experiments are now needed," says coauthor Baoqiang Xiang, postdoctoral fellow at the IPRC. We want to probe the ocean-atmosphere interaction mechanisms that mediate these rainfall patterns and to determine what forms the foundation. This will allow us to develop more reliable regional climate projections." ### Citation: Xie, S.-P., B. Lu, and B. Xiang: Similar spatial patterns of climate responses to aerosol and greenhouse gas changes. Nature Geoscience, doi: 10.1038/ngeo1931. Advance Online Publication: September 1, 2013.

This work was supported by the NSF (ATM-0854365), the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB955600), the NOAA Climate Program Office (NA08OA4320910), the China Scholarship Council and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Author Contact: Shang-Ping Xie, currently at: sxie@ucsd.edu, (858) 822-0053, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Bo Lu, currently at: lblblbdfs@pku.edu.cn, National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China Baoqiang Xiang, currently at: Baoqiang@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2453, International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa. International Pacific Research Center Media Contact: Gisela E. Speidel, gspeidel@hawaii.edu. (808) 956-9252. The International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is a climate research center founded to gain greater understanding of the climate system and the nature and causes of climate variation in the Asia-Pacific region and how global climate changes may affect the region. Established under the "U.S.-Japan Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective" in October 1997, the IPRC is a collaborative effort between agencies in Japan and the United States.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New data reveals that the average height of European males has grown by 11cm in just over a century

2013-09-02
The average height of European males increased by an unprecedented 11cm between the mid-nineteenth century and 1980, according to a new paper published online today in the journal Oxford Economic Papers. Contrary to expectations, the study also reveals that average height actually accelerated in the period spanning the two World Wars and the Great Depression. Timothy J. Hatton, Professor of Economics at the University of Essex and the Research School of Economics at Australian National University in Canberra, examined and analysed a new dataset for the average height ...

World-leading penguin experts come to Britain

2013-09-02
Research: New research has revealed how the Emperor Penguin is able to dive to depths of over 500m and stay under water for up to 27 minutes – deeper and longer than any of its fellow avian species. Researchers from the University of California will be presenting their new findings at the International Penguin Conference (IPC) which begins in Bristol today [02 September]. It's the first time the conference has been held in Europe, with 200 delegates from 30 countries sharing their latest research and knowledge at the University of Bristol and Bristol Zoo Gardens between ...

Droplet Digital PCR enables reproducible quantification of microRNA biomarkers

2013-09-02
Seattle, Wash. — September 1, 2013 — A study published online in Nature Methods today demonstrated that Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR™) technology can be used to precisely and reproducibly quantify microRNA (miRNA) in plasma and serum across different days, paving the way for further development of miRNA and other nucleic acids as circulating biomarkers. "In the field of circulating microRNA diagnostics, droplet digital PCR enables us to finally perform biomarker studies in which the measurements are directly comparable across days within a laboratory and even among different ...

Stanford scientists show how antibiotics enable pathogenic gut infections

2013-09-02
STANFORD, Calif. — A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine could help pinpoint ways to counter the effects of the antibiotics-driven depletion of friendly, gut-dwelling bacteria. A number of intestinal pathogens can cause problems after antibiotic administration, said Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and the senior author of the study, to be published online Sept. 1 in Nature. Graduate students Katharine Ng and Jessica Ferreyra shared lead authorship. "Antibiotics open the door for these pathogens ...

Scientists sequence genome of high-value grape, seek secrets of wine's aroma

2013-09-02
Demystifying the chemical processes that create a wine's aroma, and the invaluable potential application of that understanding in winemaking, is the new objective of scientists in Uruguay who, with European partners, also recently sequenced the genome of the high-value Tannat grape, from which "the most healthy of red wines" are fermented. Meanwhile, a quick, $1 test in development by researchers in Paraguay and Uruguay promises to reduce the economic and health burden of 3 million cases of syphilis in Latin America -- a disease readily treated and cured if diagnosed ...

Drug reduces hospitalizations and cost of treating young children with sickle cell anemia

2013-09-02
A drug proven effective for treatment of adults and children with sickle cell anemia reduced hospitalizations and cut annual estimated medical costs by 21 percent for affected infants and toddlers, according to an analysis led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The report appears today in the advance online edition of the journal Pediatrics. The study is the largest ever focusing on the economic impact of the drug hydroxyurea in children with the inherited blood disorder. The result supports expanded use of the drug to extend the length and quality of life for ...

