UC San Diego
UC San Diego 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.
New technology could reduce energy and water use associated with data centre cooling
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cooling technology that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers and high-powered electronics. The technology features a specially engineered fiber membrane that passively removes heat through evaporation. It offers a promising alternative to traditional cooling systems like fans, heat sinks and […]
Pollution from the Tijuana river affects air quality in San Diego, finds study
A new study finds pollutants from the river are transmitted to the ocean and air.
Improving risk estimates for extreme rain and snow
A new study led by scientists from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography details an improved method for estimating the likelihood of extreme precipitation events in the western United States. The traditional approach estimates the frequency of severe rain and snow by analyzing meteorological records looking only at precipitation intensity over arbitrarily defined time periods, […]
Atmospheric rivers explain atypical El Niño and La Niña years
El Niño and La Niña are climate phenomena that are generally associated with wetter and drier winter conditions in the Southwestern United States, respectively. In 2023, however, a La Niña year proved extremely wet in the Southwest instead of dry. New research from scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography finds that atmospheric rivers explain the […]
Canals used to drain peatlands are underappreciated hotspots for carbon emissions, new study finds
A new study led by UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography postdoctoral scholar Jennifer Bowen finds that canals used to drain soggy peatlands in Southeast Asia are likely hotspots for greenhouse gas emissions. The results, published March 8 in Nature Geoscience, identify a previously unaccounted for source of emissions from these threatened, carbon-rich landscapes. Findings from the […]
Ultra-sensitive lead detector could significantly improve water quality monitoring
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an ultra-sensitive sensor made with graphene that can detect extraordinarily low concentrations of lead ions in water. The device achieves a record limit of detection of lead down to the femtomolar range, which is one million times more sensitive than previous sensing technologies. “With the […]
Wildfires found to also impact aquatic ecosystems
In devasting cases dotting the globe in recent years, climate warming has led to an increase in the number and severity of destructive wildfires. Climate change projections indicate that environmental and economic damage from wildfires will spread and escalate in the years ahead. While studies have analyzed impacts on land, new research from the University […]
Study finds sewage bacteria in ocean spray
Scientists find bacteria and chemical compounds from coastal water pollution in sea spray aerosol along Imperial Beach.
More evidence that California weather is trending toward extremes
Patterns associated with wildfires increasing in frequency; those linked to “normal” rainfall decreasing.