Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Unearthing the impacts of hydrological sensitivity on global rainfall
Georgia Tech researcher Jie He set out to predict how rainfall will change as Earth's atmosphere continues to heat up. In the process, he made some unexpected discoveries that might explain how greenhouse gas emissions will impact tropical oceans, affecting climate on a global scale. "This is not a story with just one punch line," […]
New polymer membranes, AI predictions could dramatically reduce energy, water use in oil refining
A new kind of polymer membrane created by researchers at Georgia Tech could reshape how refineries process crude oil, dramatically reducing the energy and water required while extracting even more useful materials. The so-called DUCKY polymers — more on the unusual name in a minute — are reported Oct. 16 in Nature Materials. And they’re just the […]
New water treatment approach helps to avoid harmful chemicals
The water coming out of your faucet is safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely clean. Chlorine has long been the standard for water treatment, but it often contains trace levels of disinfection byproducts and unknown contaminants. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers developed the minus approach to handle these harmful byproducts. Instead of […]
Thinning ice sheets may drive sharp rise in subglacial waters
Up to twice the amount of subglacial water that was originally predicted might be draining into the ocean – potentially increasing glacial melt, sea level rise, and biological disturbances. Two Georgia Tech researchers, Alex Robel and Shi Joyce Sim, have collaborated on a new model for how water moves under glaciers. The new theory shows that up to twice the […]
Decision support tool helps coastal areas find ideal spots for water level sensors
As climate change leads to rising sea levels and more powerful storms, coastal communities increasingly are turning to networks of sensors to track water levels. The sensors—which are progressively getting cheaper and more capable—can help officials anticipate flood risks and respond in emergencies. A tool developed by Georgia Tech researchers can help make the most […]
New ultrafast water disinfection method is more environmentally friendly
Having safe drinking water is vital for public health, but traditional methods of disinfection cause their own environmental problems. Chlorine is cheap and easy to use in centralized water systems, but at the expense of harmful chemical byproducts. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have found a way to use small shocks of electricity to disinfect […]
Using machine learning to better understand how water behaves
Water has puzzled scientists for decades. For the last 30 years or so, they have theorized that when cooled down to a very low temperature like -100C, water might be able to separate into two liquid phases of different densities. Like oil and water, these phases don't mix and may help explain some of water's […]
Seawater seep may be speeding glacier melt, sea level rise
The melting of ice sheets at the points where they float on and along the world's oceans is a major climate culprit when it comes to sea-level rise. But less is understood about the extent of melting that is due to warm, salty seawater that seeps underneath "grounded" portions of ice sheets along land, as well […]
Instability in Antarctic ice projected to make sea level rise rapidly
Images of vanishing Arctic ice is jarring, but its potential contributions to sea level rise are no match for Antarctica’s, even if receding southern ice is less eye-catching. Now, a study says that instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously […]