All articles tagged with #evaporation
A new study in PNAS challenges the 'photomolecular effect' theory, which claims visible light can evaporate water without heating it. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany tested this using high-intensity light and found no change in evaporation rates or molecular structure at the water-air interface, suggesting previous results were likely due to experimental artifacts.
Water drawn through the hollow stem of a living horsetail (Equisetum) shows the most extreme oxygen-isotope signature ever measured in terrestrial water, a finding that stretches Earth’s isotope range and prompts a reevaluation of how evaporation, plant water, and fossil proxies reveal past humidity and climate.
Water drawn through the hollow stem of a living Equisetum horsetail shows the most extreme oxygen‑isotope signature ever measured in terrestrial material, with heavy oxygen concentrating from base to tip as moisture evaporates. The finding prompts a rethink of how evaporation reshapes plant-water signals, fossil phytolith readings, and past humidity, influencing how scientists reconstruct ancient climates.
Scientists have uncovered that the Mediterranean Sea nearly vanished in a two-phase process of extreme evaporation over five million years ago, leading to a significant loss of marine biodiversity, with only 11% of species surviving the crisis and a recovery period of at least 1.7 million years.
Researchers study the Dead Sea's unique conditions to understand the formation of massive salt deposits, revealing processes like evaporation, temperature fluctuations, and double diffusion that contribute to salt giant formation, with implications for understanding similar structures in Earth's history and potential resource extraction.
Scientists have uncovered the process behind the Messinian Salinity Crisis, a geological event 5.5 million years ago that transformed the Mediterranean Sea into a massive salt basin, losing up to 70% of its water volume. This occurred in two phases: an initial salt deposition in the eastern Mediterranean and a rapid evaporative drawdown affecting the entire basin, causing significant sea-level drops. These findings, published in Nature Communications, enhance understanding of past geological phenomena and their global impacts.
Scientists in Hong Kong and China have developed a clean-energy generator inspired by the classic "drinking bird" toy, using the power of water evaporation to generate electricity. By converting the toy's back-and-forth movement into electrical power, the team has achieved an output of 100 volts using just 100 milliliters of water, enough to power small electronic devices. This method presents a substantial renewable energy opportunity by harnessing the natural process of evaporation, and the team's next goal is to design a more efficient version of the drinking bird to further harness the power of evaporation.
Strong winds in Death Valley National Park caused Lake Manly to shift two miles north, leading to shallower and muddier water. Boating on the lake has been suspended due to the drying conditions, despite the recent influx of visitors attracted by the rare opportunity to kayak. The lake's formation is a result of rare heavy rainfall, and although boating is no longer permitted, the lake may still offer picturesque reflections through April.
An ancient lake reemerged at Death Valley National Park due to extreme rain and is expected to stick around longer than initially estimated, with recent storms expanding the lake once again. The region, known for being the driest place in North America, has received nearly 5 inches of rain in the past six months, leading to the temporary lake's growth. Park rangers are uncertain how long the lake will last, as more rain is forecasted. The lake, once part of the Ice Age-era Lake Manly, is currently about 6 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 1 foot deep, providing a rare opportunity for visitors to kayak.
Lakes don't just absorb into the ground due to the permeability of the material at the bottom of the lake, which determines how quickly water can seep through. Rocky bottoms and accumulated sediment limit water passage, while evaporation also plays a role. However, human consumption and climate warming are causing more than half of the world's large lakes to dry up, emphasizing the need to monitor and protect these vital water sources.
A team of physicists at The University of Edinburgh has conducted an experiment to validate a theory explaining why paint dries at the same rate regardless of humidity levels. The researchers found that evaporation rates remained constant for approximately three hours, regardless of humidity levels. This supports the theory that a polarization layer forms during evaporation, inhibiting further drying. However, at humidity levels above 80%, evaporation did slow down, likely due to other factors. The study could have implications for understanding respiratory droplets and their behavior.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a new source of evaporation that could potentially surpass the transformative effect of heat on liquid water: light. Through experiments, they found that light without heat can evaporate liquid water, a phenomenon they call the 'photomolecular effect'. This finding challenges the traditional understanding of evaporation and could have implications for climate change modeling and desalination processes. The team at MIT is working with other experts to confirm their results and explore the potential applications of this discovery.
Researchers at MIT have discovered that under certain conditions, light can directly cause water to evaporate without the need for heat, and it does so even more efficiently than heat. This surprising finding could have implications for various applications, including desalination, fog and cloud formation, and industrial processes. The researchers suggest that this phenomenon, which they call the photomolecular effect, could potentially lead to more efficient solar-powered desalination systems and cheap desalination methods. They are also exploring its potential use in evaporative cooling processes and its effects on climate change modeling.
New theoretical research by Radboud University shows that black holes will eventually evaporate due to Hawking radiation, but the event horizon is not as crucial as previously believed. The curvature of spacetime causes radiation too, meaning that all large objects in the universe will eventually evaporate. The study shows that new particles can be created far beyond the event horizon, and objects without an event horizon, such as remnants of dead stars, also have this sort of radiation. This changes our understanding of Hawking radiation and the universe's future.