Risk factors for cardiovascular problems found to be inverse to disease and deaths

2013-09-02
Hamilton, ON (September 2, 2013) – Despite living with the highest risk factors for heart disease, people in high income countries suffer less from serious cardiovascular disease, says an international study by the global PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology ) collaboration and led by McMaster University researchers. At the same time, the study found that people in low income countries, although living with fewer risk factors for heart disease, have a higher incidence of serious cardiovascular disease including death. "These findings were a total surprise," ...

Metabolically healthy women have same CVD risk regardless of BMI

2013-09-02
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Monday 2 September 2013: Metabolically healthy women have the same cardiovascular disease risk regardless of their BMI, according to research presented at the ESC Congress today by Dr Søren Skøtt Andersen and Dr Michelle Schmiegelow from Denmark. The findings in more than 260,000 subjects suggest that obese women have a window of opportunity to lose weight and avoid developing a metabolic disorder, which would increase their CVD risk. Dr Schmiegelow said: "Obesity and/or metabolic disorders (hypertensive disorders [hypertension, gestational ...

Pacemaker for slow heart rhythm restores life expectancy

2013-09-02
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Monday 2 September 2013 : Pacemakers implanted for slow heart rhythm restore life expectancy to normal levels, reveals research presented at ESC Congress 2013 today by Dr Erik O. Udo from the Netherlands. The findings provide a new reference point for the prognosis of modern pacemaker patients. Dr Udo said: "Previous studies describing the survival of pacemaker patients used data that is more than 20 years old and cannot be used anymore for patient counselling and benchmarking. There have been considerable changes in pacemaker technology ...

ASSURE study of experimental agent to raise HDL yields 'disappointing and surprising' results

2013-09-02
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2 September2013 – The search continues for an agent that increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and reduces arterial plaque, after the experimental apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) inducer, RVX-208 failed to do so in the ApoA1 Synthesis Stimulation and Intravascular Ultrasound for Coronary Atheroma Regression Evaluation (ASSURE) study. The lack of efficacy of RVX-208 is "disappointing and surprising, given promising earlier findings," noted lead investigator Stephen Nicholls MBBS, PhD, Deputy Director at the South Australian Health and Medical Research ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Majority of oncology staff at Moroccan Cancer Institute affected by burnout

People who skip breakfast and eat late dinners may have a higher risk of osteoporosis

Pertussis resurgence in Tuscany outlines importance of timely vaccination in Italy

Innovative food processing technologies: a path to nutritional efficiency in staple crops

We must develop thinkers, not crammers and fact experts

Political polar opposites may be more alike than they think

GI tumor microbes may predict prognosis and inform treatment

Study linking depression to specific altered brain cells opens door to new treatments

How plants rot: New method decodes hidden decomposers of wood and leaves

COPD care pathway leads to shorter hospital stays, more referrals to pulmonary rehab

First global guidelines for pregnancy and inflammatory bowel disease developed

In search of the perfect raspberry

Bio-inspired, self-cleaning sweat sensors for comfortable wearable health monitoring

Chung-Ang University researchers reveal strange dynamics of nanoparticle growth and shrink

No strong evidence for alternative autism treatments, study finds

New self-assembling material could be the key to recyclable EV batteries

An ancient signpost: Minute fossils tell big story about arthropod evolution

Predictable structures in music synchronises blood pressure the most, and could be used to create personalized music-based cardiovascular therapies  

New systematic review and meta-analysis shows an association between shingles vaccination and lower risk of heart attack and stroke 

Food for thought: Using food delivery services to provide rapid cardiac arrest response and potentially save lives

College drinking linked to poor academics, mental health for those around the drinker: Study

Nearly 80% of whale sharks in this marine tourism hotspot have human-caused scars

Spider uses trapped fireflies as glowing bait to attract more prey

How AI can build bridges between nations, if diplomats use it wisely

80% of Americans don’t know early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms

Researchers engineer ureter tissue from stem cells, paving way for transplantable kidneys

Strong, evidence-based leadership at CDC essential in wake of director’s exit, says SHEA

Birdwatching tourism is booming. Some countries are benefiting, while others are left behind

High protein or Trp diet increases the risk of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism

Risk of a second cancer after early breast cancer is low

[Press-News.org] Increased greenhouse gases and aerosols have similar effects on rainfall