News – Page 7

Arctic lakes are releasing relatively young carbon, UCI-led study discovers

Written on January 31, 2018.

Findings paint less dire climate picture, as ancient emissions are more harmful Irvine, Calif., Jan. 31, 2018 – When Arctic permafrost soil thaws, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, but most of the carbon currently escaping from lakes in northern Alaska is relatively young, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine. “This finding is crucial, because much of the biomass stored underground in the Arctic is ancient, dating back to the...

Rise in Severity of Hottest Days Outpaces Global Average Temperature Increase

Written on January 24, 2018.

UCI study also finds megacities affected most by uptick in extreme-heat events Jan. 24, 2018 – While our planet’s average annual temperature has increased at a steady pace in recent decades, there has been an alarming jump in the severity of the hottest days of the year during that same period, with the most lethal effects in the world’s largest cities. Engineers at the University of California, Irvine have learned that urban centers with more than 5 million inhabitants and parts...

Marine vegetation can mitigate ocean acidification, UCI study finds

Written on January 22, 2018.

Conservation of shoreline plants and seaweeds could, in turn, help preserve shellfish habitats Irvine, Calif., Jan. 22, 2018 – Marine plants and seaweeds in shallow coastal ecosystems can play a key role in alleviating the effects of ocean acidification, and their robust population in shoreline environments could help preserve declining shellfish life, according to a study by University of California, Irvine ecologists. In a new study on the Pacific Coast, Nyssa Silbiger, former UCI postdoctoral...

Less predictable precipitation

Written on January 16, 2018.

Waning influence of once-telling weather patterns altered by global warming skews projections Brian Bell / UCI For Californians from Crescent City to Chula Vista, the second week of 2018 brought rain showers. Was it merely a fluke in the middle of an ongoing dry spell, or does it mean we’re on the verge of another wet winter, similar to last year’s? The answer, according to a UCI climatologist, is up in the air – literally and figuratively. The two factors that have, historically, affected...

National Fuel Cell Research Center Announces Record Year for Hydrogen Dispensing

Written on January 11, 2018.

Amount dispensed into fuel cell electric vehicles in 2017 was double that of 2016 Jan. 11, 2018 – In 2017, a total of 48,599 kilograms of hydrogen was dispensed, more than double the 23,909 kilograms in 2016. While two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses refueled at the station, the majority of the increase was from light duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) such as the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, and Hyundai Tucson. The UCI Hydrogen Station, established and operated by the...

Jeffrey Reed Appointed Advanced Power and Energy Program Chief Scientist, Renewable Fuels and Energy Storage

Written on January 3, 2018.

Highly regarded engineer and strategist will focus on the research, development and deployment of sustainable energy solutions Jan. 3, 2018 – Jeffrey G. Reed, until recently the director of business strategy and advanced technology for the Southern California Gas Company, will join UC Irvine’s Advanced Power and Energy Program as chief scientist for renewable fuels and energy storage. In his new role, Reed will lead and expand an existing foundation of research and market...

UCI and SoCalGas Partner to Design “Advanced Energy Community”

Written on December 12, 2017.

Oak View neighborhood in Huntington Beach to benefit from model energy plan Dec. 12, 2017 – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced that it will partner with the University of California-Irvine’s Advanced Power & Energy Program to design an “Advanced Energy Community” in an underserved neighborhood in Huntington Beach. The community will be planned as a replicable model that optimizes a full spectrum of diverse...

UCI scientists unveil new satellite-based global drought severity index

Written on December 11, 2017.

Enhanced monitoring tool adds groundwater storage to assessment factors New Orleans, Dec. 11, 2017 – Just in time for the holidays, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions are rolling out a new satellite-based drought severity index for climate watchers worldwide. Relying on data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment mission, the index adds terrestrial water storage (groundwater) to drought assessments, augmenting commonly used tools most...

UCI chemists’ solar-powered device generates electricity through ion transport

Written on November 15, 2017.

Innovative technology could lead to low-cost seawater desalination Nov. 15, 2017 – By binding photosensitive dyes to common plastic membranes and adding water, chemists at the University of California, Irvine have made a new type of solar power generator. The device is similar to familiar silicon photovoltaic cells but differs in a fundamental way: Instead of being produced via electrons, its electricity comes from the motion of ions. Dubbed the “synthetic, light-driven proton pump”...

UCI chemists’ solar-powered device generates electricity through ion transport

Written on November 15, 2017.

Innovative technology could lead to low-cost seawater desalination Irvine, Calif., Nov. 15, 2017 — By binding photosensitive dyes to common plastic membranes and adding water, chemists at the University of California, Irvine have made a new type of solar power generator. The device is similar to familiar silicon photovoltaic cells but differs in a fundamental way: Instead of being produced via electrons, its electricity comes from the motion of ions. Dubbed the “synthetic, light-driven...