Water is our lifeline and also a humbling force of nature. As the climate changes, the decisions we make today regarding water will determine our country’s success over the coming decades. SMCC in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada brought together researchers and policy makers to describe what the future may hold for this essential […]
Tag: water
De-ice de-ice baby
Water droplets resting on water-repellent surfaces spring away spontaneously in a low-pressure environment, according to a new study . This finding could be used to help develop more advanced anti-icing systems for ships, offshore drilling rigs, and airplanes. The researchers found that as the water evaporated, a difference in pressure caused the drops to spontaneously […]
Leaky pipes can lead to water contamination
Underground water pipes can not only leak water but in certain circumstances suck in surrounding and potentially contaminated water. New research shows that while pressure in water mains typically forces water out through the leaks, when the pressure drops, pipes start to suck in groundwater. Any contaminants can then travel throughout the water main network. […]
A place for life to form on the Martian surface?
Thin films of liquid brines which could hypothetically support life may form daily on soil on Mars and evaporate overnight, according to a new study. The Curiosity rover, which is traversing Gale crater on equatorial region of Mars, has detected a type of salt called perchlorate. Perchlorate salts both lower the freezing temperature […]
Water found on Neptune-sized exoplanet
Astronomers have detected water vapour in the atmosphere of Neptune-sized exoplanet. Previously, it had only been possible to measure the atmospheric composition in large, Jupiter-sized exoplanets. Using a technique called transmission spectroscopy with which they analysed the light spectrum coming from the exoplanet, they’ve detected water molecules in the atmosphere of HAT-P-11b, an exoplanet with […]
Winner – Three Minute Thesis
The winner of the 2014 Three Minute Thesis is Joseph Donahue, a biochemical engineering student from Western University, discussing his work on a portable bioreactor to treat wastewater. See his winning video here and check out the runners up – including the People’s Choice winner – here.
Can information and communications technology (ICT) help produce a greener Canada?
Imagine an app that helps monitor your water usage, or a “smart building” that tints its windows in response to sunlight in order to save on air conditioning costs. Such technologies exist, but putting them to work will require integration on a number of fronts: improving broadband access in all areas of the country; standardizing […]
Alberta’s Bow River: Climate change and human impacts | SMCC Backgrounder
In the days leading up to June 20, 2013, Alberta experienced extreme rainfall that led to flooding on the Bow River and its associated watershed. Total damage was estimated at $3 to 5 billion. While there is no way to prevent such floods, scientific research by climatologists, hydrologists and other experts can help us understand […]
One in four major cities is water-stressed
The first global database of urban water sources and stress finds that one in four major cities use more than 40 per cent of the water available to them. This proportion is lower than previous estimates, in part because the new study accounts for the fact that many cities draw on distant watersheds, rather than […]
‘Lab-in-a-pill’ improves remote water testing
Take a cup a water, drop in a pill and shake it up; if the water turns purple, your well could be contaminated with bacteria. Such test are now possible thanks to a new method for encapsulating enzymes – including those used in lab tests for bacterial contamination – in a material called pullulan, the […]
