The U.S. and the U.K. are both readying their next-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, the vessels that would launch nuclear weapons from the sea. While both navies are keen to go ahead with these project and replace their aging nuclear subs, British politician Emily Thornberry ruffled feathers recently by suggesting that maybe nuke subs won’t have a place in the future… The other great challenge is power-giving underwater drones the energy for long-duration missions. But there is one type of unmanned submarine which is uniquely well-suited to long-endurance missions. It’s called the underwater glider. Developed by Teledyne Webb in 1991, these gliders are generally about six feet long and resemble a torpedo with wings. Instead of using a propeller, the glider increases its buoyancy and rises slowly, “gliding” forward underwater as it does so. When it reaches the surface, it reduces its buoyancy and glides on a shallow angle downwards. It’s a slow but steady form of propulsion. In 2009, the Scarlet Knight glider from Rutgers University crossed the Atlantic in seven months.
Archives for March 2016
‘Blocking-high’ pressure systems spawn most of the warming that melts Greenland surface ice, study says
Vanishing Arctic sea ice. Dogged weather systems over Greenland. Far-flung surface ice melting on the massive island. These dramatic trends and global sea-level rise are linked, according to a study coauthored by Jennifer Francis, a research professor in Rutgers University’s Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. During Greenland summers, melting Arctic sea ice favors stronger and more frequent “blocking-high” pressure systems, which spin clockwise, stay largely in place and can block cold, dry Canadian air from reaching the island. The highs tend to enhance the flow of warm, moist air over Greenland, contributing to increased extreme heat events and surface ice melting, according to the study.
Climate change: Greenland melting tied to shrinking Arctic sea ice
Vanishing Arctic sea ice. Dogged weather systems over Greenland. Far-flung surface ice melting on the massive island. These dramatic trends and global sea-level rise are linked, according to a study coauthored by Jennifer Francis, a research professor in Rutgers University’s Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences… The study, published online in the Journal of Climate last month, tapped computer models and measurements in the field… “I think this study does a good job of pinning down the fact that the [Arctic sea] ice is disappearing for a whole bunch of reasons – and that is causing the surface of Greenland’s melt area to increase,” Francis said.
Nutritional Sciences Prof. Paul Breslin Elected a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice
Paul Breslin, professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, has been elected to Distinguished Fellowship in the National Academies of Practice (NAP) and the Psychology Academy. Breslin, who holds a doctoral degree in experimental psychology, is a NAP distinguished scholar, one of five categories of membership at the academy. He and the 2016 fellows will […]
Researchers work on chestnut tree hybrid that can thrive in N.J. woods
They were among New Jersey’s tallest trees, majestically rising 120 feet from the forest floor. Their rot-resistant wood was prized to make shingles, railroad ties, telegraph poles – and coffins. Their nuts, which fell with reliable abundance each fall…
Snow in the new era
Those 20 and under might well have a very different view of the Philadelphia winter from that of their elders. All four of the biggest snows in Philadelphia have occurred since 1996, three of those since 2009… Jennifer Francis at Rutgers and others h…
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Held Wellness Night for ‘Grandparents Raising Grandchildren’
Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) Department held its annual Wellness Night for the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group on March 22, 2016. The special evening, of pampering services for the grandparents, took place at the Cape May County Technical School District… Marilou Rochford, FCHS Educator, said, “This partnership between FCHS and the Cosmetology Program of the Cape May County Technical School District not only provides services for the grandparents but also provides an opportunity for the Cosmetology students to gain practical experience while studying their chosen field.” Rochford added, “This event has traditionally been a fun night for everyone, including the Cosmetology Program students.”
Rutgers Equine Science Center Helps to Gain Commitment of Player for the University’s Women Volleyball Team
Kamila Cieslik, a high school junior volleyball MVP from Tennessee, wanted to attend a school that had both an equine science program and good volleyball. She had a lot of big-time offers, but it was the university’s equine science program that won her over and led to her commitment to attend Rutgers. Read more at […]
Spring is planting season, but ‘giving season’ for Rutgers vets is year-round
While the 2015 class of the Rutgers Veterans Environmental and Technology Solutions (VETS) program graduated in December and the ground outside isn’t ready yet for spring planting, some of the program’s graduates worked through the cold months of winter to make sure those at the Willing Heart Community Center always had fresh vegetables… Amy Rowe, VETS co-director, noted “The classroom portion of the VETS program provides unemployed veterans with the skills they need to get back to work, but the hands-on field experience has come through partnerships and engagement with the community. The trainees work to revitalize distressed neighborhoods through the installation of community gardens, landscape beautification, and by teaching the citizens of Newark how to eat healthy and grow their own food.”
GARDENER STATE: Jersey Fresh: Loud and proud!
Jersey Fresh. Now, you might be thinking this may be more about that stray salad item that landed on your lap or the food fight tomato or pie in the face? While those may be embarrassing or even a bit funny, this is really about promoting NJ agricultur…