https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Coffee grounds that usually end up being thrown away can have a second life as a raw material for producing biofuels and other high-value-added products. A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has evaluated how to extract oil from coffee grounds efficiently while preserving the rest of the plant material so that it can also be used in other processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-spent-coffee-grounds-reveal-route.html Biochemistry Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:10:01 EDT news704039042 Millions of people across the UK marveled at the spectacular northern lights that lit up the night sky in May 2024. But while the display captivated skywatchers, the geomagnetic storm behind it also served as the biggest test in a generation of the UK's preparedness for severe space weather. So did it pass? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-powerful-northern-generation-expose-weaknesses.html Planetary Sciences Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news704019301 Logically, you would think a sleek surface has optimal aerodynamics—but recent research at Tohoku University turns this fundamental principle on its head. Applying an irregular microscale surface texture reduced the aerodynamic drag of a test model. The innovation has potential applications in the design of fuel-efficient vehicles. The study is published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microscale-roughness-breakthrough-defies-years.html General Physics Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:04 EDT news703935124 The vast majority of carbon emissions caused by "mega-events" such as World Cups and global concert tours come from audience travel, according to University of Cambridge researchers. In a new study, researchers estimate that expanding to 48 teams for this year's World Cup increased emissions by well over half a million metric tons to some 4.23 million metric tons of carbon for the whole tournament, 82% of which comes from traveling fans, with around 3 million metric tons from flying alone. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fifa-superstars-discount-tickets-fans.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:06 EDT news703318193 Researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, University of Massachusetts and University of Illinois have developed breakthrough methods to track the migration of individual bird species by combining participatory science data with weather radar technology. This advancement addresses a long-standing limitation in migration monitoring: While radar can detect birds in flight, it cannot identify which species are migrating. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-methods-tracking-individual-bird-species.html Plants & Animals Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:10:01 EDT news700329181 Reducing aircraft soot emissions may not reduce contrail clouds, according to in-flight observations of emissions from a passenger jet with modern "lean-burn" engines, reported in Nature. Contrails from aircraft contribute to the climate-warming impacts of aviation. The findings demonstrate that more work is needed to understand and reduce the climate impact of jet engine emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-aircraft-soot-climate-effects-contrails.html Environment Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:20:01 EDT news694268221 Earth's magnetic field acts as a vital shield against radiation arriving from space, but it is not constant. A new international study has examined how a reduction of the magnetic field similar to the Laschamps excursion would affect aviation on routes such as Helsinki–Dubai and Helsinki–New York if it occurred today. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-laschamps-geomagnetic-excursion-today-aviation.html Earth Sciences Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:00:01 EDT news693660361 Small changes to aircraft flight paths to avoid the atmospheric conditions that create condensation trails—known as contrails—could reduce aviation's global warming impact by nearly half, a new study suggests. The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, suggests that changing cruising altitude by a few thousand feet, either up or down, could prevent contrails from forming. Reducing or avoiding contrail formation in this way would also be faster and cheaper than other climate mitigation measures for the aviation industry, since the practice can be adopted with existing aircraft and fuel. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-flight-paths-slash-aviation-climate.html Environment Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:40:04 EDT news692967181 Aviation's climate impact is partly due to contrails—condensation that a plane streaks across the sky when it flies through icy and humid layers of the atmosphere. Contrails trap heat that radiates from the planet's surface, and while the magnitude of this impact is uncertain, several studies suggest contrails may be responsible for about half of aviation's climate impact. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-eyes-skies-planes-climate-contrails.html Earth Sciences Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:20:24 EST news685639201 Researchers at the Institute for Meteorology at Leipzig University have, for the first time, determined the climatic impact of contrails that form within natural cirrus clouds. Contrails account for the largest share of aviation's climate impact beyond carbon dioxide emissions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-hidden-contrails-cirrus-clouds-contribute.html Earth Sciences Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:20:23 EST news684753601 If you look up at the sky on a clear day, chances are you'll notice thin, white clouds—also known as contrails—following behind airplanes. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-seeding-jet-exhaust-ice-nucleating.html Environment Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:45:58 EST news684081881 Researchers at Tohoku University have come one step closer to finding a sustainable solution that could help us rely less on fossil fuels. Their research shows that when a zinc (Zn) single-atom catalyst is part of an electrochemical reaction called the furfural reduction reaction (FRR), it can selectively produce a precursor to aviation fuels. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-sustainable-aviation-fuel-precursors-furfural.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:45:03 EDT news673605901 A new study led by a University of California, Irvine scientist reveals that airlines can make smarter tradeoff decisions to cut aviation's warming impact. The research, published in the journal Nature, offers hopeful news for the future of air travel and climate action. