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U.S. Water Reservoirs Are Shrinking and Becoming Less Reliable, New Study Finds
Major water reservoirs across the continental United States are experiencing longer, more severe, and more variable periods of low storage than several decades ago, a new study reports. The problems are most severe in the western and central United States, but reservoirs in the eastern and southeastern United States are not immune.
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No Power, No Operator, No Problem: Simulating Nuclear Reactors to Explore Next-Generation Nuclear Safety Systems
To create safe and efficient nuclear reactors, designers and regulators need reliable data consistent with real-world observation. Data generated at the facility validates computational models and guides the design of nuclear reactors.
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Urban Street Networks and Building Density Shape Severity of Floods
Cities around the globe are experiencing increased flooding due to the compounding effects of stronger storms in a warming climate and urban growth. Researchers’ new analytical model can assess neighborhood-level hazards globally.
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Despite Recent Water Supply Improvement, More Cuts Expected for Colorado River, Feds Say
After Lake Mead hit an all-time low two years ago, the Colorado River’s water supply is in a much better position this summer, but it hasn’t improved enough to prevent further cuts this year.
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Could We Use Volcanoes to Make Electricity?
It is challenging, but tapping into the Earth’s natural heat can create a renewable, reliable and clean source of energy. As technology improves, more places around the world will turn to geothermal energy to light up people’s lives. Volcanoes are reminders of a great powerhouse deep underground that’s waiting to be harnessed.
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How the Marshall Fire Sparked a Political Transformation in Colorado
After the fire destroyed his town in 2021, a state rep took on insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and landlords — and beat them all.
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How Back-to-Back Hurricanes Set Off a Year of Compounding Disasters for One City − and Alarm Bells About Risks in a Warming World
Climate change will bring new weather patterns that are beyond emergency managers’ current playbooks, which are filled with protocols honed by past experience. The capacity to adapt will be essential when those playbooks can’t handle compounding disasters that few had imagined.
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Stuck Bridges, Buckling Roads − Extreme Heat Is Wreaking Havoc on America’s Aging Infrastructure
Summer 2024’s record heat is creating problems for transportation infrastructure, from roads to rails. It doesn’t help that the worsening heat is hitting a U.S. infrastructure system that’s already in trouble.
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Hybrid System Would Create New ‘Backbone’ for Internet in Space
A new NATO-funded effort seeks to make the internet less vulnerable by rerouting its flow of information to space in the event that the underwater cables that transmit the world’s communications are attacked or accidentally severed.
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Reviving the Los Angeles River: Engineering Alongside Nature and Society
Reviving the LA River is a prime example of a large-scale infrastructure project that requires engineers to work alongside nature and society. A revived LA River can again serve as habitat for native vegetation and wildlife, improve water quality, aid water management, and contribute to cultural renewal.
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Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate
Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.
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Venezuelan Crisis Has Negatively Affected Country's Internet
“Modern services cannot run properly,” researcher says. New study examines Venezuela’s connectivity landscape over the past decade. Due to the crisis, Venezuela’s Internet infrastructure has deteriorated. Researchers found Internet speeds in Venezuela are approximately 10% of the regional average.
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Texas Water Board Details How It Will Spend $1 Billion for Water Infrastructure Projects
About $45 million will go to Texas towns with fewer than 1,000 residents — a boon for municipalities without a viable tax base.
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Offshore Wind Farms Connected By an Underwater Power Grid for Transmission Could Revolutionize How the East Coast Gets Its Electricity
Offshore winds have the potential to supply coastlines with massive, consistent flows of clean electricity. One study estimates wind farms just offshore could meet 11 times the projected global electricity demand in 2040. In the U.S., the East Coast is an ideal location to capture this power.
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As the Rio Grande Runs Dry, South Texas Cities Look to Alternatives for Water
Many of the solutions are costly, putting them out of reach for small towns. But the region’s most populous cities are getting innovative.
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The long view
Helping Strengthen America’s Critical Infrastructure
Everyday life depends on a robust infrastructure network that provides access to running water, communications technology and electricity, among other basic necessities. The experts who keep our national infrastructure secure and resilient also need a strong network to share their knowledge and train the next generation of professionals capable of solving complex infrastructure challenges.
AI and the Future of the U.S. Electric Grid
Despite its age, the U.S. electric grid remains one of the great workhorses of modern life. Whether it can maintain that performance over the next few years may determine how well the U.S. competes in an AI-driven world.
Using Liquid Air for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
New research finds liquid air energy storage could be the lowest-cost option for ensuring a continuous power supply on a future grid dominated by carbon-free but intermittent sources of electricity.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: A Promising Source of Round-the-Clock Energy
With its capacity to provide 24/7 power, many are warming up to the prospect of geothermal energy. Scientists are currently working to advance human-made reservoirs in Earth’s deep subsurface to stimulate the activity that exists within natural geothermal systems.
Experts Discuss Geothermal Potential
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat from within Earth—the term comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). It is an energy source that has the potential to power all our energy needs for billions of years.