Research briefs

Not only have seawalls in certain areas repeatedly failed when tested, but they pose a threat to the delicate ecosystems associated with wetlands and intertidal areas by reflecting energy generated by wind and waves back into the water. Emerging research suggests that in some areas, biological barriers better protect against coastal hazards.

Sub-continent farmers in India are experts in monsoonal climate. To reduce floodwater on the surface and secure groundwater stores, vertical pipes, or holiyas, are inserted into the ground and drain water down the pipe into the aquifer below. While cheap and effective, they are not widely used: the findings from a 2015 assessment are published as an IWMI-Tata Highlight.

Cities face harsher, more concentrated rainfall as climate change not only intensifies storms, but draws them into narrower bands of more intense downpours, UNSW engineers have found. This has major implications for existing stormwater infrastructure, particularly in large cities, which face higher risks of flash flooding.

A new study finds that there will be a rise in tornado deaths if local and federal government in the United States continue to rely on old fashioned warning systems. The article suggests several recommendations to improve the current mechanism.

Research published in the May 6 edition of Science indicates that slow-motion earthquakes or “slow-slip events” can rupture the shallow portion of a fault that also moves in large, tsunami-generating earthquakes. The finding has important implications for assessing tsunami hazards.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) at its Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) have discovered a way to forecast earthquakes based on slow fault movements caused by moving sub layers of the earth.

The formation of a distinct pattern of sea surface temperatures in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean can predict an increased chance of summertime heat waves in the eastern half of the United States up to 50 days in advance, according to a new study led by a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

An international research team has put together a map using satellite data that details the countries in Europe with the highest likelihood of experiencing wildfire damage - with large fires occurring more frequently near Wildland-Urban Interface areas in the countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Italy and Spain.

According to a new study of the European Commission Joint Research Centre, adaptation efforts should favour measures targeted at reducing the impacts of floods, such as relocation and vulnerability reduction, rather than trying to avoid them. Reducing vulnerability includes early warning systems, dry and wet flood proofing, and floating buildings, among others.

Volcanic ash can damage jet engines but the chemical composition of the ash, which varies depending on its source, plays a crucial role in determining how much damage it can cause. Volcanologists from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München have developed a new risk assessment model.