Optical methods are experimental and analytical techniques that exploit the interaction of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared ranges with matter to probe, manipulate, or measure physical, chemical, or biological systems. They encompass approaches such as absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy, interferometry, optical microscopy, and optical coherence tomography, relying on phenomena including reflection, refraction, diffraction, scattering, and emission. These methods provide high spatial and temporal resolution, enable non-contact and often non-destructive measurements, and are widely used for quantitative imaging, material characterization, environmental sensing, and in situ monitoring of dynamic processes in both fundamental research and applied technologies.
A new airborne imaging approach can reliably detect unexploded weapons that lie in shallow coastal waters and remain an ongoing hazard to public safety, marine ecosystems and infrastructure worldwide. By combining advanced ...
Environment
Jul 2, 2026
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The Black Sea sits at the boundary between Europe and Asia and connects to the Mediterranean Sea via a chain of waterways. Its surface often appears dark, but each spring and summer it transforms into a striking expanse of ...
Environment
Jun 25, 2026
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7
For five years now, a distinctive green laser beam has been shining at night up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) above the harbor of the island's capital. It forms part of a high-energy lidar with which the Leibniz Institute for ...
Environment
Jun 24, 2026
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7
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties introduces a pioneering, noninvasive technique that can distinguish authentic artworks from forgeries, offering museums, collectors, ...
General Physics
Jun 11, 2026
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29
Imagine being tasked with counting every blade of grass in a field, noting every single species as you go. This is not far from the challenge many scientists face when analyzing microscopic samples packed with thousands of ...
Earth Sciences
May 8, 2026
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13
Environmental scientists and water resource managers need precise, high-resolution maps to reveal areas that farmers should avoid when planting crops, to limit polluting waters with phosphorus from fertilizer or manure. Making ...
Ecology
May 7, 2026
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7
A study by University of Wollongong (UOW) physicist Dr. Enbang Li has demonstrated that gravity can subtly influence the behavior of light, a breakthrough that could underpin future technologies for monitoring groundwater, ...
General Physics
Apr 24, 2026
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42
From space, Earth's populated areas glow on the otherwise "black marble" of the planet at night. For decades, scientists assumed this glow was steadily increasing as the world developed. However, a new study published in ...
Environment
Apr 8, 2026
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39
Scientists have found a new way to detect subtle chemical signatures in seawater, revealing previously invisible details about the ocean's chemistry from data continuously collected by thousands of autonomous robotic floats ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 6, 2026
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25
A new study finds that commercial satellite imagery data often outperforms public data sets when identifying surface water, but that public data sets may be better at detecting water hidden by forest cover. Satellite imagery ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 27, 2026
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