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

Mars, too, has macroweather

But weather forecasting on the Red Planet is likely to be even trickier than on Earth

2014-11-13
(Press-News.org) Weather, which changes day-to-day due to constant fluctuations in the atmosphere, and climate, which varies over decades, are familiar. More recently, a third regime, called "macroweather," has been used to describe the relatively stable regime between weather and climate.

A new study by researchers at McGill University and UCL finds that this same three-part pattern applies to atmospheric conditions on Mars. The results, published in Geophysical Research Letters, also show that the sun plays a major role in determining macroweather.

The research promises to advance scientists' understanding of the dynamics of Earth's own atmosphere - and could provide insights into the weather of Venus, Saturn's moon Titan, and possibly the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

The scientists chose to study Mars for its wealth of data with which to test their theory that a transitional "macroweather" regime exists on other planets. They used information collected from Viking - a Mars lander mission during the 1970s and 1980s -- and more recent data from a satellite orbiting Mars.

By taking into account how the sun heats Mars, as well as the thickness of the planet's atmosphere, the scientists predicted that Martian temperature and wind would fluctuate similarly to Earth's - but that the transition from weather to macroweather would take place over 1.8 Martian days (about two Earth days), compared with a week to 10 days on Earth.

"Our analysis of the data from Mars confirmed this prediction quite accurately," said Shaun Lovejoy, a physics professor at McGill University in Montreal and lead author of the paper. "This adds to evidence, from studies of Earth's atmosphere and oceans, that the sun plays a central role in shaping the transition from short-term weather fluctuations to macroweather."

The findings also indicate that weather on Mars can be predicted with some skill up to only two days in advance, compared to Earth's 10 days.

Co-author Professor Jan-Peter Muller from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: "We're going to have a very hard time predicting the weather on Mars beyond two days given what we have found in weather records there, which could prove tricky for the European lander and rover!"

INFORMATION:

S. Lovejoy, J.-P. Muller, J.P. Boisvert, "On Mars too, expect macroweather," Geophysical Research Letters, Nov. 13, 2014. DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061861

For a copy of the paper or to speak to the researchers involved, please contact Chris Chipello in the McGill media relations office, T: 514-398-4201, E: christopher.chipello@mcgill.ca or Dr Rebecca Caygill in the UCL press office, T: +44 (0)20 3108 3846, E: r.caygill@ucl.ac.uk

About McGill University Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill is a leading Canadian post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 11 professional schools, 300 programs of study and some 39,000 students, including more than 9,300 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 8,200 international students making up 21 per cent of the student body.

http://www.mcgill.ca | http://twitter.com/McGillU

About UCL (University College London) Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of international rankings and tables. UCL currently has almost 29,000 students from 150 countries and in the region of 10,000 employees. Our annual income is more than £900 million.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk | Follow us on Twitter @uclnews | Watch our YouTube channel YouTube.com/UCLTV



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Effectiveness of innovative gene therapy treatment demonstrated in canine model of DMD

2014-11-13
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common neuromuscular disease of children (affecting 1 boy in 3500-5000 births). It is caused by a genetic defect in the DMD gene residing on the X chromosome, which results in the absence of the dystrophin protein essential to the proper functioning of muscles. The treatment being developed by researchers at Atlantic Gene Therapies, Généthon and the Institute of Myology, is based on the use of an AAV vector (Adeno Associated Virus) carrying a transgene for the skipping of a specific exon which allows functional dystrophin ...

New process isolates promising material

2014-11-13
After graphene was first produced in the lab in 2004, thousands of laboratories began developing graphene products worldwide. Researchers were amazed by its lightweight and ultra-strong properties. Ten years later, scientists now search for other materials that have the same level of potential. "We continue to work with graphene, and there are some applications where it works very well," said Mark Hersam, the Bette and Neison Harris Chair in Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, who is a graphene expert. ...