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-smarter-flight-decisions-mitigate-climate.html Earth Sciences Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:44 EDT news670599301 Global aviation carbon dioxide emissions increased by 1% in 2023 because planes had to fly longer routes to avoid Russian airspace, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-ukraine-war-planes-longer-routes.html Environment Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:02 EST news658485541 A new technology has been developed to convert common seaweeds such as Kkosiraegi, which are often used in cooking, into high-quality sources for both bio-aviation fuels and energy storage devices. The results were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-seaweeds-raw-materials-aviation-fuel.html Biochemistry Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:53:13 EDT news646919583 Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-modern-aircraft-emit-carbon-older.html Environment Wed, 07 Aug 2024 01:00:01 EDT news642175301 Video footage of Iceland's 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption is providing researchers from the University of Cambridge with rare, up-close observations of volcanic ash clouds—information that could help better forecast how far explosive eruptions disperse their hazardous ash particles. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-video-analysis-iceland-eruption-volcanic.html Earth Sciences Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:10:30 EDT news637499426 Sustainable aviation fuels made from renewable sources of carbon could reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help to mitigate climate change. Isoprenol is a chemical involved in the production of a jet biofuel blendstock called 1,4-dimethylcyclooctane (DMCO). Blendstocks are chemicals that are combined with other chemicals to create fuel. Researchers have produced isoprenol in several microbial hosts. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sustainable-aviation-fuel-microorganism-precursor.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 May 2024 11:09:03 EDT news634471741 In recent decades, scientists have sought solutions to improve the sustainable production of biofuels from renewable sources. The latest advance in this field was announced at the end of May by Brazilian researchers and could boost the production of sustainable biofuels for aviation and maritime shipping. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-enzyme-boost-sustainable-production-aviation.html Biochemistry Wed, 16 Aug 2023 13:18:10 EDT news611410686 In a discovery aimed at accelerating the development of process-advantaged crops for jet biofuels, scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a capability to insert multiple genes into plants in a single step. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-approach-stacks-genes-faster.html Plants & Animals Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:14:03 EDT news605528041 The skies aircraft fly through are bumpier today than four decades ago, scientists have found, after producing a new analysis showing that turbulence has increased as the climate changed. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-aviation-turbulence-world.html Earth Sciences Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:00:02 EDT news605430691 Supercooled droplets can typically freeze on surfaces in nature, and have broad-scale influence on industries where they can adversely impact technical efficiency and reliability. Superhydrophobic surfaces are therefore a materials engineering solution to rapidly shed water and reduce ice adhesion to form promising candidates that resist icing. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-supercooled-droplet-superhydrophobic-ice-repellent-surfaces.html Soft Matter Thu, 16 Feb 2023 12:50:01 EST news595774084 Ultrafine particles form during combustion processes, for example, when wood or biomass is burned, as well as in power-generating and industrial processes. Alongside road traffic, large airports are a major source of these ultrafine particles, which are less than 100 millionths of a millimeter (100 nanometers) in size. Because they are so small, they can penetrate deep into the lower respiratory tract, overcome the air-blood barrier and, depending on their composition, cause inflammatory reactions in the tissue, for example. What's more, ultrafine particles are suspected of being capable of triggering cardiovascular diseases. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-jet-lubrication-oils-major-source.html Earth Sciences Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:03:03 EST news592477382 During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global road travel and commercial flight activity decreased by 50% and 60%, respectively, compared to pre-pandemic levels. During the lockdowns that cities imposed in the initial months of COVID, flight activity in particular was reduced to a near standstill, decreasing by 96%—nearly triple the percentage of flight reductions that followed the 9/11 attacks. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-air-road-covid-pollution.html Environment Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:00:04 EDT news583686002 Aviation's growing impact on the climate crisis requires radical solutions that may upend the industry, according to a new Nature commentary article from the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-aviation-industry-overhaul-response-climate.html Environment Mon, 19 Sep 2022 17:15:24 EDT news582826517 A trio of researchers, two with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology's Department of Environmental Systems and the other with Climate Service Center Germany, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, say that reducing CO2 emissions from aircraft will not fully solve the problem of their negative climate contributions. In their paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Nicoletta Brazzola, Anthony Patt and Jan Wohland note that other emissions from aircraft also contribute to climate change. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-net-zero-carbon-emissions-aircraft-overlooks.html Environment Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:00:03 EDT news578047448 Camelina, also known as false flax or Gold-of-Pleasure, is an ancient oilseed crop with emerging applications in the production of sustainable, low-input biofuels. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-armenian-ancient-crop-aviation-biofuel.html Plants & Animals Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:58:19 EDT news576233891 As COVID-19's initial wave crested around the world, travel restrictions and a drop in passengers led to a record number of grounded flights in 2020. The air travel reduction cleared the skies of not just jets but also the fluffy white contrails they produce high in the atmosphere. https://phys.org/news/2022-03-airplane-contrails-steeply.html Environment Mon, 07 Mar 2022 07:39:40 EST news565861174 Aviation is responsible for more global warming than implied by its carbon footprint alone. According to new research published today, aviation could consume up one-sixth of the remaining temperature budget required to limit warming to 1.5˚C by 2050. The article, published in Environmental Research Letters, suggests that emissions produced by the aviation industry must be reduced each year if the sector's emissions are not to increase warming further. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-aviation-present-day-contribution-human-induced-global.html Environment Thu, 04 Nov 2021 05:00:01 EDT news555220706 Replacing petroleum-based aviation fuel with sustainable aviation fuel derived from a type of mustard plant can reduce carbon emissions by up to 68%, according to new research from University of Georgia scientist Puneet Dwivedi. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-plant-based-jet-fuel-emissions.html Environment Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:50:40 EDT news553427436