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Earth Sciences

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A Peacekeeping Operation in Ukraine, Synthetic Opioids, Geoengineering: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why it may be time to consider a peacekeeping operation in northern Ukraine, supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a new response to synthetic opioids, and more.

Apr 29, 2022
Project

The Risks of Geoengineering

Geoengineering—the intentional manipulation of the climate—could help curb global warming, but it could also have world-altering consequences. In a new animated video, RAND artists-in-residence Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre take a lighthearted look at this serious issue.

Apr 27, 2022
Tool

Environmental Racism: A Tool for Exploring the Enduring Legacy of Redlining on Urban Environments

Researchers developed an online tool for visualizing the spatial relationships between the discriminatory practice of redlining and exposure to environmental hazards (e.g., pollution, waste sites).

Mar 31, 2022
Tool

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Winter 2021–2022

This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about winter 2021–2022, regional climate trends, and the upcoming winter season. A tool shows an analysis of future projected changes in precipitation, compared to climate normals.

Mar 18, 2022
Journal Article

A Multicity Analysis of Daytime Surface Urban Heat Islands in India and the US

Satellite data and various spectral indices are used to predict surface heat. Built-up indices used in the U.S. do not differentiate sparse vegetation and built-up surfaces, and thus fail in India.

Feb 25, 2022
Tool

Identifying and Planning for Vulnerabilities in the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District’s Water Management Plans

This interactive tool presents the results of a study that evaluated the performance of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District water plans under a range of future conditions, including climate change, drought occurrence, and water demand.

Jan 6, 2022
Essay

Citizen Science Helps Communities Participate in, Understand, and Trust Science

Good citizen science brings a community together and helps it prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. A RAND guide takes non-expert investigators from the early stages of defining their questions and setting their goals, through building their teams, to planning for action.

Jan 4, 2022
Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2022

The cover story highlights the risks of geoengineering -- the large-scale manipulation of environmental processes to control climate. The Q&A with Jacqueline Burns sheds light on how her military experience informs her approach to research and analysis.

Jan 4, 2022
Essay

Manipulating the Climate: What Are the Geopolitical Risks?

Geoengineering technologies that could block the sun's rays or siphon huge amounts of carbon from the air are not that far out of reach. Yet the international community has not established the kinds of guardrails you might expect for potentially world-changing technologies.

Dec 29, 2021
Tool

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Fall 2021

This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about fall 2021, regional climate trends, and the upcoming winter season. A tool shows an analysis of future projected changes in temperature, compared to climate normals.

Dec 21, 2021
Journal Article

Adaptive Water Management in the Face of Uncertainty: Integrating Machine Learning, Groundwater Modeling and Robust Decision Making

This study examines climate change and water resources management challenges facing water suppliers in drought-prone regions.

Dec 21, 2021
Blog

Measuring Greenhouse Gases in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles, once the U.S. capital of smog and sprawl, has vowed to lead the nation into a cleaner, greener future by stamping out carbon pollution. A small array of sensors installed on the roof of RAND's Santa Monica headquarters could help it get there.

Nov 30, 2021
Journal Article

Overview of the Jack Rabbit II (JR II) Field Experiments and Summary of the Methods Used in the Dispersion Model Comparisons

This paper summarizes the Jack Rabbit II chlorine release trials conducted at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground in 2015 and 2016 and provides on overview of comparisons of 17 widely used dense-gas dispersion models using the JR II data.

Nov 23, 2021
Tool

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Summer 2021

This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about summer 2021, regional climate trends, and the upcoming fall season. A tool shows an analysis of historic and future projected growing degree days across the Mid-Atlantic.

Sep 20, 2021
Report

Developing the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response: An Opportunity to Reduce Risk and Impacts of Future Spills in Freshwater

In 2016, Congress directed the U.S. Coast Guard to establish the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response. This report makes recommendations for the center, its staffing, potential partnerships, and location.

Aug 31, 2021
Journal Article

Arctic Shipping Guidance from the CMIP6 Ensemble on Operational and Infrastructural Timescales

The expectation of a seasonally ice-free Arctic by mid-century has sparked interest in Arctic opportunities and risks. This paper presents a framework for obtaining more timely and salient information to guide decisions relevant to operational and infrastructural horizons.

Jul 30, 2021
Journal Article

Gaps in Toxic Industrial Chemical Model Systems: Improvements and Changes Over Past 10 Years

To assess the hazards of the releases of toxic chemicals to the atmosphere, comprehensive model systems are often used. This paper reviews knowledge gaps that were resolved in the past ten years by new theoretical and experimental research.

Jul 21, 2021
Report

Factors influencing domestic tourism in the UK and abroad and the role of publicly funded domestic tourism marketing: A rapid evidence assessment

This research, commissioned by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), was undertaken to identify factors that influence people's decisions to take domestic holidays and the impact of publicly funded domestic tourism marketing.

Jul 15, 2021
Tool

Developing Future Projected Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Curves: Technical Report

To support stormwater managers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Virginia in adapting to climate change, this study updated intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, a common tool used for stormwater infrastructure design, to reflect future climate changes.

Jul 9, 2021
Commentary

Arming the Department of Defense's Environmental Liabilities Program

A new U.S. emphasis on sustainable environmental conditions is emerging just as budget pressures are increasing. The DoD could use this as an opportunity to develop a systematic approach to addressing its environmental liabilities.

Jun 23, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Earth Sciences

Topic Synonyms:
Geochemistry;
Geosciences

Research conducted by

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being