Dust-on-snow is a major threat to water in the Colorado River, yet no snowmelt forecasts integrate dust-accelerated melt. Using pioneering remote sensing techniques, new research is the first to capture how dust impacts the headwaters of the Colorado River system. The new method could help predict the timing and magnitude of snow darkening and impacts on melt rates on snowpacks, in real time.

Researchers from Brazil, Germany and the United States document a multi-faceted global snapshot of the environmental aspects and trends surrounding single-use plastics in a review article titled “Rethinking single-use plastics: Innovations, policies, consumer awareness and market shaping biodegradable plastics in the packaging industry.” The piece was recently published in Trends in Food Science & Technology. The researchers state that the largest area of application for biodegradable plastic materials is the packaging segment, which accounts for about half of single-use plastic production. The director of the Center for Arkansas Foods and Farm also provides input on how plastics are used around the farm.

UVA Engineering mechanical and aerospace students plan to hitch a ride on a NASA rocket this August. They want to see if they can be the first researchers to use low-cost, miniature spacecraft technology to acquire reentry data that could improve future full-scale hypersonic aircraft designs.

Chemists have confirmed a 67-year-old theory about vitamin B1 by stabilizing a reactive molecule in water — a feat long thought impossible. The discovery not only solves a biochemical mystery, but also opens the door to greener, more efficient ways of making pharmaceuticals.