Latest news with #VirginiaCarterGamberini
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Want to Farm Fog to Solve the Water Crisis
Researchers may have just found a way to establish a renewable water resource in one of the driest places in the world. Using pieces of mesh, these fog-harvesting machines collect water droplets and funnel them into storage tanks. Fog-harvesting systems aren't just a small-scale solution; they could be a practical, reliable water system for cities. For some, foggy days, with their soft, quiet atmosphere, are the perfect reason to curl up and read. But, in addition to a lazy Sunday mood-setter, fog could soon also become a deeply vital resource. According to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science, atmospheric water, which of course includes fog, has the potential to serve as an effective water source for crucial uses like irrigation, hydroponic farming, and, probably most important, human consumption. The study focuses on fog in Alto Hospicio—a city on the edge of the Chilean Atacama Desert, which just so happens to be the driest non-polar place on Earth. On average, the desert gets less than one millimeter of rainfall every year. City inhabitants depend on massive sub-surface storehouses of water called underground aquifers. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, aquifers occur when porous, water-bearing rock readily transmits water to wells and springs. Think of when you're at the beach and dig so deep in the sand that the hole gets flooded with water. You've just dug a well to expose the water table and aquifer underneath. While this may seem like a reliable water source, the aquifers at Alto Hospicio haven't been recharged in over 10,000 years. Researchers conducted the study over the course of a year and found that peak fog season fell between August and September in 2024. The fog-harvesting contraption researchers used is extremely simple, using a suspended piece of mesh to intercept the fog. Water droplets form on the fabric and eventually run down to a gutter into storage tanks. According to the researchers, the system is low-cost, passive, and low-maintenance. After the year-long study, researchers found the fog-harvesting system could produce a daily average of 2.5 liters of water per square meter. During peak season, the fog-harvester has the potential to collect 10 liters of water per square meter a day. Authors of the study suggest that 17,000 square meters of mesh could produce enough to meet the weekly water needs (300,000 liters) of communities that face similar struggles as Alto Hospicio. 'This research represents a notable shift in the perception of fog water use—from a rural, rather small-scale solution to a practical water resource for cities,' said Dr Virginia Carter Gamberini, first co-author of the study, in a Frontiers press release. 'Our findings demonstrate that fog can serve as a complementary urban water supply in drylands where climate change exacerbates water shortages.' According to the paper, confronting water scarcity could correct the social inequality that non-renewable water systems perpetuate. Water stress affects many regions—including Chile—especially because of urban growth and megadroughts. 'The collection and use of water,' Carter said, 'especially from non-conventional sources such as fog water, represents a key opportunity to improve the quality of life of inhabitants.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
How can fog harvesting help some of the world's driest regions?
Some parts of the world experience incredibly hot and dry conditions with very little rain. One of those places is Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the driest places in the world with less than 1 millimetres of rainfall a year. Local researchers in Chile have been looking into a practice called fog hope is that it will help provide local people with much needed water for drinking and growing crops. What is fog harvesting? Fog harvesting isn't a new idea, and the methods used to collect water from fog are pretty simple. A fog is a cloud of water vapour, that is close to the collect fog water, a wire is woven together to make a mesh which is then hung between two poles. Droplets form on the mesh, which are collected and harvesting has been used on a smaller scale for many years, mainly in parts of South and Central America where the right foggy conditions exist. Researchers in Chile believe fog harvesting on a bigger scale could provide a more reliable water supply in areas that need it most. What were the findings from the study? The researchers carried out a year-long field study in a Chilean city called Alto Hospicio in the Atacama Desert. The city has grown quickly, with about 10,000 people living there today. However, only a very small percentage have easy access to water in their homes. Most of the residents get the water they need from truck deliveries. The researchers found 17,000 square metres of mesh could produce enough water to meet the weekly water demand of 300,000 litres that is currently delivered by truck to the locals in the area. They also found that just110 square metres of mesh could water the city's green spaces for a year. Dr Virginia Carter Gamberini who is an assistant professor at Universidad Mayor and a co-author on the study said the collected water could be used for drinking and local food production. But the researchers say that large storage systems, good piping networks, and well thought out ways of distributing the water would be team who carried out the study also say fog harvesting should not be seen as the only solution to the lack of water in some regions, but as just one way to solve the problem. And fog harvesting only works if the conditions are just right. Things like "fog density", "wind patterns" and how much fog a region sees throughout the year will need to be considered. "By showcasing its potential in Alto Hospicio, one of Chile's most stigmatised yet rapidly urbanizing cities, this study lays the groundwork for broader adoption in other water-scarce urban areas," said Nathalie Verbrugghe who is a researcher at Université libre de Bruxelles and a co-author on the study.
