Posts tagged CU
Arctic sea ice reaches lowest extent ever recorded, says CU-Boulder research team
Aug 27th
The blanket of sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean melted to its lowest extent ever recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979, according to the University of Colorado Boulder’s National Snow and Ice Data Center.
On Aug. 26, the Arctic sea ice extent fell to 1.58 million square miles, or 4.10 million square kilometers. The number is 27,000 square miles, or 70,000 square kilometers below the record low daily sea ice extent set Sept. 18, 2007. Since the summer Arctic sea ice minimum normally does not occur until the melt season ends in mid- to late September, the CU-Boulder research team expects the sea ice extent to continue to dwindle for the next two or three weeks, said Walt Meier, an NSID scientist.
“It’s a little surprising to see the 2012 Arctic sea ice extent in August dip below the record low 2007 sea ice extent in September,” he said. “It’s likely we are going to surpass the record decline by a fair amount this year by the time all is said and done.”
On Sept. 18, 2007, the September minimum extent of Arctic sea ice shattered all satellite records, reaching a five-day running average of 1.61 million square miles, or 4.17 million square kilometers. Compared to the long-term minimum average from 1979 to 2000, the 2007 minimum extent was lower by about a million square miles — an area about the same as Alaska and Texas combined, or 10 United Kingdoms.
While a large Arctic storm in early August appears to have helped to break up some of the 2012 sea ice and helped it to melt more quickly, the decline seen in in recent years is well outside the range of natural climate variability, said Meier. Most scientists believe the shrinking Arctic sea ice is tied to warming temperatures caused by an increase in human-produced greenhouse gases pumped into Earth’s atmosphere.
CU-Boulder researchers say the old, thick multi-year ice that used to dominate the Arctic region has been replaced by young, thin ice that has survived only one or two melt seasons — ice which now makes up about 80 percent of the ice cover. Since 1979, the September Arctic sea ice extent has declined by 12 percent per decade.
The record-breaking Arctic sea ice extent in 2012 moves the 2011 sea ice extent minimum from the second to the third lowest spot on record, behind 2007. Meier and his CU-Boulder colleagues say they believe the Arctic may be ice-free in the summers within the next several decades.
“The years from 2007 to 2012 are the six lowest years in terms of Arctic sea ice extent in the satellite record,” said Meier. “In the big picture, 2012 is just another year in the sequence of declining sea ice. We have been seeing a trend toward decreasing minimum Arctic sea ice extents for the past 34 years, and there’s no reason to believe this trend will change.”
The Arctic sea ice extent as measured by scientists is the total area of all Arctic regions where ice covers at least 15 percent of the ocean surface, said Meier.
Scientists say Arctic sea ice is important because it keeps the polar region cold and helps moderate global climate — some have dubbed it “Earth’s air conditioner.” While the bright surface of Arctic sea ice reflects up to 80 percent of the sunlight back to space, the increasing amounts of open ocean there — which absorb about 90 percent of the sunlight striking the Arctic — have created a positive feedback effect, causing the ocean to heat up and contribute to increased sea ice melt.
Earlier this year, a national research team led by CU embarked on a two-year effort to better understand the impacts of environmental factors associated with the continuing decline of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. The $3 million, NASA-funded project led by Research Professor James Maslanik of aerospace engineering sciences includes tools ranging from unmanned aircraft and satellites to ocean buoys in order to understand the characteristics and changes in Arctic sea ice, including the Beaufort Sea and Canada Basin that are experiencing record warming and decreased sea ice extent.
NSIDC is part of CU-Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences — a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration headquartered on the CU campus — and is funded primarily by NASA. NSIDC’s sea ice data come from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder sensor on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F17 satellite using methods developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
For more information and graphics visit CU-Boulder’s NSIDC website at http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2011/091511.html. For more information on CIRES visithttp://cires.colorado.edu/.
Wrap your mind around this! photo origami CU Boulder
Aug 27th
CU-Boulder ‘photo origami’ proposal
wins $2 million NSF grant
wins $2 million NSF grant
The art of origami has inspired children and artists all over the world because of the amazing objects that can be created by folding a simple piece of paper.
Now an engineering research team at the University of Colorado Boulder has won a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a light-controlled approach for “self-assembly” mechanisms in advanced devices based on the same principles.
Known as “photo origami,” the idea is supported by NSF’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program, which supports interdisciplinary teams working on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research.
CU-Boulder associate professor of mechanical engineering Jerry Qi will lead the team developing the photo origami technique. Collaborators will include CU faculty Robert McLeod of electrical engineering, Kurt Maute of aerospace engineering sciences and Elisabeth “Beth” Stade of mathematics, along with Patrick Mather of Syracuse University.
