58 news posts related to Environmental Chemistry

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Phosphate, a key building block of life, found on Saturn’s moon Enceladus

An artist's rendition of Saturn's moon Enceladus

An international team including a University of Washington scientist has found that the water on one of Saturn’s moons harbors phosphates, a key building block of life. The team led by the Freie Universität Berlin used data from NASA’s Cassini space mission to detect evidence of phosphates in particles ejected from the ice-covered global ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, is vital for all life on Earth. 

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Newly discovered form of salty ice could exist on surface of extraterrestrial moons

Red streaks across the surface of Europa, the smallest of Jupiter’s four large moons.

The red streaks crisscrossing the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, are striking. Scientists suspect it is a frozen mixture of water and salts, but its chemical signature is mysterious because it matches no known substance on Earth. An international team led by the University of Washington may have solved the puzzle with the discovery of a new type of solid crystal that forms when water and table salt combine in cold and high-pressure conditions. 

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Bubbles of methane rising from seafloor in Puget Sound

Two researchers stand on the R/V Carson

The release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for almost a quarter of global warming, is being studied around the world, from Arctic wetlands to livestock feedlots. A University of Washington team has discovered a source much closer to home: 349 plumes of methane gas bubbling up from the seafloor in Puget Sound, which holds more water than any other U.S. 

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Environmental research in “Español”: Hispanic champions in environmental sciences

scientist measuring circumferance of a tree

In recent years, environmental challenges, like climate change, have become a critical focus point of scientists worldwide. Researchers work tirelessly to ask and examine questions that deal with the very future of our world. Taking a closer look, we find that some of the voices answering those questions have a particular essence. Hispanic scientists have taken up the challenge to push forward environmental research to address the issues that ultimately threaten the delicate balance and even the survival of our planet’s ecosystems. 

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Sustainable aviation fuels: a pathway to economic opportunity and a low carbon future

poplar tree farm

Earlier this year, the United States officially re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement, an international accord that brings many nations together to address climate change. This reconciliation puts the U.S. on track to adopt cleaner energy policies in the pursuit of eventual carbon neutrality. This return also reinforces the importance of advancing environmental research to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, which is critical to curbing carbon dioxide emissions. 

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