High blood pressure puts 1 in 4 Nigerians at risk, study says

2014-11-13
High blood pressure - already a massive hidden killer in Nigeria - is set to sharply rise as the country adopts western lifestyles, a study suggests. Researchers who conducted the first up-to-date nationwide estimate of the condition in Nigeria warn that this will strain the country's already-stretched health system. Increased public awareness, lifestyle changes, screening and early detection are vital to tackle the increasing threat of the disease, they say. High blood pressure - also known as hypertension - is twice as high in Nigeria compared with other East ...

African Americans at greater risk from stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases

2014-11-13
Researchers at The University of Texas have found that compared to Caucasian Americans, African Americans have impaired blood flow regulation in the brain that could contribute to a greater risk of cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, transient ischaemic attack ("mini stroke"), subarachnoid haemorrhage or vascular dementia. These findings were published in Experimental Physiology, the journal of The Physiological Society. Cerebrovascular diseases can result from reduced blood flow in affected areas of the brain. It is still unclear why African Americans are at higher ...

Tiny needles offer potential new treatment for two major eye diseases

Tiny needles offer potential new treatment for two major eye diseases
2014-11-13
Needles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for two of the world's leading eye diseases: glaucoma and corneal neovascularization. The microneedles, ranging in length from 400 to 700 microns, could provide a new way to deliver drugs to specific areas within the eye relevant to these diseases. By targeting the drugs only to specific parts of the eye instead of the entire eye, researchers hope to increase effectiveness, limit side effects, and reduce the amount of drug needed. For glaucoma, which affects about 2.2 ...

Novel cancer vaccine approach for brain tumors

2014-11-13
(PHILADELPHIA) - Glioblastoma is the most common aggressive primary brain tumor, and despite advances in standard treatment, the median survival is about 15 months (compared to 4 months without treatment). Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have been working on a cancer vaccine that would extend that survival by activating the patient's immune system to fight the brain tumor. A study published online November 13th in the journal Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy drilled down to the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind the vaccine, paving the way for further development ...

Premature infants exposed to unsafe levels of chemical in medical products

2014-11-13
Hospitalized premature infants are exposed to unsafe levels of a chemical found in numerous medical products used to treat them, raising questions about whether critically ill newborns may be adversely affected by equipment designed to help save their lives. The chemical, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), is used to increase flexibility of many plastic devices. These products, made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), include most intravenous tubing, catheters, endotracheal tubes, and fluid and blood product bags. DEHP doesn't bind chemically to PVC, and is able to leach into ...

Use of private social media affects work performance

Use of private social media affects work performance
2014-11-13
In a new study, Use of Social Network Sites at Work: Does it Impair Performance?, Postdoctoral Fellow Cecilie Schou Andreassen and colleagues at the University of Bergen's (UiB) Department of Psychosocial Science looked at the consequences of the use of social media during working hours. Every day, more than one billion people worldwide use social media. This habit has also invaded the workplace, as some research reports that four out of five employees use social media for private purpose during working hours. Surprisingly, although this type of distraction may potentially ...

Genetic testing could improve breast cancer prevention

2014-11-13
Scientists used mathematical models to show that analysing genetic data, alongside a range of other risk factors, could substantially improve the ability to flag up women at highest risk of developing breast cancer. Their study showed that prevention strategies could be improved by testing not only as currently for major cancer predisposition genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 - which identify a small percentage of women at very high risk - but also by factoring in data on multiple gene variants that individually have only a small effect on risk, but are more common in the ...

How the breast cancer cells transform normal cells into tumoral ones?

How the breast cancer cells transform normal cells into tumoral ones?
2014-11-13
Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge, the Catalan Institute of Oncology and the University Hospital of Bellvitge have participated in an international study published in the journal Cancer Cell that describes how exosomes secreted by tumor cells contain protein and microRNA molecules capable of transform neighboring cells into tumoral cells promoting tumor growth. What are exosomes? Exosomes are small vesicles which are secreted by all cells and contain proteins and messenger RNAs and microRNAs. At first it was thought that only functioned ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

[Press-News.org] Mars, too, has macroweather
But weather forecasting on the Red Planet is likely to be even trickier than on Earth