The ability to transform a flat polymer sheet into a sophisticated, mechanically robust 3-D structure will enable new approaches to manufacturing and design of devices from the microscopic to centimeter scales, according to the team. Examples include using extremely low-weight, high-strength materials to create micro-electromechanical systems with complicated 3-D architectures that can be used for microscopic sensors such as antennas or microphones, and miniature robotic devices for environmental monitoring.
Present barriers to the development of folding and unfolding mechanisms stem from the lack of understanding of scaling laws that allow researchers to generalize results obtained at various size scales, the inability to easily cause matter to “reorient” itself to achieve the desired folding patterns, and challenges in automated, sequential folding.
To overcome these challenges, the CU team will make use of recent fundamental advances in the control of polymer architecture through light-triggered chemical reactions.
“One has to accurately control how much deformation a material should have in order to obtain a precise folding angle and to determine where to fold or stop folding in order to avoid interference in the folding path and form the desired structure,” said McLeod, who will use the interaction of light with material deformation to develop optical waveguide transistors.
In this new form of logic circuit, light triggers the deformation of a soft polymer, which in turn switches the light on or off. In this way, the optical waveguide transistor will enable a structure to be pre-programmed with a folding pattern through a sequential set of switching events controlled by the shape of an origami sheet.
In recent years, CU researchers and their collaborators have made significant progress in using light to control and alter the structure of a polymer. They are able to both bend and stiffen polymer structures and to develop new, soft, shape-memory composite materials through photo-initiation techniques. Shape-memory composites are “smart” materials that have the ability to return from a temporary, deformed shape to their original shape when induced by a trigger.
In addition, the team will work with the local school district to provide research and educational opportunities for K-12 students and teachers.
Spectators urged to plan ahead for Boulder Stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Aug 24th
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge comes to Boulder Aug. 25, and will be one of the largest events in city history. More than 100,000 spectators are expected to be in town to cheer on cyclists for Colorado’s biggest bike race.
To help residents and visitors prepare for race day activities and transportation needs, city staff and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) have developed a Boulder Stage Interactive Map (www.usaproboulder.com/map) featuring periodic road closure times along the race route and public parking locations throughout the city. RTD also will increase bus service to Boulder to provide more transit options for race spectators, and the HOP will provide free service within Boulder on Aug. 25 to make it easier for spectators to get around town to watch the race and celebrate at the race festival on Pearl Street. Service will be doubled for the BV route and on the BOLT to Longmont.
“This will be an extraordinary event for the city, and we’re excited to showcase Boulder to an international audience of cycling fans,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “There are going to be several optimum places to watch the race as cyclists come through the city twice, and we want to encourage everyone – residents and visitors – to plan ahead for parking, to take advantage of public transportation, and to use Boulder’s world-class bike paths during the event.”
Some event day tips include:
- Map your route in advance and know when and where roads are closed
- Arrive early and plan to spend the day in Boulder
- Identify your preferred viewing location, and be flexible
- Dress for changing weather
- Bring water and wear comfortable shoes
- Enjoy local businesses and the festival before and during the race
- Bring cash for parking, bike corrals, and the festival – No credit cards will be accepted for parking or bike corrals
- Plan to shop or eat at a local restaurant to avoid traffic delays after the event
Event parking is available throughout the city and can be found on the Boulder Stage Interactive Map (www.usaproboulder.com/map).
Paid on-street parking is available. Paid Event Parking will be available on the University of Colorado at Boulder Campus, city garages and parking lots, and at several local organizations. City parking facilities will charge $30 for event parking during Saturday’s race to help distribute parking throughout the city. The $30 parking fee will be cash only on Aug. 25. Vehicles parked illegally will be towed. Normal parking operations will resume on Sunday, Aug. 26.
Spectators who wish to park and ride bicycles or walk to the downtown events, may park for free at Stazio Field, Flatiron Park North, Pearl East Circle near the Goose Creek path and at GE Analytical Instruments in Gunbarrel. The LOC has arranged for bike corrals at Boulder High School and Casey Middle School. Bikes may be checked in for a $2 donation between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
CU-Boulder will have shuttles operating on race day from the CU east campus parking lots and CU main campus parking lots to the intersection of 20thStreet and Pearl Street. Parking at the main campus will be $30; parking at east campus will be $20. The shuttles are included in the parking fees (no bikes allowed on shuttles).
To view the most up-to-date parking and transportation options based on your specific needs, visit the Boulder Stage Interactive Map. The state also is announcing information about road closures throughout the region. Regional information is available at www.cotrip.org.
Please visit RTD’s main website www.rtd-denver.com to see route information for Aug. 25.
