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Local Germany
17 hours ago
- Science
- Local Germany
Climate change could double summer rainfall in the German Alps
Researchers said that in a scenario where temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius, the Alps and nearby regions could experience episodes of intense summer rainfall twice as often as currently. "With such warming, an intense storm currently expected once every 50 years could occur once every 25 years in the future," said the Swiss university, which conducted the study in collaboration with the University of Padua in Italy. "Hot air holds more moisture (around seven percent more per degree), intensifying storm activity", the researchers said. "As the Alpine environment warms faster than the global average, it is particularly affected," they added. The study used summer rainfall data collected from nearly 300 meteorological stations across the European Alps in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. They focused on record-breaking rainfall events - lasting from ten minutes to an hour - that occurred between 1991 and 2020, as well as the temperatures associated with these episodes. "The sudden and massive arrival of large volumes of water can exceed the soil's absorption capacity," which can "trigger flash floods and debris flows, causing damage to infrastructure", said Nadav Peleg, a researcher at UNIL and the study's lead author. Advertisement Researchers recommend "preparing urban water management systems and other infrastructures" that are ill suited to handle significant rainfall volumes. "Promptly updating engineering and urban planning standards" would help mitigate potential risks associated with these events, they added, while also emphasising the need to "limit global warming to 1.5C or less above current levels". According to scientists from the United Nations' IPCC panel on climate change, there is a 50 percent chance of global temperatures rising by an average of 1.5C by 2030-2035. "We are already observing a trend towards intensified summer storms and this trend is expected to worsen in the coming years," said Francesco Marra, a researcher at the University of Padova and a co-author of the study.
France 24
18 hours ago
- Science
- France 24
Climate change could double summer rainfall in the Alps: study
Researchers said that in a scenario where temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the Alps and nearby regions could experience episodes of intense summer rainfall twice as often as currently. "With such warming, an intense storm currently expected once every 50 years could occur once every 25 years in the future," said the Swiss university, which conducted the study in collaboration with the University of Padua in Italy. "Hot air holds more moisture (around seven percent more per degree), intensifying storm activity", the researchers said. "As the Alpine environment warms faster than the global average, it is particularly affected," they added. The study used summer rainfall data collected from nearly 300 meteorological stations across the European Alps in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. They focused on record-breaking rainfall events -- lasting from 10 minutes to an hour -- that occurred between 1991 and 2020, as well as the temperatures associated with these episodes. "The sudden and massive arrival of large volumes of water can exceed the soil's absorption capacity," which can "trigger flash floods and debris flows, causing damage to infrastructure", said Nadav Peleg, a researcher at UNIL and the study's lead author. Researchers recommend "preparing urban water management systems and other infrastructures" that are ill suited to handle significant rainfall volumes. "Promptly updating engineering and urban planning standards" would help mitigate potential risks associated with these events, they added, while also emphasising the need to "limit global warming to 1.5C or less above current levels". According to scientists from the United Nations' IPCC panel on climate change, there is a 50 percent chance of global temperatures rising by an average of 1.5C by 2030-2035. "We are already observing a trend towards intensified summer storms and this trend is expected to worsen in the coming years," said Francesco Marra, a researcher at the University of Padova and a co-author of the study. © 2025 AFP
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Why some animals become fossils while others vanish without a trace
For centuries, we have marveled at the prints left by animals who existed thousands of years ago. But one enduring mystery remains: why do some animals leave behind beautifully preserved remains, while others vanish without a trace? Scientists at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have taken on this question head-on. Their groundbreaking research offers new insights into why certain creatures become fossils, and others simply disappear. Unlocking the secrets of fossilization At the outset, the scientists explain that the fossils are not limited to bones. In some extraordinary cases, they can even preserve muscles, skin, and even traces of internal organs. But this process is not guaranteed, and the event is rather quite selective. Farid Saleh, a Swiss National Science Foundation Ambizione Fellow at UNIL, and his team discovered that the internal chemistry of a carcass plays a pivotal role in whether it fossilizes. During decomposition , the remains of some animals can cause sharp drops in oxygen levels in the surrounding sediment. 'This means that, in nature, two animals buried side by side could have vastly different fates as fossils, simply because of differences in size or body chemistry,' explained lead researcher Nora Corthésy. Chemistry of decay The research team observed that proteins tend to break down faster than lipids, which in turn accelerates oxygen consumption near the decaying body. This local depletion of oxygen can limit further breakdown and encourage the growth of bacteria that don't rely on oxygen. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 35 & Earning? Protect Your Family with ₹1 Cr Life Cover ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo This shift sets up the perfect conditions for fossilization. As these bacteria work, the chemical environment around the body changes, allowing durable minerals, like pyrite or calcium phosphate, to replace soft tissues in fine detail. 'A large, protein-rich animal can slip into this state more easily, leading to a better chance of fossilization,' the scientists noted. In contrast, smaller animals or those with less protein may not trigger such changes in the surrounding environment and are more likely to decay completely. The bias of the fossil record This helps explain why many fossil beds feature certain animals, like arthropods, while others, such as soft-bodied worms, are absent. The absence may not reflect extinction or rarity, but simply a failure to fossilize. Implications for paleontology 'Understanding how size and body chemistry influence fossilization changes how paleontologists interpret ancient ecosystems,' said Corthésy. 'It helps separate the absence of fossils due to true extinction from those missing due to poor preservation.' The creatures we'll never know The sobering reality is that many animals may have lived and died without leaving any physical trace. Their bodies decomposed so quickly, or failed to create the chemical conditions needed for preservation, that they were wiped clean from the geological record. In this sense, the fossil record is less of a comprehensive archive and more of a highly selective snapshot. 'Animals with soft bodies and low protein content, such as some early worms, may have existed in abundance, but we'll likely never find their remains,' the researchers explained.
